The latest officially reported population of Jamaica was 2,839,175 in 2024 vs 64,007,187 people in South Africa in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Jamaica's population is 2,837,071 people compared to 65,314,246 in South Africa.
Population statistics:
- South Africa's population is 23 times bigger than Jamaica's.
- Jamaica is ranked the 140th most populous country in the world, while South Africa is the 24th.
- The countries together account for 0.82% of the world: 0.03% for Jamaica vs 0.79% for South Africa.
- For the last 10 years, Jamaica has had an average growth rate of +0.18% per year vs +1.44% in South Africa.
- Since 2005, the population of Jamaica has increased from 2.69M people to 2.84M (5.58% growth), while South Africa has grown from 49.5M to 65.3M (32% growth).
- South Africa is projected to reach its peak in 2100 at 94.3M people, while Jamaica's population already peaked in 2023 at 2.84M people and is projected to decrease to 1.07M people by 2100.
Jamaica vs South Africa: live population counter
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
2837071
|
65314246
|
| Population rank | 140/197 | 24/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.03% | 0.79% |
| One net population change |
14.3 hours
|
39.7 seconds
|
| One birth every |
15.9 minutes
|
26.6 seconds
|
| One death every |
22.9 minutes
|
54 seconds
|
| One migration net change every |
50 minutes
|
3.15 minutes
|
| Annual migration change | -10,506 | +166,972 |
| Daily growth/decline | -2 | +2,178 |
| Annual growth/decline | -611 | +794,803 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | -0.02% | +1.26% |
| Population growth rate rank | 167/197 | 87/197 |
Jamaica and South Africa: population history and growth rate by year chart
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 1,650,005 | 16,440,172 | - | - |
| 1961 | 1,673,261 | 16,908,035 | 1.41% | 2.85% |
| 1962 | 1,696,932 | 17,418,522 | 1.41% | 3.02% |
| 1963 | 1,721,099 | 17,954,564 | 1.42% | 3.08% |
| 1964 | 1,745,568 | 18,511,361 | 1.42% | 3.1% |
| 1965 | 1,769,192 | 19,089,380 | 1.35% | 3.12% |
| 1966 | 1,791,475 | 19,690,087 | 1.26% | 3.15% |
| 1967 | 1,812,865 | 20,314,066 | 1.19% | 3.17% |
| 1968 | 1,833,765 | 20,957,287 | 1.15% | 3.17% |
| 1969 | 1,855,127 | 21,614,676 | 1.16% | 3.14% |
| 1970 | 1,878,196 | 22,279,984 | 1.24% | 3.08% |
| 1971 | 1,903,728 | 22,942,143 | 1.36% | 2.97% |
| 1972 | 1,931,542 | 23,609,456 | 1.46% | 2.91% |
| 1973 | 1,961,219 | 24,294,263 | 1.54% | 2.9% |
| 1974 | 1,990,906 | 24,989,108 | 1.51% | 2.86% |
| 1975 | 2,018,981 | 25,690,940 | 1.41% | 2.81% |
| 1976 | 2,045,578 | 26,395,450 | 1.32% | 2.74% |
| 1977 | 2,070,657 | 27,118,952 | 1.23% | 2.74% |
| 1978 | 2,094,836 | 27,869,507 | 1.17% | 2.77% |
| 1979 | 2,119,486 | 28,634,162 | 1.18% | 2.74% |
| 1980 | 2,145,658 | 29,518,857 | 1.23% | 3.09% |
| 1981 | 2,173,818 | 30,541,044 | 1.31% | 3.46% |
| 1982 | 2,203,889 | 31,615,339 | 1.38% | 3.52% |
| 1983 | 2,234,832 | 32,739,304 | 1.4% | 3.56% |
| 1984 | 2,264,562 | 33,892,788 | 1.33% | 3.52% |
| 1985 | 2,290,656 | 35,042,093 | 1.15% | 3.39% |
| 1986 | 2,312,125 | 36,180,515 | 0.94% | 3.25% |
| 1987 | 2,329,813 | 37,326,190 | 0.77% | 3.17% |
| 1988 | 2,345,777 | 38,480,649 | 0.69% | 3.09% |
| 1989 | 2,361,916 | 39,628,575 | 0.69% | 2.98% |
| 1990 | 2,379,877 | 40,746,268 | 0.76% | 2.82% |
| 1991 | 2,400,869 | 41,687,898 | 0.88% | 2.31% |
| 1992 | 2,424,701 | 42,443,509 | 0.99% | 1.81% |
| 1993 | 2,449,916 | 43,297,156 | 1.04% | 2.01% |
| 1994 | 2,475,220 | 44,004,139 | 1.03% | 1.63% |
| 1995 | 2,500,151 | 44,541,554 | 1.01% | 1.22% |
| 1996 | 2,524,463 | 45,123,018 | 0.97% | 1.31% |
| 1997 | 2,547,848 | 45,666,838 | 0.93% | 1.21% |
| 1998 | 2,569,736 | 46,223,880 | 0.86% | 1.22% |
| 1999 | 2,589,795 | 46,730,335 | 0.78% | 1.1% |
| 2000 | 2,607,826 | 47,159,719 | 0.7% | 0.92% |
| 2001 | 2,624,403 | 47,566,800 | 0.64% | 0.86% |
| 2002 | 2,640,572 | 48,019,415 | 0.62% | 0.95% |
| 2003 | 2,656,623 | 48,500,348 | 0.61% | 1% |
| 2004 | 2,672,225 | 48,991,421 | 0.59% | 1.01% |
| 2005 | 2,687,066 | 49,490,033 | 0.56% | 1.02% |
