Life expectancy at birth (UNICEF) in Jamaica
Jamaica: Life expectancy at birth (UNICEF) was 71.73 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
71.73
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
31st
of 36 countries
All-time high
72.44
in 2013
All-time low
56.56
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Life expectancy at birth in Jamaica, 1950–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 71.73 for life expectancy at birth in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Jamaica peaked at 72.44 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 56.56, in 1950.
Jamaica ranks 31st of 36 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth (UNICEF) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 56.56 | — |
| 1951 | 57.13 | +1.0% |
| 1952 | 58.11 | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 58.87 | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 59.64 | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 60.4 | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 61.16 | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 61.95 | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 62.65 | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 63.25 | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 63.83 | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 64.26 | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 64.62 | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 65 | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 65.35 | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 65.66 | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 65.93 | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 66.09 | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 66.32 | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 66.52 | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 66.73 | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 67 | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 67.3 | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 67.61 | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 67.91 | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 68.17 | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 68.41 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 68.59 | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 68.74 | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 68.81 | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 68.99 | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 69.12 | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 69.25 | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 69.55 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 69.81 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 70.1 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 70.45 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 70.87 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 71.16 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 71.51 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 71.7 | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 71.79 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 71.82 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 71.76 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 71.62 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 71.49 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 71.33 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 71.22 | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 71.17 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 71.19 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 71.28 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 71.29 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 71.48 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 71.58 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 71.54 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 71.49 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 71.39 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 71.4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 71.5 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 71.72 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 71.98 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 72.25 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 72.4 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 72.44 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 72.36 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 72.21 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 72.05 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 71.88 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 71.61 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 71.53 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 71.45 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 69.08 | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 71.48 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 71.48 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 71.61 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 71.73 | +0.2% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 71.73 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 74.69, 96% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 71.73 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.05, 97% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 59.97 | 56.56 | 63.25 | 10 |
| 1960s | 65.36 | 63.83 | 66.52 | 10 |
| 1970s | 67.93 | 66.73 | 68.81 | 10 |
| 1980s | 70.08 | 68.99 | 71.51 | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.51 | 71.17 | 71.82 | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.47 | 71.28 | 71.72 | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.07 | 71.53 | 72.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.14 | 69.08 | 71.73 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 28 Venezuela 72.84 compare
- 29 El Salvador 72.52 compare
- 30 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.42 compare
- 32 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 71.51 compare
- 33 Dominica 71.45 compare
- 34 Guyana 70.45 compare
More health data for Jamaica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3325 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 31 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0288 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Jamaica?
- Life expectancy at birth in Jamaica was 71.73 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 72.44 in 2013.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.56 in 1950.
- How does Jamaica rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Jamaica ranks 31st out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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