Jamaicans

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Jamaicans
Flag of Jamaica.svg
Total population
c. 4.4 million
2,683,707 (2011 census) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Jamaica   2,827,695 [2] [3]
United States1,100,000+ [4]
United Kingdom800,000+ [5]
Canada309,485 [6]
Cayman Islands 21,888 [7]
Trinidad and Tobago 15,000
Antigua and Barbuda 12,000 [8]
The Bahamas 5,572 [9]
Germany 4,000 [10]
The Netherlands 1,971 [11]
Australia 1,092 [5]
Japan 945 [12]
Languages
English, Jamaican Patois
Religion
Primarily Protestantism [13]
Related ethnic groups
Caribbean people

Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed ancestry. The bulk of the Jamaican diaspora resides in other Anglophone countries, namely Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Jamaican populations are also prominent in other Caribbean countries, territories and Commonwealth realms, where in the Cayman Islands, born Jamaicans, as well as Caymanians of Jamaican origin, make up 26.8% of the population. [14] Outside of Anglophone countries, the largest Jamaican diaspora community lives in Central America, where Jamaicans make up a significant percentage of the population. [15]

Contents

History

According to the official Jamaica Population Census of 1970, ethnic origins categories in Jamaica include: Black (Mixed); Chinese; East Indian; White; and 'Other' (e.g.: Syrian or Lebanese). [1] Jamaicans who consider themselves Black (according to the United States' One-drop rule definition of Black), made up 92% of the working population. Those of non-African descent or mixed race made up the remaining 8% of the population. [16]

But according to a more precise study conducted by the local University of the West Indies - Jamaica's population is more accurately 76.3% African descent or Black, 15.1% Afro-European ( or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class) , 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% Caucasian, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% Other. [17]

Wealth or Economic Power in Jamaica is disproportionately held by the White Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans and the Afro-European ( or locally called the Brown Man or Browning Class) - i.e. despite being a minority group(s) (less than 25% of the country's population) controls most of the country's wealth. [18] [19]

Self-identified ethnic origin

Responses of the 2011 official census. [1]

Ethnic originPopulationMalesFemalesPercentage
Black 2,471,9461,226,0261,245,92092.1
Chinese 5,2282,8802,3480.2
Mixed162,71873,29389,4256.0
East Indian 20,06610,4919,5750.7
White 4,3652,1922,1730.2
Other1,8989709280.1
Not Reported17,4868,6388,8480.6
Total2,683,7071,324,4901,359,217100.0%
source [1]


A more precise breakdown of the Responses of the 2011 official census by the University of the West Indies [20]

Ethnic originPopulationPercentage
Black 2,047,66876.3
Chinese 32,2241.2
Afro-European or Browning Class405,24015.1
East Indian and Afro-East Indian91,2463.4
White 85,8783.2
Other21,4700.8
Total2,683,707100.0%
source [20]

Religion

Denomination 2011 census [1]
NumberPercentage
Christian
     Anglicanism 74,891
     Baptists 180,640
     Brethren 23,647
     Baptists 20,872-
     Brethren 9,7581.0
    Church of God in Jamaica129,544-
    Church of God of Prophecy121,400-
    New Testament Church of God192,086-
    Other Church of God246,838-
     The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2021) [21] 6,718-
     Jehovah's Witnesses 50,8492.0
     Methodist 43,3362.0
     Moravian 18,351
     Pentecostal 295,195
     Rastafari 29,026
     Revivalist 36,296
     Roman Catholic 57,946
     Seventh-day Adventist 322,228-
     United Church 56,360
Baháʼí 269
Hinduism 1,836-
Islam 1,513-
Judaism 506
Other Religion/Denomination169,014-
Totals, specified religions100.00
No Religion/Denomination572,008-
Not reported60,326-
Totals, Jamaica2,683,105100.00

Diaspora

Many Jamaicans now live overseas and outside Jamaica, while many have migrated to Anglophone countries, including over 400,000 Jamaicans in the United Kingdom, over 300,000 in Canada and 1,100,000 in the United States. [22]

There are about 30,500 Jamaicans residing in other CARICOM member including the Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda (12,000), [8] Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. [23] There are also communities of Jamaican descendants in Central America, particularly Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Most of Costa Rica's Afro-Costa Rican and Mulatto population, which combined represents about 7% of the total population, is of Jamaican descent. [24] [25]

Notable Jamaicans

See also

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