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Economy of Jamaica vs Tuvalu compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Jamaica has a GDP of $19.9B compared to $62.3M for Tuvalu, ranking 130/197 and 196/197 by economy size, respectively.

Jamaica has $13.9B in government debt (65.3% of GDP), compared to $2.84M (3.26% of GDP) in Tuvalu.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

Jamaica
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Tuvalu
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Jamaica Tuvalu
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 $699,064,380 - - -
1961 $748,043,501 - - -
1962 $777,727,689 - - -
1963 $826,706,669 - - -
1964 $897,949,001 - - -
1965 $972,159,611 - - -
1966 $1,096,759,561 $7,024,390,231 - -
1967 $1,148,014,311 $7,151,436,058 - -
1968 $1,083,839,133 $7,562,224,001 - -
1969 $1,191,239,047 $7,983,793,326 - -
1970 $1,404,720,442 $8,946,990,810 $2,585,956 $13,790,395
1971 $1,539,861,816 $9,166,914,416 $2,716,990 $13,571,996
1972 $1,875,146,587 $10,817,743,267 $2,968,458 $13,307,342
1973 $1,905,917,553 $10,224,334,976 $3,411,915 $13,050,444
1974 $2,375,122,375 $9,791,921,133 $4,122,329 $12,831,444
1975 $2,860,442,750 $9,766,844,781 $4,014,748 $12,638,139
1976 $2,966,042,856 $9,113,028,254 $3,919,072 $12,531,334
1977 $3,249,733,140 $8,876,312,907 $3,669,420 $12,062,474
1978 $2,644,527,822 $8,871,546,299 $3,798,782 $11,841,429
1979 $2,425,064,229 $8,777,504,243 $4,065,659 $11,794,442
1980 $2,679,379,372 $8,275,943,672 $4,206,128 $11,719,017
1981 $2,979,027,966 $8,494,382,902 $4,773,018 $12,023,746
1982 $3,293,496,312 $8,670,151,359 $4,118,945 $10,098,853
1983 $3,619,262,277 $8,835,671,346 $4,152,550 $11,005,084
1984 $2,373,564,549 $8,699,394,740 $4,481,978 $11,826,173
1985 $2,100,239,019 $8,443,316,262 $3,862,852 $11,609,151
1986 $2,754,549,582 $8,602,269,136 $4,574,706 $14,231,135
1987 $3,287,007,322 $9,277,577,786 $5,020,513 $15,975,432
1988 $3,828,342,820 $9,646,296,747 $7,011,059 $19,059,808
1989 $4,404,937,853 $10,338,254,971 $8,454,523 $18,688,561
1990 $4,592,208,087 $10,772,517,002 $9,542,901 $21,562,114
1991 $4,106,207,649 $11,293,717,094 $10,127,314 $22,340,331
1992 $3,535,460,090 $11,514,570,532 $10,535,028 $22,963,355
1993 $5,440,075,676 $12,598,909,449 $10,414,400 $23,907,338
1994 $5,452,558,947 $12,773,201,477 $11,772,611 $26,365,820
1995 $6,577,520,643 $13,073,366,225 $11,922,614 $25,046,355
1996 $7,393,891,921 $13,058,497,728 $13,338,597 $23,553,249
1997 $8,400,041,724 $12,909,570,801 $13,734,210 $25,909,352
1998 $8,787,195,622 $12,608,189,959 $13,795,146 $29,925,604
1999 $8,887,057,997 $12,740,282,670 $14,800,503 $29,457,606
2000 $9,005,064,475 $12,852,231,986 $15,073,976 $29,171,723
2001 $9,194,727,831 $13,025,085,454 $13,964,732 $29,171,723
2002 $9,719,009,495 $13,285,234,306 $16,842,673 $31,949,982
2003 $9,430,234,811 $13,772,313,189 $19,456,338 $30,560,853
2004 $10,174,664,854 $13,954,620,755 $22,798,275 $29,866,288
2005 $11,243,865,778 $14,079,346,868 $22,909,980 $28,477,158
2006 $11,930,179,090 $14,487,524,782 $24,096,875 $29,171,723
2007 $12,799,600,047 $14,694,979,478 $28,450,169 $31,255,417
2008 $13,709,401,520 $14,575,694,936 $31,874,435 $33,339,112
2009 $12,120,458,115 $13,942,336,993 $28,076,984 $31,255,417
2010 $13,220,549,908 $13,739,176,618 $32,105,408 $30,560,853
2011 $14,444,661,522 $13,976,916,070 $39,196,957 $32,644,547
2012 $14,807,086,556 $13,891,148,676 $39,345,579 $31,949,982
2013 $14,264,205,153 $13,963,061,209 $38,615,891 $33,339,112
2014 $13,899,217,680 $14,059,381,527 $38,760,983 $33,339,112
2015 $14,188,936,918 $14,188,936,918 $36,811,936 $36,811,936
2016 $14,077,096,677 $14,384,066,451 $41,629,064 $38,895,631
2017 $14,808,985,133 $14,527,493,295 $45,276,595 $39,847,948
2018 $15,730,792,876 $14,802,051,831 $48,015,260 $40,400,753
2019 $15,830,766,531 $14,934,129,304 $54,123,199 $45,984,984
2020 $13,812,421,836 $13,452,615,522 $51,746,594 $44,019,158
2021 $14,657,586,159 $14,071,627,469 $60,196,406 $44,813,323
2022 $17,097,760,687 $14,806,380,290 $59,065,982 $45,116,848
2023 $19,423,355,367 $15,192,036,608 $62,280,312 $46,855,114
2024 $19,930,288,337 $15,082,835,198 - -

