Jamaica's poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) was 7.8% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 12.2 percentage points from 20% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 7.8% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 11% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 20% | 2014 |
| Highest | 24.6% | 2013 |
| Lowest | 7.8% | 2024 |
| Average since 2015 | 14.25% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 19.9% | 2012 |
What the numbers say
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.7 percentage points in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.6 percentage points in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.29 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 69% of the movement over 8 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Jamaica had the 8th highest value of the 10 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Jamaica in the 2024 ranking
- Romania — 5th of 10: 18.4%
- Türkiye — 6th of 10: 13%
- Georgia — 7th of 10: 9.4%
- Russian Federation — 9th of 10: 7.2%
- Belarus — 10th of 10: 3.5%
What this measures
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a population-weighted average.
All 11 values
| Year | Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 7.8 |
| 2023 | 8.2 |
| 2022 | no data |
| 2021 | 16.7 |
| 2020 | no data |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2018 | 12.7 |
| 2017 | 19.3 |
| 2016 | 17.1 |
| 2015 | 21.2 |
| 2014 |
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in nearby economies
- Argentina — 28.2% (2025)
- Bolivia — 44.7% (2025)
- Chile — 6.5% (2022)
- Colombia — 31.8% (2024)
- Costa Rica — 17.1% (2025)
- Dominican Republic — 17.3% (2025)
- Ecuador — 21.4% (2025)
- Panama — 21.7% (2023)
- Peru
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Jamaica's poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population)?
- 7.8% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2012?
- It is down 12.1 percentage points from 19.9% in 2012. The highest value was 24.6% in 2013 and the lowest 7.8% in 2024.
- How does Jamaica rank?
- 8th highest of 10 economies with data for 2024.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e..
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SI.POV.NAHC, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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