Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median in Jamaica
Jamaica: Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median was 24.2% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% 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 24.2% for relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in 2021.
That represents a change of up 28.0% on the previous year and up 28.0% over five years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Jamaica peaked at 25.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2018.
Jamaica ranks 18th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 24.8% | — |
| 1990 | 21.5% | -13.6% |
| 1993 | 21.6% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 21.4% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 23.0% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 25.0% | +8.7% |
| 2004 | 22.3% | -10.8% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | -15.4% |
| 2021 | 24.2% | +28.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.8% | 24.8% | 24.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 21.9% | 21.4% | 23.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 23.7% | 22.3% | 25.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.2% | 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 60% of the median in Jamaica?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Jamaica was 24.2% 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 60% of the median recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 25.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2018.
- How does Jamaica rank for relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median?
- Jamaica ranks 18th 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 60% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 60% of the median.