Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed ancestry. The bulk of the Jamaican diaspora resides in other Anglophone countries, namely Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Jamaican populations are also prominent in other Caribbean countries, territories and Commonwealth realms, where in the Cayman Islands, born Jamaicans, as well as Caymanians of Jamaican origin, make up 26.8% of the population.[15]Outside of Anglophone countries, the largest Jamaican diaspora community lives in Costa Rica, where Jamaicans make up a significant percentage of the population.[7]
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 4.4 million 2,683,707 (2011 census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Jamaica 2,827,695[2][3] | |
| United States | 1,100,000+[4] |
| United Kingdom | 800,000+[5] |
| Canada | 309,485[6] |
| Costa Rica | 64,000+[7] |
| Cayman Islands | 21,888[8] |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 15,000 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 12,000[9] |
| The Bahamas | 5,572[10] |
| Germany | 4,000[11] |
| The Netherlands | 1,971[12] |
| Australia | 1,092[5] |
| Japan | 945[13] |
| Languages | |
| English, Jamaican Patois | |
| Religion | |
| Primarily Protestantism[14] | |
History
According to the official Jamaica Population Census of 1970, ethnic origins categories in Jamaica include: Black (Mixed); Chinese; East Indian; White; and 'Other' (e.g.: Syrian or Lebanese).[1]Jamaicans of African descent made up 92% of the working population. Those of non-African descent or mixed race made up the remaining 8% of the population.[16]
Self-identified ethnic origin
Responses of the 2011 official census.[1]
| Ethnic origin | Population | Males | Females | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 2,471,946 | 1,226,026 | 1,245,920 | 92.1 | |
| Chinese | 5,228 | 2,880 | 2,348 | 0.2 | |
| Mixed | 162,718 | 73,293 | 89,425 | 6.0 | |
| East Indian | 20,066 | 10,491 | 9,575 | 0.7 | |
| White | 4,365 | 2,192 | 2,173 | 0.2 | |
| Other | 1,898 | 970 | 928 | 0.1 | |
| Not Reported | 17,486 | 8,638 | 8,848 | 0.6 | |
| Total | 2,683,707 | 1,324,490 | 1,359,217 | 100.0% | |
| source[1] | |||||
Religion
| Denomination | 2011 census[1] | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage | |
| Christian | ||
| Anglicanism | 74,891 | |
| Baptists | 180,640 | |
| Brethren | 23,647 | |
| Baptists | 20,872 | - |
| Brethren | 9,758 | 1.0 |
| Church of God in Jamaica | 129,544 | - |
| Church of God of Prophecy | 121,400 | - |
| New Testament Church of God | 192,086 | - |
| Other Church of God | 246,838 | - |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2021)[17] | 6,718 | - |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 50,849 | 2.0 |
| Methodist | 43,336 | 2.0 |
| Moravian | 18,351 | |
| Pentecostal | 295,195 | |
| Rastafari | 29,026 | |
| Revivalist | 36,296 | |
| Roman Catholic | 57,946 | |
| Seventh-day Adventist | 322,228 | - |
| United Church | 56,360 | |
| Baháʼí | 269 | |
| Hinduism | 1,836 | - |
| Islam | 1,513 | - |
| Judaism | 506 | |
| Other Religion/Denomination | 169,014 | - |
| Totals, specified religions | 100.00 | |
| No Religion/Denomination | 572,008 | - |
| Not reported | 60,326 | - |
| Totals, Jamaica | 2,683,105 | 100.00 |
Diaspora
Many Jamaicans now live overseas and outside Jamaica, while many have migrated to Anglophone countries, including over 400,000 Jamaicans in the United Kingdom, over 300,000 in Canada and 1,100,000 in the United States.[18]
There are about 30,500 Jamaicans residing in other CARICOM member including the Bahamas, Cuba, Antigua & Barbuda (12,000),[9] Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago.[19] There are also communities of Jamaican descendants in Central America, particularly Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Most of Costa Rica's Afro-Costa Rican and Mulatto population, which combined represents about 7% of the total population, is of Jamaican descent.[20][21]
Notable Jamaicans
See also