Economic indicators

Jamaica Tuvalu
Gross domestic product
$19.9B
2024
$62.3M
2023
GDP rank
130/197
2024
196/197
2023
GDP growth
2.61%
2023-2024
5.44%
2022-2023
GDP per capita
$7,020
2024
$6,345
2023
GDP per capita rank
104/197
2024
109/197
2023
GDP per capita, PPP
$11,662
2024
$6,151
2023
Government debt
$13.9B
2024
$2.84M
2023
Debt-to-GDP ratio
65.3%
2025
3.26%
2025
Government debt per person
$4,908
2024
$289.4
2023
Government debt per person rank
79/185
2024
179/185
2023
Average annual personal income after taxes
$6,964
2025
$4,174
2025
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$12.4B
2024
n/a
Income share by richest 10%
29.6%
2021
30.8%
2010
Income share by poorest 10%
2.2%
2021
2.7%
2010
Government expenditure, % of GDP
32.1%
2025
101.4%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
5.41%
2023-2024
2%
2024-2025
Central bank interest rate
5.75%
2025
n/a
Unemployment rate
3.02%
2023
7.32%
2022
Population
2837071
9493

GDP per capita in Jamaica vs Tuvalu

Jamaica's GDP per capita is $7,020, ranking 104/197, compared to $6,345 in Tuvalu, ranking 109/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Jamaica ranks 127th at $11,662, while Tuvalu ranks 152nd at $6,151.

