What is democracy in Jamaica?

Democracy in Jamaica was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest democracy recorded in Jamaica?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1959.

What is the lowest democracy recorded in Jamaica?

The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1959.

How does Jamaica rank for democracy?

Jamaica ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.

Is democracy rising or falling in Jamaica?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Where does this Jamaica data come from?

The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Democracy in Jamaica

Name: Democracy in Jamaica
Creator: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Jamaica: Democracy was 2 in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1959

All-time low

in 1959

Years of data

1959–2018

Democracy in Jamaica, 1959–2018

Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Jamaica recorded 2 for democracy in 2018. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in Jamaica peaked at 2 in 1959 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1959.

That places Jamaica 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	2	2	2	1
1960s	2	2	2	10
1970s	2	2	2	10
1980s	2	2	2	10
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	9

Countries ranked near Jamaica

See the full ranking of 168 places →

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)

All data for Jamaica →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in Jamaica?: Democracy in Jamaica was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in Jamaica?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1959.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in Jamaica?: The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1959.
How does Jamaica rank for democracy?: Jamaica ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy rising or falling in Jamaica?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Jamaica data come from?: The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Democracy
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Identifies the political regime of a country using the Polity 5 data by the Center for Systemic Peace. It distinguishes between autocracies (score 0), anocracies (score 1), and democracies (score 2).