The Human Truth Foundation

Jamaica

http://www.humantruth.info/jamaica.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#atheism #jamaica #theism

Jamaica
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index84th best
CapitalKingston
Land Area 10 830km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas, The Caribbean
GroupingsSmall Islands
Population2.9m2
Life Expectancy70.50yrs (2017)3
GNI$8 834 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesJM, JAM, 3885
Internet Domain.jm6
CurrencyDollar (JMD)7
Telephone+8

1. Overview

#jamaica #spain

The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverJamaica is a powerfully beautiful country, packed with extremes: experience flat beaches twinned to green mountains, electrifying Kingston and relaxed resorts, sweet reggae and slack dancehall. Jamaica, at first blush, is the Caribbean island many know best thanks to its relentless exposure - its music, dreadlocks, dancehall and beaches.

But did you know there are Chinese Jamaicans and Jewish Jamaicans and white Jamaicans who speak patois as fluently as downtown Kingston yardies? Jamaica, perhaps more than any other Caribbean nation, also keeps one foot rooted in Africa. From the evolution of African folk music into reggae, or the shifting of African spice rubs into delicious jerk, it´s rewarding to see how the Jamaican cultural story retains its original voice whilst adapting it to the setting - and of course, rhythms - of the Caribbean.

Understand the above and you can better appreciate the good, red Jamaican soil; the respect Jamaicans have for life and nature; and the meaning `One Love´ has in a place like the Kingston ghettoes. To know Jamaica, experience it. As locals say, `Rock-stone a river naah know sun hot´. That´s patois for `experience brings knowledge,´ and so much more so on an island that can express such simple proverbs so beautifully.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Jamaica National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
107=Palestine0.715
108Guyana0.714
109S. Africa0.713
110Jamaica0.709
111Samoa0.707
112=Lebanon0.706
112=Gabon0.706
114Indonesia0.705
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
112Lebanon$9 526
113Bhutan$9 438
114Philippines$8 920
115Jamaica$8 834
116Guatemala$8 723
117Namibia$8 634
118El Salvador$8 296
119Bolivia$8 111
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Norway28.6
2Denmark30.0
3Sweden30.7
...
81Belarus81.4
82Andorra81.4
83Vietnam81.5
84Jamaica81.9
85Philippines82.2
86Grenada83.2
87San Marino84.0
88Bolivia84.2
The Americas Avg81.6
World Avg86.8
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Jamaica's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Jamaica's population is predicted to fall to 2 842 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.28. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
134Bosnia & Herzegovina3.3m
135Mongolia3.2m
136Armenia3.0m
137Jamaica2.9m
138Albania2.9m
139Lithuania2.8m
140Qatar2.8m
141Namibia2.4m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
108El Salvador70.7
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
113Vanuatu70.4
114Iraq70.4
115Solomon Islands70.3
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
41Armenia1.74
42Kuwait2.27
43Bhutan2.27
44Jamaica2.28
45Suriname2.28
46Uzbekistan2.29
47Cape Verde2.29
48Estonia1.71
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
14
Pos.2016
Per 10014
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
119St Lucia19.9
120=Brazil19.9
121Argentina20.3
122Jamaica21.0
123Lebanon21.1
124Trinidad & Tobago21.9
125Bahamas22.4
126Costa Rica22.6
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.2017
%15
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
160Bangladesh0.9%
161Tanzania0.9%
162Mozambique0.8%
163Jamaica0.8%
164El Salvador0.7%
165Laos0.7%
166Nicaragua0.7%
167Nigeria0.6%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants16
Pos.2010
%16
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
14Palau38.8%
15St Vincent & Grenadines37.7%
16Cape Verde37.6%
17Jamaica36.1%
18Armenia28.2%
19Trinidad & Tobago26.7%
20Malta26.2%
21Georgia25.1%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #Jamaica #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank17
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
57Bosnia & Herzegovina63.2
58Georgia64.2
59Colombia64.3
60Jamaica64.4
61El Salvador66.7
62Seychelles66.7
The Americas Avg73.9
World Avg87.9
q=199.
Jamaica does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Jamaica comes in the best 20 for supporting press freedom18 (the lowest in The Americas). It does better than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice19, speed of uptake of HR treaties20, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms21 and in freethought22. Jamaica does not succeed in everything, however. Christian institutions are the greatest risk to human rights, with the influence increasing even though the population is gradually shedding theistic beliefs23. Jamaica does worse than average in opposing gender inequality24, its nominal commitment to Human Rights25 and in LGBT equality26. Homosexual marriages are illegal, with consistent pressure from Christian churches preventing any movement towards tolerance23. Atheists are discriminated against, with public officials all being required to swear an oath 'before God' and other explicit Christian engagements and privileges at government level which are not given to other religions23.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Jamaica's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #Jamaica #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2020)27
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank27
1Antigua & Barbuda75.6
2=Brazil82.1
3Cuba82.4
...
27Bolivia103.4
28Uruguay103.6
29=Guatemala103.8
30Jamaica106.6
31=Belize107.1
32Dominican Rep.109.4
33Haiti111.4
34Argentina114.9
35Venezuela118.5
The Americas Avg96.2
q=35.
Health (2020)27
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank27
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
141Timor-Leste (E. Timor)105.6
142Lesotho106.3
143Botswana106.5
144Jamaica106.6
145=Belize107.1
145=Belarus107.1
147Ukraine107.3
148Tanzania107.5
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives28. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau28.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean28, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa28.

