Languages spoken in Jamaica
North America · Capital: Kingston · Population 2.8 million
The official language of Jamaica is English. An estimated 98% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 2.8 million people. The only other recorded language is Jamaican Creole English, at 95% of the population. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, two languages are recorded in Jamaica, and their shares add up to 193% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Jamaica?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 98% | Official | 2.8 million |
| Jamaican Creole English | 95% | Spoken | 2.7 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Jamaica?
The official language of Jamaica is English. English is spoken by an estimated 98% of the population, or roughly 2.8 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak English in Jamaica?
An estimated 98% of Jamaica's 2.8 million people speak English, which works out at roughly 2.8 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Jamaica
- Capital
- Kingston
- Population
- 2.8 million
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 10,991 km²
- Currency
- JMD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- JM / JAM / 388
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.