Jamaica

Jamaica
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	80th best
Capital	Kingston
Land Area	10 830km21
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	2.9m2
Life Expectancy	70.50yrs (2017)3
GNI	$8 834 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	JM, JAM, 3885
Internet Domain	.jm6
Currency	Dollar (JMD)7
Telephone	+8

1. Overview
2. Jamaica National and Social Development
3. Jamaica's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Jamaica's Health
6. Jamaica's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Jamaica's Modernity and Learning
8. Jamaica's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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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

“Jamaica 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
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
107=	St Lucia	0.715
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
110	Jamaica	0.709
111	Samoa	0.707
112=	Gabon	0.706
112=	Lebanon	0.706
114	Indonesia	0.705
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
112	Lebanon	$9 526
113	Bhutan	$9 438
114	Philippines	$8 920
115	Jamaica	$8 834
116	Guatemala	$8 723
117	Namibia	$8 634
118	El Salvador	$8 296
119	Bolivia	$8 111
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
77	Turkey	82.4
78	Kosovo	82.4
79	Dominican Rep.	83.5
80	Jamaica	83.7
81	Cape Verde	84.4
82	Russia	84.7
83	Bolivia	85.9
84	Morocco	86.0
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.4
q=199.

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 #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Jamaica's population is predicted to fall to 2 842 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.34. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
134	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3m
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
117	Marshall Islands	2.67
118=	Mauritius	1.32
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
119=	St Lucia	19.9
119=	Brazil	19.9
121	Argentina	20.3
122	Jamaica	21.0
123	Lebanon	21.1
124	Trinidad & Tobago	21.9
125	Bahamas	22.4
126	Costa Rica	22.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
160	Bangladesh	0.9%
161	Tanzania	0.9%
162	Mozambique	0.8%
163	Jamaica	0.8%
164	El Salvador	0.7%
165	Laos	0.7%
166	Nicaragua	0.7%
167	Nigeria	0.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
14	Palau	38.8%
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7%
16	Cape Verde	37.6%
17	Jamaica	36.1%
18	Armenia	28.2%
19	Trinidad & Tobago	26.7%
20	Malta	26.2%
21	Georgia	25.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #atheism #christianity #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #Jamaica #jamaica_antisemitism #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
66	Guatemala	77.1
67	Macedonia	77.4
68	Vanuatu	78.5
69	Jamaica	78.8
70	Northern Cyprus	79.1
71	Honduras	79.4
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Jamaica does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Jamaica does better than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₉, supporting press freedom₂₀ (amongst the highest in The Americas), its average Freedom in the World rating, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, freethought₂₂ and in opposing gender inequality₂₃. But, things still need to improve in Jamaica. Jamaica does worse than average in combatting modern slavery₂₄, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₆. Homosexual marriages are illegal, with consistent pressure from Christian churches preventing any movement towards tolerance₂₇. 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 religions₂₇.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Jamaica