For more, see:

Health:

Jamaica has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Jamaica does better than average in its fertility rate13 and in its alcohol consumption rate29. When it comes to most other metrics, Jamaica does not do well. It does worse than average in its smoking rate30, its average life expectancy11, its immunizations take-up31 and in its adolescent birth rate24. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance32. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Jamaica was static between 1990 and 2019, whereas almost all of the rest of the world improved. In the 2010s, Jamaica was one of only 12 countries that saw their life expectancy drop, although only by a small amount.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
108El Salvador70.7
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
113Vanuatu70.4
114Iraq70.4
115Solomon Islands70.3
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
29
Pos.2016
Per Capita29
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
67=UAE3.8
68N. Korea3.9
69Honduras4.0
70Jamaica4.2
71Sri Lanka4.3
72=Bahamas4.4
72=Ecuador4.4
74Bolivia4.8
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
41Armenia1.74
42Kuwait2.27
43Bhutan2.27
44Jamaica2.28
45Suriname2.28
46Uzbekistan2.29
47Cape Verde2.29
48Estonia1.71
The Americas Avg2.29
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
30
Pos.201430
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
93Oman 577
94Malaysia 584
95Seychelles 590
96Jamaica 593
97N. Korea 610
98Fiji 618
99Cambodia 645
100Equatorial Guinea 649
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
144Marshall Islands144
145Botswana145
146Samoa146
147Jamaica147
148Togo148
149Tonga149
150Nigeria150
151St Lucia151
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better33
Pos.2016
%33
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
96=St Vincent & Grenadines55.0
96=Solomon Islands55.0
98Denmark55.4
99Jamaica55.5
100Mongolia55.6
101=Honduras55.8
101=Estonia55.8
103Guatemala55.9
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
24
Pos.2015
Per 100024
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
120Paraguay57.4
121Ethiopia58.4
122Palestine58.6
123Jamaica59.7
124Azerbaijan59.8
125Yemen61.5
126Philippines61.7
127Mexico62.8
The Americas Avg56.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
31
Pos.2015
Avg %31
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
114Moldova91.5
115Iceland91.5
116Trinidad & Tobago91.4
117Jamaica90.9
118Burkina Faso90.6
119Nepal90.1
120Montenegro89.9
121Zimbabwe89.7
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Jamaica's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #food #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2023)34
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank34
1Uruguay48.0
2Peru48.2
3Costa Rica49.6
...
26Dominica91.7
27Bahamas93.0
28Barbados97.0
29Jamaica99.7
30=Guyana108.0
31USA111.0
32Grenada111.3
33Suriname115.3
34St Vincent & Grenadines121.0
The Americas Avg80.1
q=35.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)34
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank34
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
134Guinea-Bissau99.3
135Russia99.4
136Comoros99.5
137Jamaica99.7
138Niger100.7
139Congo, DR101.8
140Burundi102.0
141Swaziland102.3
World Avg85.7
q=188.
When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Jamaica comes 137th in the world. This rank is derived from 5 data sets. Jamaica does better than average in terms of its environmental performance35. But that's it. Jamaica has problems. It does worse than average when it comes to energy to GDP efficiency36, how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, annual meat consumption per person37 and in its forested percent change 1990-201538.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015
Higher is better
38
Pos.2015
%38
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
...
111Albania-02.2
112Sierra Leone-02.4
113Trinidad & Tobago-02.6
114Jamaica-02.7
115Australia-02.9
116Kazakhstan-03.3
117S. Korea-03.9
118Sao Tome & Principe-04.3
The Americas Avg-00.2
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
35
Pos.201835
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
75Malaysia59.2
76Antigua & Barbuda59.2
77UAE58.9
78Jamaica58.6
79Namibia58.5
80Iran58.2
81Belize57.8
82Philippines57.7
The Americas Avg58.8
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better36
Pos.201436
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
66Cameroon08.33
67Australia08.20
68UAE08.13
69=Jamaica08.06
69=Senegal08.06
71Malaysia08.00
72Bolivia07.87
73Brunei07.81
The Americas Avg10.78
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.0
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
106Equatorial Guinea1995 Mar 06
107Sierra Leone1995 Mar 12
108Lebanon1995 Mar 15
109Jamaica1995 Apr 06
110Lesotho1995 Apr 10
111Panama1995 Apr 17
112Ukraine1995 May 08
113Oman1995 May 09
The Americas Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
37
Pos.2021
kg37
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
110Costa Rica62.2
111China63.6
112Uruguay62.8
113Jamaica63.4
114Slovakia63.5
115China63.6
116Netherlands63.8
117Malaysia65.3
The Americas Avg70.3
World Avg52.5
q=185.