| 2006 | 2,700,968 | 49,998,277 | 0.52% | 1.03% |
| 2007 | 2,713,800 | 50,528,584 | 0.48% | 1.06% |
| 2008 | 2,725,635 | 51,114,599 | 0.44% | 1.16% |
| 2009 | 2,736,995 | 51,728,516 | 0.42% | 1.2% |
| 2010 | 2,748,568 | 52,344,051 | 0.42% | 1.19% |
| 2011 | 2,760,494 | 52,995,205 | 0.43% | 1.24% |
| 2012 | 2,772,430 | 53,782,567 | 0.43% | 1.49% |
| 2013 | 2,783,687 | 54,678,791 | 0.41% | 1.67% |
| 2014 | 2,793,749 | 55,594,838 | 0.36% | 1.68% |
| 2015 | 2,802,534 | 56,723,537 | 0.31% | 2.03% |
| 2016 | 2,809,915 | 57,259,551 | 0.26% | 0.94% |
| 2017 | 2,815,764 | 57,635,162 | 0.21% | 0.66% |
| 2018 | 2,820,097 | 58,613,001 | 0.15% | 1.7% |
| 2019 | 2,823,271 | 59,587,885 | 0.11% | 1.66% |
| 2020 | 2,830,739 | 60,562,381 | 0.26% | 1.64% |
| 2021 | 2,837,682 | 61,502,603 | 0.25% | 1.55% |
| 2022 | 2,839,144 | 62,378,410 | 0.05% | 1.42% |
| 2023 | 2,839,786 | 63,212,384 | 0.02% | 1.34% |
| 2024 | 2,839,175 | 64,007,187 | -0.02% | 1.26% |
| 2025 | 2,837,071 | 64,747,317 | -0.07% | 1.16% |
| 2026 | 2,833,401 | 65,453,086 | -0.13% | 1.09% |
| 2027 | 2,828,530 | 66,143,018 | -0.17% | 1.05% |
| 2028 | 2,822,861 | 66,830,384 | -0.2% | 1.04% |
| 2029 | 2,816,391 | 67,506,850 | -0.23% | 1.01% |
| 2030 | 2,808,946 | 68,161,357 | -0.26% | 0.97% |
| 2031 | 2,800,607 | 68,798,574 | -0.3% | 0.93% |
| 2032 | 2,791,130 | 69,426,441 | -0.34% | 0.91% |
| 2033 | 2,780,468 | 70,040,484 | -0.38% | 0.88% |
| 2034 | 2,768,714 | 70,641,572 | -0.42% | 0.86% |
| 2035 | 2,755,929 | 71,234,749 | -0.46% | 0.84% |
| 2036 | 2,742,071 | 71,816,372 | -0.5% | 0.82% |
| 2037 | 2,726,892 | 72,387,807 | -0.55% | 0.8% |
| 2038 | 2,710,812 | 72,949,611 | -0.59% | 0.78% |
| 2039 | 2,693,901 | 73,496,152 | -0.62% | 0.75% |
| 2040 | 2,676,087 | 74,035,615 | -0.66% | 0.73% |
| 2041 | 2,657,558 | 74,575,444 | -0.69% | 0.73% |
| 2042 | 2,638,085 | 75,111,899 | -0.73% | 0.72% |
| 2043 | 2,617,576 | 75,641,512 | -0.78% | 0.71% |
| 2044 | 2,596,160 | 76,164,461 | -0.82% | 0.69% |
| 2045 | 2,574,074 | 76,681,448 | -0.85% | 0.68% |
| 2046 | 2,551,347 | 77,199,542 | -0.88% | 0.68% |
| 2047 | 2,528,004 | 77,716,650 | -0.91% | 0.67% |
| 2048 | 2,504,191 | 78,215,323 | -0.94% | 0.64% |
| 2049 | 2,479,744 | 78,699,584 | -0.98% | 0.62% |
| 2050 | 2,454,935 | 79,177,329 | -1% | 0.61% |
From 2005 to 2015, the population of Jamaica increased by 115,468 people (a 4.3% growth), while South Africa gained 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Jamaica gained 34,537 (a 1.23% growth), while South Africa's population increased by 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth).
Jamaica was ranked 135th most populous country in 2005 and is 140th in 2025. South Africa was ranked 24th in 2005 and still ranked 24th now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) Jamaica's population will shrink by 13.5% to 2,454,935 people with a rank change from 140th to 144th. The population of South Africa will increase by 21.2% to 79,177,329 people and rank change from 24th to 23rd.
Biggest cities by population
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kingston | 580K |
| Spanish Town | 131K |
| Montego Bay | 124K |
| Half Way Tree | 96.5K |
| May Pen | 61.5K |
| Mandeville | 48.3K |
| Old Harbour | 28.7K |
| Linstead | 22.8K |
| Savanna-la-Mar | 22.6K |
| Port Antonio | 14.8K |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Johannesburg | 4.43M |
| Cape Town | 3.78M |
| Soweto | 1.27M |
| Pietermaritzburg | 839K |
| Pretoria | 742K |
| Durban | 595K |
| Rustenburg | 550K |
| Randburg | 337K |
| Port Elizabeth | 312K |
| East London | 267K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population differences between Jamaica and South Africa
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 71.7 years | 66.5 years |
| Average age | 34.9 years | 31.1 years |
| Median age | 33.3 years | 29.5 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 49.4:50.6 | 48.7:51.3 |
| Fertility rate | 1.36 births per woman | 2.22 births per woman |
| Population density | 679 ppl/mi² | 136.7 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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