Jamaicans Explained

Flag:Flag of Jamaica.svg
Flag Caption:National Flag of Jamaica
Total: 4.4 million
2,683,707 (2011 census)
Popplace:Jamaica  
Region1:United States
Pop1:1,100,000+
Ref1:[1]
Region2:United Kingdom
Pop2:800,000+
Ref2:[2]
Region3:Canada
Pop3:309,485
Ref3:[3]
Region4:Cayman Islands
Pop4:21,888
Ref4:[4]
Region5:Trinidad and Tobago
Pop5:15,000
Region6:Antigua and Barbuda
Pop6:12,000
Region7:The Bahamas
Pop7:5,572
Ref7:[5]
Region8:Germany
Pop8:4,000
Ref8:[6]
Region9:The Netherlands
Pop9:1,971
Ref9:[7]
Region10:Australia
Pop10:1,092
Region11:Japan
Pop11:945
Ref11:[8]
Langs:English, Jamaican Patois
Rels:Primarily Protestantism[9]
Related:Caribbean people

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.[10] Outside of Anglophone countries, the largest Jamaican diaspora community lives in Central America, where Jamaicans make up a significant percentage of the population.[11]

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).Jamaicans who consider themselves Black (according to the United States' One-drop rule definition of Black), made up 92% of the working population. Those of non-African descent or mixed race made up the remaining 8% of the population.[12]

But according to a more precise study conducted by the local University of the West Indies - Jamaica's population is more accurately 76.3% African descent or Black, 15.1% Afro-European (or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class), 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% Other.[13]

Wealth or Economic Power in Jamaica is disproportionately held by the White Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans and the Afro-European (or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class) - i.e. despite being a minority group(s) (less than 25% of the country's population) controls most of the country's wealth.[14] [15]

Self-identified ethnic origin

Responses of the 2011 official census.

Ethnic originPopulationMalesFemalesPercentage
2,471,9461,226,0261,245,920 92.1
Chinese5,228 2,8802,3480.2
Mixed162,71873,293 89,425 6.0
20,06610,491 9,575 0.7
White4,365 2,192 2,1730.2
Other 1,8989709280.1
Not Reported17,4868,6388,8480.6
Total2,683,7071,324,4901,359,217100.0%
source

A more precise breakdown of the Responses of the 2011 official census by the University of the West Indies [16]

Ethnic originPopulationPercentage
2,047,66876.3
Chinese32,224 1.2
Afro-European or Browning Class405,24015.1
East Indian and Afro-East Indian 91,2463.4
White85,878 3.2
Other 21,4700.8
Total2,683,707100.0%
source

Religion

2011 census[17]
Number Percentage
Christian
74,891
180,640
23,647
20,872-
9,7581.0
    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)[18] 6,718align=right-
50,8492.0
43,3362.0
18,351
295,195
29,026
36,296
57,946
322,228-
56,360
Baháʼí 269
Hinduism 1,836-
Islam 1,513-
Judaism506
Other Religion/Denomination 169,014-
Totals, specified religions 100.00
No Religion/Denomination 572,008-
Not reported60,326-
Totals, Jamaica2,683,105 100.00

Diaspora

See main article: Jamaican 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.[19]

There are about 30,500 Jamaicans residing in other CARICOM member including the Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda (12,000),[20] Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago.[21] 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.[22] [23]

Notable Jamaicans

See main article: List of Jamaicans.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2013 census . . 2016-06-16 . 2020-02-12 . https://archive.today/20200212212204/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_1YR_B04003&prodType=table . dead.
  2. Web site: World Migration . 15 January 2015 . iom.int . 20 December 2015 . 1 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190501120652/https://www.iom.int/world-migration . dead.
  3. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census – Canada. Statistics Canada. 2020-04-24.
  4. Web site: Labour Force Survey Spring 2022.
  5. Web site: The Nassau Guardian Home - The Nassau Guardian . The Nassau Guardian.
  6. Web site: Immigrant and Emigrant Populations by Country of Origin and Destination . 2023-10-31.
  7. http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37325&D1=0&D2=a&D3=0&D4=0&D5=a&D6=l&HDR=G2,G3&STB=G1,G5,T,G4&VW=T Bevolking; herkomstgroepering, generatie, geslacht en leeftijd, 1 januari
  8. Web site: 在留外国人統計 . ja . 15 December 2023 . 28 April 2024.
  9. https://www.britannica.com/place/Jamaica/Religion "Jamaica - Religion"
  10. Web site: Demographic Characteristics.
  11. Web site: THE STORY BEHIND JAMAICANS IN COSTA RICA. www.linkedin.com.
  12. Book: Jamaica Population Census 1970.
  13. Web site: Jamaica The University of the West Indies . 2024-07-31 . www.uwi.edu.
  14. Web site: Stratification and political change in Trinidad and Jamaica. Carl. Stone. August 1, 1972. Beverly Hills [Calif.] Sage Publications. Internet Archive.
  15. Web site: Essays on Power and Change in Jamaica. August 1, 1977. Internet Archive.
  16. Web site: Jamaica | the University of the West Indies .
  17. Web site: 2011 Census of Population by Sex and Religious Affiliation/Denomination by Parish (P. 80). issuu.com. April 12, 2020.
  18. Web site: Statistics and Church Facts Total Church Membership . 2023-04-14 . newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org . en.
  19. Web site: Article: Jamaica: From Diverse Beginning to Diaspora in the Developed World. Migration Policy.
  20. Web site: PM Golding Calls on Jamaicans in Antigua & Barbuda to Co-Operate with Government & People There. Jamaica Information Service. 2021-05-14.
  21. Web site: 30,000 Jamaicans residing in other CARICOM member states. caricomnews.net. 2014-04-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20170620140951/http://www.caricomnews.net/index.php/caricom/caricom-news/regional-news/1889-skilled-jamaicans-refused-entry-into-some-caricom-states. 2017-06-20 . dead.
  22. News: Schulman . Bob . 'Little Jamaica' Rocks on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica . Huffington Post . 22 January 2019.
  23. Koch . Charles W. . Jamaican Blacks and Their Descendants in Costa Rica . Social and Economic Studies . 26 . 3 . 339–361 . Jamaica . Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West Indies . 27861669 . 1977.