Demographics

Further information: Demographics of Jamaica and Jamaican people

Ethnic origins

Jamaica's population, 1961–2003.

The streets of Montego Bay, Jamaica

According to the most recent census, conducted in 2011, the majority of Jamaicans identify as black.^[58]

Ethnic Group	%
Black[1]	92.1%
Mixed[1]	6.1%
Asian[1]	0.8%
Other[1]	0.4%
Unspecified[1]	0.7%

Much of Jamaica's black population are of African or partially African descent with many being able to trace their origins to West Africa,^[59] as well as Europe^[60] and Asia.^[61] Like many other anglophone Caribbean countries, many Jamaicans with mixed ancestry self-report as black.^{[citation needed]}
Asians form the second largest group and include Indo-Jamaicans and Chinese Jamaicans.^[58] Most are descended from indentured workers brought by the British colonial government to fill labour shortages following the abolition of slavery in 1838.
In recent years, immigration has increased, coming mainly from China, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, and Latin America; 20,000 Latin Americans reside in Jamaica.^{[citation needed]} About 7,000 Americans also reside in Jamaica,^{[citation needed]} as well as many first-generation American, British and Canadians of Jamaican descent.^[62]
A study found that the average admixture on the island was 78.3% Sub-Saharan African, 16.0% European, and 5.7% East Asian.^[63]

Languages

Main articles: Jamaican Patois and Jamaican English

Jamaica is regarded as a bilingual country, with two major languages in use by the population.^[64] The official language is Jamaican Standard English (JSE) or Standard Jamaican English (SJE), which is "used in all domains of public life", including the government, the legal system, the media, and education.^[65] However, the primary spoken language is an English-based creole called Jamaican Patois (or Patwa). A 2007 survey by the Jamaican Language Unit found that 17.1 percent of the population were monolingual in JSE, 36.5 percent were monolingual in Patois, and 46.4 percent were bilingual, although earlier surveys had pointed to a greater degree of bilinguality (up to 90 percent).^[66] The Jamaican education system has only recently begun to offer formal instruction in Patois, while retaining JSE as the "official language of instruction".^[67]
Additionally, some Jamaicans speak one or more of Jamaican Sign Language, American Sign Language or the indigenous Jamaican Country Sign Language (Konchri Sain).^{[citation needed]} Both JSL and ASL are rapidly replacing Konchri Sain for a variety of reasons.^{[citation needed]}

Emigration

Main article: Jamaican diaspora

Many Jamaicans have emigrated to other countries, especially to the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. In the case of the United States, about 20,000 Jamaicans per year are granted permanent residence.^[68] The great number of Jamaicans living abroad has become known as the Jamaican diaspora. There has also been emigration of Jamaicans to Cuba.^[69] The scale of emigration has been widespread and similar to other Caribbean entities such as Puerto Rico, Guyana, and The Bahamas. It was estimated in 2004 that up to 2.5 million Jamaicans and Jamaican descendants live abroad.^[70]
Concentrations of expatriate Jamaicans are quite considerable in numerous cities in the United States, including New York City, Buffalo, the Miami metro area, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Tampa, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Hartford, Providence and Los Angeles. Jamaicans in the United Kingdom number an estimated 800,000 making them by far the country's largest African-Caribbean group. Large-scale migration from Jamaica to the UK occurred primarily in the 1950s and 1960s (when the country was still under British rule). Jamaican communities exist in most large UK cities.^[71] In Canada, the Jamaican population is centred in Toronto, and there are smaller communities in cities such as Hamilton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Ottawa.

Crime

Main article: Crime in Jamaica

See also: Prisons in Jamaica and LGBT rights in Jamaica

When Jamaica gained independence in 1962, the murder rate was 3.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest in the world. By 2009, the rate was 62 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world.^[72] Jamaica has had one of the highest murder rates in the world for many years, according to UN estimates.^[73][74] Some areas of Jamaica, particularly cities such as Kingston, experience high levels of crime and violence.^[75] Some Jamaicans are hostile toward LGBT and intersex people,^[76] and there have been reported cases of mob attacks against gay people.^[77][78][79]
However, crime in Jamaica has recently shown a downward trend. There were 1,682 reported murders in 2009 and 1,428 in 2010. Since 2011 the murder rate has continued to fall following the downward trend started in 2010, with increases in police patrols, curfews and more effective anti-gang activities.^[80] In 2012, the Ministry of National Security reported a 30 percent decrease in murders.^[81]

Major cities