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2011 Census of Population & Housing - Jamaica
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The report from the 2001 Census (STATIN 2003) noted the overall decline among the
traditional Christian denominations and the rise of the evangelicals. The 2011 data show
that this trend has continued. The data presented in the table show in the first place
that, just about one fifth (20 per cent) of the population indicates ‘no
religion/denomination.’ The largest single group was the Seventh Day Adventists
accounting for 12 per cent of the total representing 322,228 persons. This was followed
by the Pentecostals with 295,195 persons representing 11 per cent of the total. The Other
Church of God (246,638 or 9 percent), the New Testament Church of God (192,086 or 7
per cent) and the Baptists (180,640 approximately 7 per cent) were the top five
denomination groups. The more than 160,000 persons reporting ‘other’ should be noted.
For the first time in a census it will be possible to view these responses which were
written on the questionnaires. This information is being extracted manually for
compilation. It is quite possible that some of these responses will be added to the stated
categories.
With respect to changes over the two censuses the declines are largest for Anglicans (20
per cent), Roman Catholics and United Church (14 per cent), Methodists and Moravians
(13 per cent). The Baptists which have remained the largest traditional denomination
with over 180,000 persons at census 2011 experienced a decline of 5 per cent.
Of note are the increases seen for the small non-Christian religious groups. The number
of responses for Islam was 1,513 in 2011 compared with 1,024 in 2001 while for
Hinduism and Judaism the increases in numbers between 2001 and 2011 were from
1,453 to 1,836 and 357 to 506 respectively.