Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Jamaica
Jamaica: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 0.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Jamaica, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Jamaica stood at 0.4%. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 76.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Jamaica peaked at 0.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2004.
That places Jamaica 129th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.3% | — |
| 1991 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | +16.0% |
| 1996 | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -13.3% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -34.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | +48.4% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | +19.0% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | +14.4% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +47.9% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +2.3% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 0.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 42% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 0.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.9%, 47% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Jamaica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +48.4% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | +47.9% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2004 | -34.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 126 Germany 0.4% compare
- 127 Netherlands 0.4% compare
- 128 Costa Rica 0.4% compare
- 130 Moldova 0.4% compare
- 131 Nicaragua 0.4% compare
- 132 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.4% compare
More public sector data for Jamaica
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 10.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.52 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Jamaica?
- Armed forces personnel in Jamaica was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2004.
- How does Jamaica rank for armed forces personnel?
- Jamaica ranks 129th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.6%. 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, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.