Armed forces personnel in Jamaica
Jamaica: Armed forces personnel was 6,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Jamaica, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Jamaica is 6,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 112.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Jamaica peaked at 6,000 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 2004.
Jamaica ranks 145th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,550 | 2,100 | 3,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 3,196 | 3,000 | 3,500 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,883 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,812 | 2,830 | 6,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 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 in Jamaica?
- Armed forces personnel in Jamaica was 6,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 6,000 in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 2004.
- How does Jamaica rank for armed forces personnel?
- Jamaica ranks 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 112.0%. 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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.