Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica
Jamaica: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 17.2% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica, 1988–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 17.2% for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 44.1% on the previous year and up 44.1% over five years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica peaked at 18.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2018.
Jamaica ranks 20th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 18.1% | — |
| 1990 | 13.5% | -25.5% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +9.6% |
| 1996 | 12.7% | -14.0% |
| 1999 | 15.3% | +20.3% |
| 2002 | 17.0% | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 15.7% | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 11.9% | -23.9% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | +44.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 14.1% | 12.7% | 15.3% | 4 |
| 2000s | 16.3% | 15.7% | 17.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 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 relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Jamaica was 17.2% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 18.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2018.
- How does Jamaica rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Jamaica ranks 20th 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.