Armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica
Jamaica: Armed forces personnel, total was 6,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica is 6,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 112.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica peaked at 6,000 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 2004.
That places Jamaica 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2,100 | — |
| 1989 | 3,000 | +42.9% |
| 1990 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 3,500 | +16.7% |
| 1996 | 3,500 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 3,470 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 3,470 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3,020 | -13.0% |
| 2000 | 3,000 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 2,000 | -33.3% |
| 2005 | 3,000 | +50.0% |
| 2006 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2,830 | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 2,830 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2,830 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2,830 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,830 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3,450 | +21.9% |
| 2015 | 3,450 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3,950 | +14.5% |
| 2017 | 4,000 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 5,950 | +48.8% |
| 2019 | 6,000 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 6,000 | +0.0% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 6,000 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 9% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 6,000 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 21% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
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 public sector data for Jamaica
- Democracy, 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)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Jamaica was 6,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 6,000 in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 2004.
- How does Jamaica rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Jamaica ranks 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total 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, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. 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.