7. Jamaica's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)39
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank39
1Canada21.6
2USA29.3
3Argentina43.8
...
29=Greenland90.0
30Bolivia90.1
31St Vincent & Grenadines90.3
32=Jamaica97.8
32=St Lucia97.8
34Paraguay104.4
35El Salvador111.1
36Guatemala111.7
37Suriname114.4
The Americas Avg81.7
q=41.
Modernity & Learning (2020)39
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank39
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
128Ghana96.7
129Libya97.0
130Botswana97.7
131=Jamaica97.8
131=St Lucia97.8
133Pakistan97.9
134Nauru99.0
135Maldives99.8
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education
Higher is better
40
Pos.201840
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
81Qatar67.5%
82Mauritius66.9%
83Oman66.4%
84Jamaica66.3%
85Egypt65.3%
86Argentina64.8%
87Greece64.8%
88Guyana63.3%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
41
Pos.2021
Years41
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
93S. Africa13.6
94Macedonia13.6
95Azerbaijan13.5
96Jamaica13.4
97Sao Tome & Principe13.4
98Palestine13.4
99Malaysia13.3
100Dominica13.3
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
74Chile74
75Argentina75
76Costa Rica76
77Jamaica77
78Colombia78
79Liberia79
80Kyrgyzstan80
81Saudi Arabia81
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
IQ
Higher is better42
Pos.200642
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
107=Kenya72
107=S. Africa72
109Zambia71
110=Jamaica71
110=Ghana71
112Namibia70
113=Togo70
113=Botswana70
The Americas Avg85.3
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
43
Pos.201643
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
111=Belize45%
112Ukraine44%
113Philippines44%
114Jamaica43%
115Ecuador43%
116Thailand43%
117=Mauritius43%
117=Cape Verde43%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
44
Pos.2017
Ratio44
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
169=Cuba0.0
169=St Vincent & Grenadines0.0
169=Montenegro0.0
169=Libya0.0
169=Jamaica0.0
169=Fiji0.0
169=Jordan0.0
169=Barbados0.0
The Americas Avg3.36
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Jamaica scored on average 38.8 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 5.2 points.