5. Jamaica's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Canada	57.4
2	Turks & Caicos Islands	62.6
3	St Martin	66.7
	...
15	Chile	86.2
16	Bahamas	86.2
17	Brazil	86.6
18	Jamaica	88.1
19	Trinidad & Tobago	89.5
20	Panama	89.7
21	Ecuador	91.2
22	Bermuda	91.5
23	Argentina	91.7
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=41.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
81	Latvia	87.8
82	Iran	87.9
83	Romania	88.0
84	Jamaica	88.1
85	Maldives	88.9
86	Trinidad & Tobago	89.5
87	Panama	89.7
88	Oman	90.5
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₉.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Jamaica has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Jamaica does better than average in its smoking rate₃₀, its alcohol consumption rate₃₁, its adolescent birth rate₃₂ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃. Jamaica doesn't do so well in other areas. Jamaica does worse than average in terms of childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₄ and in its immunizations take-up₃₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆. The prevalence 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. Jamaica is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 5.85 in 1967.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better31
Pos.		2016 Per Capita31
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
67=	UAE	3.8
68	N. Korea	3.9
69	Honduras	4.0
70	Jamaica	4.2
71	Sri Lanka	4.3
72=	Bahamas	4.4
72=	Ecuador	4.4
74=	Bolivia	4.8
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
117	Marshall Islands	2.67
118=	Mauritius	1.32
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better30
Pos.		Total %30
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
28	Tanzania	9.3%
29	Mauritania	9.5%
30	Swaziland	9.5%
31	Jamaica	9.7%
32	Malawi	9.7%
33	Ecuador	10.2%
34=	Gambia	10.5%
34=	Dominican Rep.	10.5%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
144	Marshall Islands	144
145	Botswana	145
146	Samoa	146
147	Jamaica	147
148	Togo	148
149	Tonga	149
150	Nigeria	150
151	St Lucia	151
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better33
Pos.		1976 %33
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
87=	Oman	27.3
87=	Kyrgyzstan	27.3
89	Vanuatu	27.5
90=	Jamaica	28.0
90=	Dominica	28.0
92	Bolivia	28.1
93=	S. Africa	28.2
93=	Guatemala	28.2
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 %37
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
157	St Lucia	33.9%
158	Bermuda	34.0%
159	Antigua & Barbuda	34.1%
160	Jamaica	34.2%
161	New Zealand	34.2%
162	Turkey	34.3%
163	Malta	34.6%
164	Uruguay	34.7%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better32
Pos.		2022 Per 100032
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
85	Georgia	29.7
86	Thailand	31.6
87	Tuvalu	31.7
88	Jamaica	32.0
89	Grenada	32.1
90	Rwanda	32.2
91	Antigua & Barbuda	32.3
92	Myanmar	32.8
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
114	Moldova	91.5
115	Iceland	91.5
116	Trinidad & Tobago	91.4
117	Jamaica	90.9
118	Burkina Faso	90.6
119	Nepal	90.1
120	Montenegro	89.9
121	Zimbabwe	89.7
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better34
Pos.		Total Per 100034
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
95	St Lucia	17.37
96	Tunisia	18.08
97	Peru	18.09
98	Jamaica	18.79
99	Samoa	18.81
100	Nauru	18.87
101	St Kitts & Nevis	19.01
102	Vanuatu	19.11
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Jamaica's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
20	Venezuela	86.1
21	Canada	87.2
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
28=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
114	Guyana	87.4
115	Gabon	87.9
116	Croatia	88.5
117	Jamaica	88.6
118	Fiji	89.1
119	Czechia	89.3
120	Malaysia	89.5
121	Lithuania	89.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₉. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With respect to its responsibility towards the environment, Jamaica comes 117th in the world. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Jamaica does better than average in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₀ and in its environmental performance₄₁. And finally, it does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₃.

Environmental Performance Higher is better41
Pos.		201841
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
75	Malaysia	59.2
76	Antigua & Barbuda	59.2
77	UAE	58.9
78	Jamaica	58.6
79	Namibia	58.5
80	Iran	58.2
81	Belize	57.8
82	Philippines	57.7
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better43
Pos.		2022 Avg43
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
139	Saudi Arabia	1.76
140	Serbia	1.79
141	Paraguay	1.79
142	Jamaica	1.83
143	Moldova	1.88
144	S. Africa	1.97
145	Kuwait	2.02
146	Barbados	2.04
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
128	Dominica	54%
129	Barbados	54%
130	Congo, (Brazzaville)	53%
131	Jamaica	53%
132	Mali	53%
133	Burundi	53%
134	Iceland	53%
135	Samoa	52%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Jamaica is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and was one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
110	Costa Rica	62.2
111	China	63.6
112	Uruguay	62.8
113	Jamaica	63.4
114	Slovakia	63.5
115	China	63.6
116	Netherlands	63.8
117	Malaysia	65.3
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Jamaica's Modernity and Learning

