parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Head of State:
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)
Judiciary:
Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)
Administrative Divisions:
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Major Political Parties
Not specified
International Relations
Global position and alliances
UN Member:
Yes
EU Member:
No
Diplomatic Presence:
1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Major Alliances and Organizations
OAS
Economic Sectors & Trade
Detailed economic breakdown
Major Economic Sectors
Agriculture
9% (2023 est.)
Industry
18.6% (2023 est.)
Services
60.1% (2023 est.)note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Trade Volume
Exports:
$7.275 billion
Imports:
$9.866 billion
Major Trading Partners
USA 37
Russia 7
Latvia 7
Iceland 7
UK 5
Economic Outlook
Jamaica has a 2.2% GDP growth rate with 6.47% inflation. The economy is characterized by a strong agriculture sector.