Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica
Jamaica: Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines was 1.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Share in poverty relative to 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 %.
Analysis
In 2021, share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica stood at 1.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 226.4% on the previous year and up 226.4% over five years.
Over the whole period, share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica peaked at 20.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2018.
That places Jamaica 59th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 13.8% | — |
| 1990 | 11.6% | -15.5% |
| 1993 | 20.5% | +76.6% |
| 1996 | 8.3% | -59.7% |
| 1999 | 5.7% | -30.9% |
| 2002 | 6.4% | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | -29.2% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -90.6% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | +226.4% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 1.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.6%, 87% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 1.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.1%, 45% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 11.5% | 5.7% | 20.5% | 4 |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.5% | 6.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 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 share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica?
- Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines in Jamaica was 1.4% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share in poverty relative to different poverty lines recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1993.
- What is the lowest share in poverty relative to different poverty lines recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2018.
- How does Jamaica rank for share in poverty relative to different poverty lines?
- Jamaica ranks 59th 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 Share in poverty relative to different poverty lines. 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 $3 per day.