Jamaica
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Tuvalu
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Jamaica Tuvalu
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $424 - - -
1961 $447 - - -
1962 $458 - - -
1963 $480 - - -
1964 $514 - - -
1965 $549 - - -
1966 $612 - - -
1967 $633 - - -
1968 $591 - - -
1969 $642 - - -
1970 $748 - $457 -
1971 $809 - $478 -
1972 $971 - $522 -
1973 $972 - $601 -
1974 $1,193 - $708 -
1975 $1,417 - $656 -
1976 $1,450 - $612 -
1977 $1,569 - $549 -
1978 $1,262 - $546 -
1979 $1,144 - $566 -
1980 $1,249 - $571 -
1981 $1,370 - $634 -
1982 $1,494 - $537 -
1983 $1,619 - $533 -
1984 $1,048 - $567 -
1985 $917 - $480 -
1986 $1,191 - $557 -
1987 $1,411 - $600 -
1988 $1,632 - $823 -
1989 $1,865 - $976 -
1990 $1,930 $4,841 $1,085 $1,676
1991 $1,710 $5,201 $1,134 $1,769
1992 $1,458 $5,370 $1,166 $1,837
1993 $2,221 $5,954 $1,141 $1,939
1994 $2,203 $6,102 $1,279 $2,165
1995 $2,631 $6,313 $1,285 $2,083
1996 $2,929 $6,359 $1,428 $1,982
1997 $3,297 $6,336 $1,461 $2,204
1998 $3,419 $6,204 $1,460 $2,560
1999 $3,432 $6,309 $1,559 $2,543
2000 $3,453 $6,464 $1,579 $2,597
2001 $3,504 $6,656 $1,457 $2,596
2002 $3,681 $6,852 $1,750 $2,915
2003 $3,550 $7,200 $2,007 $2,770
2004 $3,808 $7,447 $2,323 $2,765
2005 $4,184 $7,707 $2,305 $2,728
2006 $4,417 $8,133 $2,396 $2,787
2007 $4,716 $8,432 $2,794 $3,034
2008 $5,030 $8,488 $3,088 $3,291
2009 $4,428 $8,135 $2,684 $3,082
2010 $4,810 $8,080 $3,025 $2,945
2011 $5,233 $8,353 $3,636 $3,176
2012 $5,341 $8,373 $3,598 $3,170
2013 $5,124 $8,630 $3,510 $3,277
2014 $4,975 $8,733 $3,529 $3,419
2015 $5,063 $8,986 $3,358 $3,776
2016 $5,010 $9,399 $3,809 $4,031
2017 $5,259 $9,820 $4,166 $4,227
2018 $5,578 $10,035 $4,466 $4,432
2019 $5,607 $10,084 $5,115 $5,210
2020 $4,879 $8,991 $4,976 $5,122
2021 $5,165 $9,577 $5,905 $5,353
2022 $6,022 $10,790 $5,911 $5,661
2023 $6,840 $11,467 $6,345 $6,151
2024 $7,020 $11,662 - -

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, Jamaica's government spending was $6.68B, accounting for 32.1% of its GDP, while Tuvalu's spent $69.9M, or 101.4% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 65.3% in Jamaica and 3.26% in Tuvalu, ranking 66/185 and 184/185, respectively.

Jamaica
Government spending

Government debt
Tuvalu
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Jamaica Tuvalu
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1990 26.3% 128.8% - -
1991 25.1% 175.1% - -
1992 20.5% 100.4% - -
1993 22.1% 106.2% - -
1994 22.1% 90.4% - -
1995 23.7% 85.2% - -
1996 28.4% 70.2% - -
1997 29% 74.4% - -
1998 29% 75.6% - -
1999 29.7% 85.6% - -
2000 26.9% 93.7% - -
2001 29.3% 110.7% - -
2002 31.9% 122.2% - -
2003 33.3% 128.8% - -
2004 32.4% 123.3% 73.9% -
2005 30% 127.7% 82% 37.3%
2006 32% 121.1% 98.4% 37.5%
2007 32.4% 118.2% 88.5% 32.4%
2008 35.3% 128.9% 85.7% 19.7%
2009 39.6% 145.2% 99.8% 20.5%
2010 33.7% 143.7% 93.9% 21%
2011 32.5% 141.7% 77.1% 19.1%
2012 30.4% 146.7% 76.8% 19.3%
2013 27.6% 141.7% 80.2% 17.8%
2014 27.2% 140.3% 96.7% 16.4%
2015 27.8% 124% 116.8% 14.4%
2016 28.6% 115.4% 119.5% 11.5%
2017 29.1% 103% 106.5% 12.1%
2018 29.8% 95.6% 125.6% 11.8%
2019 29.9% 94.7% 112.8% 11.5%
2020 32.3% 108.7% 120% 12.1%
2021 31.6% 99% 113.7% 11.3%
2022 31.3% 80.9% 102.1% 5.75%
2023 30.9% 74.2% 112.2% 4.56%
2024 33.5% 69.9% 102.7% 3.87%
2025 32.1% 65.3% 101.4% 3.26%

Government deficit by year

In 2023, Jamaica's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $7.6M, equivalent to 0.04% of GDP. This compares to Tuvalu's surplus of $7.74M, or 12.4% of GDP.

Over the past 20 years, Jamaica recorded a fiscal deficit in 13 of those years, while Tuvalu ran a deficit in 11 years. On average, Jamaica posted an annual deficit equal to -2.67% of GDP, compared to deficit of -1.12% of GDP for Tuvalu.

Deficit/surplus
Jamaica

Tuvalu
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Jamaica Tuvalu
1990 2.4% -
1991 3.97% -
1992 3.19% -
1993 2.66% -
1994 2.66% -
1995 1.65% -
1996 -5.45% -
1997 -6.71% -
1998 -5.97% -
1999 -3.62% -
2000 -0.82% -
2001 -5.01% -
2002 -6.94% -
2003 -5.82% -
2004 -4.8% -3.59%
2005 -3.39% -12.8%
2006 -5.03% -36.8%
2007 -3.92% -18.6%
2008 -7.62% -17.2%
2009 -11.4% -13.5%
2010 -6.44% -23.3%
2011 -6.51% -8.79%
2012 -4.16% 9.57%
2013 0.12% 26%
2014 -0.5% 3.26%
2015 -0.29% 14.7%
2016 -0.2% 27.4%
2017 0.46% 2.1%
2018 1.2% 30.3%
2019 0.92% -1.06%
2020 -3.08% 13.7%
2021 0.97% -13.5%
2022 0.3% -12.9%
2023 0.04% 12.4%
2024 0.26% -7.06%
2025 0.009% -1.87%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 24 years, Jamaica has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 8.25%, compared with 3.34% in Tuvalu. In 2024, inflation was 5.41% in Jamaica and 2% in Tuvalu.

Inflation
Jamaica

Tuvalu
Year Inflation
Jamaica Tuvalu Jamaica Tuvalu
1996 26.4% -
1997 9.66% -
1998 8.63% -
1999 5.95% -
2000 8.17% -
2001 6.8% 1.5%
2002 7.08% 5.1%
2003 10.1% 2.9%
2004 13.6% 2.4%
2005 15.1% 3.2%
2006 8.56% 4.2%
2007 9.24% 2.3%
2008 22% 10.4%
2009 9.59% -0.3%
2010 12.6% -1.9%
2011 7.56% 0.5%
2012 6.87% 1.4%
2013 9.34% 2%
2014 8.27% 1.1%
2015 3.69% 3.1%
2016 2.35% 3.5%
2017 4.38% 4.1%
2018 3.74% 2.2%
2019 3.91% 3.5%
2020 5.23% 1.6%
2021 5.86% 6.7%
2022 10.3% 12.2%
2023 6.47% 7.2%
2024 5.41% 1.2%
2025 - 2%

Balance of trade

Jamaica Tuvalu
Current account balance
$679M
2024
$2.71M
2022
Current account balance ranking
55/189
2024
73/189
2022
Current account balance, % of GDP
+3.41%
2024
+4.59%
2022
Goods imports
$6.07B
2024
$24.2M
2022
Goods exports
$1.87B
2024
$184K
2022
Service imports
$3.46B
2024
$33.1M
2022
Service exports
$5.26B
2024
$2.05M
2022
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
52.1%
2019
n/a
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
38%
2019
8.22%
2025

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

Jamaica Tuvalu
Economic freedom 68.7 60
Economic freedom ranking 46/197 97/197
Property rights 67.8 n/a
Government integrity 49.5 n/a
Judicial effectiveness 79.9 n/a
Tax burden 76.5 n/a
Government spending 72.8 n/a
Fiscal health 89 n/a
Business freedom 70.1 n/a
Labor freedom 64.4 n/a
Monetary freedom 72.8 n/a
Trade freedom 71.8 n/a
Investment freedom 60 n/a
Financial freedom 50 n/a

More economic indicators

Jamaica Tuvalu
Services, % of GDP
60.3%
2024
n/a
Industry, % of GDP
18.3%
2024
7.02%
2015
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
9.8%
2024
15.9%
2015
GNI, Atlas method
$18.4B
2024
$86M
2023
GNI per capita, PPP
$11,410
2024
$8,320
2023
Total reserves including gold
$5.63B
2024
n/a
Total reserves ranking
93/177
2024
n/a
Net foreign direct investment
-$304M
2024
$0
2022
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$305M
2024
$258K
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$1.07M
2024
-$915K
2021
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
12.7%
2023
n/a
Poverty at national poverty lines
8.2%
2023
26.3%
2020
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
24.3%
2019
n/a

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.