Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Jamaica
Jamaica: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Jamaica, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 0.2% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 105.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Jamaica peaked at 0.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2004.
That places Jamaica 118th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More reference data data for Jamaica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.4942 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.833 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.9087 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.32 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.994 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 233.16 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Jamaica?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Jamaica was 0.2% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2004.
- How does Jamaica rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Jamaica ranks 118th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 105.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.