Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica

Jamaica: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 17.2% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
17.2%
Change on year
up 44.5%
World rank
21st
of 130 countries
All-time high
18.1%
in 1988
All-time low
11.9%
in 2018
Years of data
9
1988–2021

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica, 1988–2021

051015201988200420211988: 18.11990: 13.51993: 14.81996: 12.71999: 15.32002: 172004: 15.72018: 11.92021: 17.2

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica is 17.2%, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 44.5% on the previous year and up 44.5% over five years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica peaked at 18.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2018.

That places Jamaica 21st out of 130 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Jamaica, 1988 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1988 18.1%
1990 13.5% -25.4%
1993 14.8% +9.6%
1996 12.7% -14.2%
1999 15.3% +20.5%
2002 17.0% +11.1%
2004 15.7% -7.6%
2018 11.9% -24.2%
2021 17.2% +44.5%

Jamaica compared with similar countries

  • Jamaica's 17.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 1.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Jamaica's 17.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 17.8%, 97% of the median. (18 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 18.1% 18.1% 18.1% 1
1990s 14.1% 12.7% 15.3% 4
2000s 16.4% 15.7% 17.0% 2
2010s 11.9% 11.9% 11.9% 1
2020s 17.2% 17.2% 17.2% 1

Countries ranked near Jamaica

  1. 18 Ecuador 18.1% compare
  2. 19 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 17.8% compare
  3. 20 Uruguay 17.4% compare
  4. 22 Mozambique 17.0% compare
  5. 22 Peru 17.0% compare
  6. 24 Malaysia 16.5% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Jamaica

All data for Jamaica →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica was 17.2% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Jamaica?
The highest recorded value was 18.1% in 1988.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Jamaica?
The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2018.
How does Jamaica rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Jamaica ranks 21st out of 130 countries with data for 2021.
Where does this Jamaica data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/jamaica/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/jamaica/">Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Jamaica</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed