Country explorer: Jamaica

Jamaica has experienced gradual economic transformations, marked by significant improvements in GDP per capita growth, a noticeable reduction in the unemployment rate, and efforts to control inflation, while also facing challenges in poverty reduction; these changes reflect a broader trend of economic stabilization and moderate growth that aligns with the experiences of many upper-middle-income countries.

Jamaica has experienced gradual demographic changes marked by modest population growth, significant net emigration, a decreasing fertility rate, and an improvement in life expectancy, trends that align with broader shifts observed across upper-middle-income countries, highlighting transitions toward lower birth rates and increased longevity.

Jamaica has seen a significant improvement in access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, highlighting a positive shift towards enhancing basic living standards, a trajectory that aligns with broader trends observed in upper-middle-income countries.

Jamaica has seen modest improvements in human development indicators such as the Human Development Index and literacy rate, while significantly reducing child mortality, reflecting gradual progress in health, education, and living standards, broadly mirroring trends seen in other upper-middle-income countries.

Jamaica has seen a steady increase in forest area alongside fluctuating, yet gradually reducing per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change, indicating progress towards environmental sustainability while transitioning towards renewable energy sources, reflective of broader trends among upper-middle-income countries.

Jamaica has demonstrated significant strides in digital and mobile connectivity with profound increases in internet use and mobile phone subscriptions, but progress in research and development, as well as scientific publication, remains modest compared to regional peers.

Jamaica has experienced noteworthy societal shifts, reflected in a steady improvement in self-reported life satisfaction and a decrease in gender inequality, despite a low share of the population born abroad and a changing age dependency ratio, which aligns with broader trends observed in upper-middle-income countries.

Jamaica has demonstrated sustained improvements in governance, characterized by high rule of law, diminishing corruption perceptions, enhanced political civil liberties, and significantly greater press freedom, reflecting broader societal shifts towards transparency and democratic principles more pronouncedly than many of its regional peers.