Jamaican Economy

     Jamaican’s economic freedom is the 52nd in the world rank of Index (2013) and the 9th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/ Caribbean region. Bellow, you can see some facts about Jamaican economy:

Currency	Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Economic freedom score	66.8
GDP (Gross Domestic Product)	$24.8 billion
GDP growth	0.9% (2012)
GDP per capita	$9,100 (2012)
Unemployment	12.6%
Inflation	7.5%
Population bellow poverty line	16.5% (2009)

      Jamaica has natural resources and an ideal climate conducive for agriculture and also tourism. First, the agriculture, especially of sugar and bananas, was the main economic activity in Jamaica but, in the 1940s, the bauxite-alumina industry was established and shifted the Jamaican’s economy from agriculture. Nowadays, Jamaica is one of the world leaders of these minerals.

      

   In the secondary industries, the manufacturing sector is an important contributor. Food processing, oil refining; chemicals products, assembled electronics, textiles, apparel and etc are the main manufactures.

        

    But it is the tourism that moves Jamaican economy. The beautiful beaches and the cultural diversity are great attractions for foreigners. From January to August 2013, Jamaica received 2.09 million visitors. The most visited places are: Montego Bay, Negril Beach, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio.

     The country faces some serious problems, like corruption and poverty, but has the potential for growth and modernization.