#cameroon #education #intelligence #jamaica #metric #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Canada	30.9
2	Argentina	34.3
3	Chile	41.0
	...
28	St Vincent & Grenadines	97.3
29	St Lucia	99.5
30	Dominica	100.5
31	Jamaica	103.3
32	Guyana	113.1
33	Haiti	123.9
34	Bahamas	125.5
35	Belize	127.3
36	Puerto Rico	137.1
	The Americas Avg	77.96
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
126	Samoa	99.8
127	Dominica	100.5
128	Djibouti	102.5
129	Jamaica	103.3
130	Botswana	104.9
131	Ghana	105.6
132	Nigeria	106.3
133	Uganda	107.1
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₅. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₆.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₇

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₅.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity Datasets:

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
74	Chile	74
75	Argentina	75
76	Costa Rica	76
77	Jamaica	77
78	Colombia	78
79	Liberia	79
80	Kyrgyzstan	80
81	Saudi Arabia	81
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better48
Pos.		2025 %48
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
115=	Ethiopia	90
115=	Lesotho	90
115=	Grenada	90
115=	Jamaica	90
115=	Kuwait	90
115=	Indonesia	90
115=	Jordan	90
115=	Ghana	90
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Jamaica officially adopted metric in 1998₄₉. Progression:

• 1960 (40%): Imperial dominant; metric in science.
• 1970 (65%): Metrication via standards; dual use common.
• 1980 (80%): Commerce/education largely metric; everyday imperial persists.
• 2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
• 2025 (90%).

IQ Higher is better50
Pos.		200650
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
107=	Kenya	72
107=	S. Africa	72
109=	Zambia	71
109=	Jamaica	71
109=	Ghana	71
112=	Namibia	70
112=	Togo	70
112=	Botswana	70
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Education Datasets:

Secondary Education Higher is better51
Pos.		201851
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
81	Qatar	67.5%
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
85	Egypt	65.3%
86	Argentina	64.8%
87	Greece	64.8%
88	Guyana	63.3%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better52
Pos.		2021 Years52
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
93	S. Africa	13.6
94	Macedonia	13.6
95	Azerbaijan	13.5
96	Jamaica	13.4
97	Sao Tome & Principe	13.4
98	Palestine	13.4
99	Malaysia	13.3
100	Dominica	13.3
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better53
Pos.		201653
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
111=	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
116	Thailand	43%
117=	Mauritius	43%
117=	Cape Verde	43%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better54
Pos.		2017 Ratio54
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
169=	Cuba	0.0
169=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
169=	Montenegro	0.0
169=	Libya	0.0
169=	Jamaica	0.0
169=	Fiji	0.0
169=	Jordan	0.0
169=	Barbados	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better55
Pos.		202455
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
82	Tunisia	40.4%
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
85	Jamaica	38.9%
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
87	Trinidad & Tobago	38.1%
88	Ghana	37.9%
89	Kenya	37.4%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

Of the 121 countries examined, Jamaica has the 2nd most expensive internet access (after Cameroon), even for the cheapest speeds₅₆.

8. Jamaica's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

National Culture Datasets:

