Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica
Jamaica: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 1.94 million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica, 1988–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica is 1.94 million people, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 4.6% over five years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica peaked at 2.04 million people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 335,639 people, in 1993.
That places Jamaica 87th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 704,296 people | — |
| 1990 | 642,016 people | -8.8% |
| 1993 | 335,639 people | -47.7% |
| 1996 | 719,978 people | +114.5% |
| 1999 | 1.14 million people | +58.0% |
| 2002 | 1.16 million people | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 1.23 million people | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 2.04 million people | +65.1% |
| 2021 | 1.94 million people | -4.6% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 1.94 million people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.77 million people, 22% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 1.94 million people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 8.45 million people, 23% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 704,296 people | 704,296 people | 704,296 people | 1 |
| 1990s | 708,766 people | 335,639 people | 1.14 million people | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.20 million people | 1.16 million people | 1.23 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.04 million people | 2.04 million people | 2.04 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 1.94 million people | 1.94 million people | 1.94 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More poverty & inequality data for Jamaica
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.36 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,140 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 27.77 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 27.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Jamaica was 1.94 million people in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 2.04 million people in 2018.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 335,639 people in 1993.
- How does Jamaica rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Jamaica ranks 87th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.