Share of population with no formal education in Jamaica
Jamaica: Share of population with no formal education was 5.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
5.1%
World rank
45th
of 111 countries
All-time high
82.4%
in 1870
All-time low
2.1%
in 1980
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of population with no formal education in Jamaica, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 5.1% for share of population with no formal education in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Jamaica peaked at 82.4% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1980.
Jamaica ranks 45th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 82.4% | — |
| 1875 | 79.5% | -3.5% |
| 1880 | 75.9% | -4.5% |
| 1885 | 69.9% | -7.9% |
| 1890 | 62.4% | -10.7% |
| 1895 | 54.6% | -12.5% |
| 1900 | 48.8% | -10.6% |
| 1905 | 41.4% | -15.2% |
| 1910 | 37.2% | -10.1% |
| 1915 | 34.7% | -6.7% |
| 1920 | 32.1% | -7.5% |
| 1925 | 30.4% | -5.3% |
| 1930 | 28.7% | -5.6% |
| 1935 | 24.5% | -14.6% |
| 1940 | 21.3% | -13.1% |
| 1945 | 19.0% | -10.8% |
| 1950 | 17.6% | -7.4% |
| 1955 | 16.4% | -6.8% |
| 1960 | 15.3% | -6.7% |
| 1965 | 9.2% | -39.9% |
| 1970 | 3.4% | -63.0% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | -26.5% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | -16.0% |
| 1985 | 4.0% | +90.5% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 4.9% | +25.6% |
| 2000 | 5.2% | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | +8.2% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5.1% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 81.0% | 79.5% | 82.4% | 2 |
| 1880s | 72.9% | 69.9% | 75.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 58.5% | 54.6% | 62.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 45.1% | 41.4% | 48.8% | 2 |
| 1910s | 36.0% | 34.7% | 37.2% | 2 |
| 1920s | 31.2% | 30.4% | 32.1% | 2 |
| 1930s | 26.6% | 24.5% | 28.7% | 2 |
| 1940s | 20.1% | 19.0% | 21.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 17.0% | 16.4% | 17.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 12.2% | 9.2% | 15.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 2.1% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 43 Uganda 5.7% compare
- 44 Luxembourg 5.4% compare
- 46 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 4.9% compare
- 47 Dominican Republic 4.3% compare
- 48 Brazil 4.2% compare
More education data for Jamaica
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 103,444 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Jamaica?
- Share of population with no formal education in Jamaica was 5.1% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 82.4% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1980.
- How does Jamaica rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Jamaica ranks 45th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.