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 better57
Pos.		2022 %57
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
21=	Poland	47.0
22=	Serbia	46.0
22=	Netherlands	46.0
22=	Jamaica	46.0
22=	Russia	46.0
22=	Iceland	46.0
22=	Honduras	46.0
22=	Mongolia	46.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better58
Pos.		2022 Points58
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
66=	Sao Tome & Principe	45.0
66=	Montenegro	45.0
66=	Cuba	45.0
69=	Jamaica	44.0
69=	Oman	44.0
69=	Bahrain	44.0
72=	Senegal	43.0
72=	S. Africa	43.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better59
Pos.		2024 Score59
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
70	Trinidad & Tobago	5.9
71	Montenegro	5.9
72=	Croatia	5.9
72=	Jamaica	5.9
74	Bolivia	5.9
75	Kyrgyzstan	5.9
76	Dominican Rep.	5.8
77	Mongolia	5.8
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
83	Guatemala	83
84	Cape Verde	84
85	Morocco	85
86	Jamaica	86
87	Senegal	87
88	Indonesia	88
89	Cambodia	89
90	Peru	90
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better60
Pos.		Total Q60
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
102	Guyana	88.7
103	Fiji	88.5
104=	Botswana	86.8
104=	Jamaica	86.8
106	Bahrain	85.8
107	Romania	82.7
108	Saudi Arabia	82.3
109	Taiwan	80.8
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
143	Tanzania	143
144	St Vincent & Grenadines	144
145	Samoa	145
146	Jamaica	146
147	Syria	147
148	Iran	148
149	India	149
150	Cameroon	150
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better61
Pos.		2023 Score61
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
74	Malawi	1.97
75	UAE	1.98
76	Kazakhstan	1.98
77	Jamaica	1.99
78	Bolivia	2.00
79	Nepal	2.01
80	China	2.01
81	Tunisia	2.01
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
71	Spain	71
72	USA	72
73	Cyprus	73
74	Jamaica	74
75	Guyana	75
76	Fiji	76
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
83	Sierra Leone	83
84	Israel	84
85	Tanzania	85
86	Jamaica	86
87	Nicaragua	87
88	Niger	88
89	India	89
90	Cameroon	90
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better62
Pos.		2019 Score62
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
41=	Cyprus	0.42
42=	Lithuania	0.46
42=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
45	Poland	0.48
46	Gabon	0.55
47	Malawi	0.66
48	Azerbaijan	0.70
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better63
Pos.		Total %63
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
48	Chile	1.12%
49	Japan	1.21%
50	Egypt	1.37%
51	Jamaica	1.39%
52	Argentina	1.40%
53	Vietnam	1.45%
54	Romania	1.65%
55	Armenia	1.86%
	The Americas Avg	4.07%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better64
Pos.		201964
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
76	Mauritius	9.40
77=	Seychelles	9.60
77=	Moldova	9.60
79=	Jamaica	10.00
79=	Samoa	10.00
81	Tonga	10.40
82	Mexico	10.50
83=	St Lucia	10.60
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 %65
1	Slovakia	24.1%66
2	Slovenia	24.3%66
3	Belarus	24.4%67
	...
116	Suriname	39.2%68
117	Morocco	39.5%69
118	Micronesia	40.1%69
119	Jamaica	40.2%66
120	Peru	40.3%68
121	Tanzania	40.5%70
122	Uruguay	40.6%68
123=	Argentina	40.7%68
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Jamaica - only for 8 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better71
Pos.		2018 Severity71
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
25	Brazil	.01672
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
31	Egypt	.019
32	Colombia	.020
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Disbelief In God (2007)73
Pos.		Higher is better %73
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
62=	Lebanon	3
62=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	3
62=	Poland	3
62=	Jamaica	3
62=	India	3
67=	Angola	2
67=	Chile	2
67=	Central African Rep.	2
67=	Tajikistan	2
67=	Turkmenistan	2
67=	Indonesia	2
73=	Paraguay	1
73=	Nicaragua	1
73=	Bolivia	1
73=	Colombia	1
73=	Costa Rica	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₄:

	2010	2020
Christian	70.4%	68.6%
Unaffiliated	21.8%	23.7%
Other	7.65%	7.57%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	None	<0.1%

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)₇₅.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Jamaica's 19th-century blasphemy law was removed in 2013, putting some historical prejudice to bed₂₇. Although Jamaica's Constitution protects freedom of religion (Section 17)₂₇, it causes discrimination against the non-religious and against atheists; for example, public officials must all swear an oath to God₂₇, 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 religion₂₇.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Jamaica: 4.3. Freedom of Thought