J'can population at 2.774 million as growth rate slows, long-awaited census data reveal
Published:Wednesday | October 15, 2025 | 2:09 PM
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) has released the results of the national census, revealing a population of 2,774,538, an increase of 2.8 per cent over the 2011 count.
“We are seeing that births are declining. That has been the trend over several decades. We’re also seeing deaths increasing and net migration. We have a population that’s growing, but at a slower rate,” said Director General Leesha Delatie-Budair at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston on Wednesday, during the release of the 2022 Housing and Population Census. “If we continue on this path, we will have a declining population.”
STATIN declined to comment on the broader societal or economic implications of the potential population decline, deferring such analysis to policymakers. STATIN will begin releasing the census in data segments on its website starting tomorrow.
The census presentation, led by STATIN’s Stacey Ann Robinson, highlighted not only the headline figure but also the demographic shifts shaping Jamaica’s population landscape.
“This census accounts for 2.774 million Jamaicans,” Robinson stated.
She attributed population changes to three key demographic processes: births, deaths, and migration. Between 2011 and 2022, Jamaica recorded its lowest average annual growth rate in decades.
Compared to the 1982 Census, when Jamaica’s population was 2.19 million, the country is now recording about one-third fewer births with a decline of 30.1 per cent while deaths are up 44.5 per cent. Over the same period, net migration — inflows minus outflows — has also dropped by 31.8 per cent, further contributing to the overall slowdown in population growth.
Robinson explained that the decline in births reflects greater agency among women, driven by higher educational attainment, increased participation in the workforce, and wider access to contraceptives. As for the rise in deaths, she attributed it to an ageing population reaching the end of life, along with factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, road accidents, non-communicable diseases, AIDS and violence.
Parish-level data revealed the most significant growth in St Catherine, which added 26,545 residents to reach some 542,760 persons. Clarendon followed with an increase of 13,540 to about 258,600, while Kingston & St Andrew saw a rise of 10,478 to roughly 673,000. Hanover registered the least growth, adding just 247 persons to 69,780 persons.
The census release, anticipated for years, has raised concerns about data timeliness. STATIN said it has already started planning for the 2030 Census, having implemented the lessons learnt from this census.
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