Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica
Jamaica: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 782,524 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2020, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica stood at 782,524 people. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica peaked at 782,524 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 491,989 people, in 1950.
That places Jamaica 136th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 491,989 people | — |
| 1955 | 503,990 people | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 515,087 people | +2.2% |
| 1965 | 527,067 people | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 539,210 people | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 553,291 people | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 565,189 people | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 606,649 people | +7.3% |
| 1990 | 623,477 people | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 619,357 people | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 633,946 people | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 657,757 people | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 686,776 people | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 713,639 people | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 782,524 people | +9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 497,990 people | 491,989 people | 503,990 people | 2 |
| 1960s | 521,077 people | 515,087 people | 527,067 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 546,250 people | 539,210 people | 553,291 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 585,919 people | 565,189 people | 606,649 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 621,417 people | 619,357 people | 623,477 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 645,852 people | 633,946 people | 657,757 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 700,208 people | 686,776 people | 713,639 people | 2 |
| 2020s | 782,524 people | 782,524 people | 782,524 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More population data for Jamaica
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.7 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2,494 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1905 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.8% (2100)
- Population density 98.5 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 35,987 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Jamaica was 782,524 people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 782,524 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 491,989 people in 1950.
- How does Jamaica rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Jamaica ranks 136th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.