World Giving Index
Higher is better
45
Pos.2022
%45
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
21=Poland47.0
22Serbia46.0
23=Netherlands46.0
23=Jamaica46.0
23=Russia46.0
23=Iceland46.0
23=Honduras46.0
23=Mongolia46.0
The Americas Avg43.7
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
46
Pos.2022
Points46
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
66Sao Tome & Principe45.0
67=Montenegro45.0
67=Cuba45.0
69Jamaica44.0
70=Oman44.0
70=Bahrain44.0
72Senegal43.0
73=S. Africa43.0
The Americas Avg42.97
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
47
Pos.2018
Score47
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
53Latvia5.9
54Japan5.9
55Mauritius5.9
56Jamaica5.9
57S. Korea5.9
58Northern Cyprus5.8
59Russia5.8
60Kazakhstan5.8
The Americas Avg6.05
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
83Guatemala83
84Cape Verde84
85Morocco85
86Jamaica86
87Senegal87
88Indonesia88
89Cambodia89
90Peru90
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
143Tanzania143
144St Vincent & Grenadines144
145Samoa145
146Jamaica146
147Syria147
148Iran148
149India149
150Cameroon150
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
48
Pos.2023
Score48
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
74Malawi1.97
75UAE1.98
76Kazakhstan1.98
77Jamaica1.99
78Bolivia2.00
79Nepal2.01
80China2.01
81Tunisia2.01
The Americas Avg2.13
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
71Spain71
72USA72
73Cyprus73
74Jamaica74
75Guyana75
76Fiji76
77Iceland77
78Turkey78
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
83Sierra Leone83
84Israel84
85Tanzania85
86Jamaica86
87Nicaragua87
88Niger88
89India89
90Cameroon90
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
49
Pos.2019
Score49
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
41=Cyprus0.42
42Lithuania0.46
43=Sierra Leone0.46
44Jamaica0.47
45Poland0.48
46Gabon0.55
47Malawi0.66
48Azerbaijan0.70
The Americas Avg2.16
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better50
Pos.201950
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
76Mauritius9.40
77=Seychelles9.60
77=Moldova9.60
79Jamaica10.00
80=Samoa10.00
81Tonga10.40
82Mexico10.50
83=St Lucia10.60
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better51
Pos.2018
Severity51
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
25Brazil.01652
26Belize.017
27Ecuador.018
28Jamaica.018
29Paraguay.019
30Vietnam.019
31Egypt.019
32Colombia.020
The Americas Avg.045
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#atheism #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #Jamaica #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)53
Pos.Higher is better
%53
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
62=Lebanon3
62=Congo, (Brazzaville)3
62=Poland3
62=Jamaica3
62=India3
67Angola2
68=Chile2
68=Central African Rep.2
68=Tajikistan2
68=Turkmenistan2
68=Indonesia2
73Paraguay1
74=Nicaragua1
74=Bolivia1
74=Colombia1
74=Costa Rica1
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below54:

Christian77.2%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion4.5%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated17.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)55.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Jamaica's 19th-century blasphemy law was removed in 2013, putting some historical prejudice to bed23. Although Jamaica's Constitution protects freedom of religion (Section 17)23, it causes discrimination against the non-religious and against atheists; for example, public officials must all swear an oath to God23, which therefore makes it illegal for atheists to take up those jobs. Government activity includes explicit Christian engagements with no opening for other faiths and no consideration for those who have no religion23.

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