Urban population growth in Jamaica
Jamaica: Urban population growth was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Jamaica, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in Jamaica stood at 0.8%. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Jamaica peaked at 5.3% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2025.
Jamaica ranks 138th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.7% | — |
| 1962 | 5.1% | +8.7% |
| 1963 | 5.3% | +4.1% |
| 1964 | 5.3% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 5.2% | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 4.9% | -5.6% |
| 1967 | 4.5% | -7.4% |
| 1968 | 4.1% | -9.3% |
| 1969 | 3.7% | -10.9% |
| 1970 | 3.2% | -11.8% |
| 1971 | 3.1% | -4.6% |
| 1972 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | -3.9% |
| 1975 | 2.7% | -6.8% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | -7.4% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | -6.6% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 1.9% | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 1.8% | -7.3% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | -12.7% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | -15.9% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | -14.6% |
| 1988 | 1.0% | -7.7% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | +13.4% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +10.1% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -6.6% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -7.7% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 0.8% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +19.8% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 0.8% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +21.4% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -17.2% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.8% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More climate change data for Jamaica
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 927.88 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 280.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 647.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 23.14 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 37.75 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 35.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1345 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0754 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Jamaica?
- Urban population growth in Jamaica was 0.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2025.
- How does Jamaica rank for urban population growth?
- Jamaica ranks 138th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.