Key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica
Jamaica: Key features of liberal democracy was 0.679 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.679
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
32nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.703
in 2019
All-time low
0.172
in 1911
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 0.679 for key features of liberal democracy in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica peaked at 0.703 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.172, in 1911.
Jamaica ranks 32nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.173 | — |
| 1901 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.173 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.172 | -0.6% |
| 1912 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.173 | +0.6% |
| 1920 | 0.172 | -0.6% |
| 1921 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.172 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.174 | +1.2% |
| 1926 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.177 | +1.7% |
| 1931 | 0.177 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.177 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.177 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.177 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.179 | +1.1% |
| 1936 | 0.178 | -0.6% |
| 1937 | 0.178 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.179 | +0.6% |
| 1939 | 0.178 | -0.6% |
| 1940 | 0.178 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.178 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.178 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.178 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.219 | +23.0% |
| 1945 | 0.228 | +4.1% |
| 1946 | 0.231 | +1.3% |
| 1947 | 0.235 | +1.7% |
| 1948 | 0.235 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.235 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.235 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.235 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.236 | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 0.3 | +27.1% |
| 1954 | 0.337 | +12.3% |
| 1955 | 0.345 | +2.4% |
| 1956 | 0.361 | +4.6% |
| 1957 | 0.361 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.361 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.355 | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 0.362 | +2.0% |
| 1961 | 0.362 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.403 | +11.3% |
| 1963 | 0.412 | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 0.412 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.406 | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 0.406 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.383 | -5.7% |
| 1968 | 0.381 | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 0.386 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 0.394 | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 0.394 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.395 | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 0.398 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 0.395 | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 0.396 | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 0.397 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 0.372 | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 0.367 | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 0.375 | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 0.389 | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 0.37 | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 0.37 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.372 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 0.412 | +10.8% |
| 1985 | 0.414 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 0.414 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.414 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.418 | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 0.431 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 0.448 | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 0.448 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.451 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.473 | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 0.486 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 0.489 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 0.49 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.499 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 0.522 | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 0.522 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.549 | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 0.549 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.566 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 0.617 | +9.0% |
| 2004 | 0.617 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.629 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 0.633 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 0.644 | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 0.654 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 0.654 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.656 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.651 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 0.667 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 0.679 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 0.679 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.679 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.685 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.696 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 0.688 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.703 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 0.702 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.691 | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 0.692 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 0.677 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 0.676 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 0.679 | +0.4% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 0.679 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.347, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 0.679 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.506, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | +27.1% | 0.236 | 0.3 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.173 | 0.173 | 0.173 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1722 | 0.172 | 0.173 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.173 | 0.172 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1777 | 0.177 | 0.179 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.2095 | 0.178 | 0.235 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.3126 | 0.235 | 0.361 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.3913 | 0.362 | 0.412 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3883 | 0.367 | 0.398 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4004 | 0.37 | 0.431 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4828 | 0.448 | 0.522 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6112 | 0.549 | 0.654 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6783 | 0.651 | 0.703 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6862 | 0.676 | 0.702 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 30 United Kingdom 0.689 compare
- 31 Seychelles 0.68 compare
- 32 Barbados 0.679 compare
- 34 Trinidad and Tobago 0.668 compare
- 35 Cyprus 0.664 compare
More social development data for Jamaica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31 (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica?
- Key features of liberal democracy in Jamaica was 0.679 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.703 in 2019.
- What is the lowest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.172 in 1911.
- How does Jamaica rank for key features of liberal democracy?
- Jamaica ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of liberal democracy rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.