Jamaica and Canada: Connected by people, travel and trade

Jamaican Usain Bolt is renowned as the fastest man in the world today. Not so long ago, a Jamaican-born Canadian laid claim to that title. Olympic gold medal winning Donavon Bailey is among the tens of thousands of Jamaicans who have immigrated to Canada from Jamaica over the past six decades, with most calling the Greater Toronto Area home.

Of the 249,070 Canadians who reported Jamaican ancestry during the 2021 Census, over half were second (104,730) or third (42,380) generation, while 101,965 were first generation. Just over 15,000 Jamaicans immigrated to Canada from 2016 to 2021.

Jamaica is by far the largest source country for immigrants from the Caribbean, followed by Haiti (99,940), Trinidad and Tobago (65,040) and Cuba (19,545).

Over one in eight Black people living in Canada today have Jamaican roots.

Although the overwhelming majority of Jamaicans who immigrate to Canada are Black, Jamaica prides itself on its multiracial heritage, which is reflected in the national motto "Out of Many, One People."

Canadians reporting Jamaican ancestry live in every province and territory

Over four in five Canadians who reported Jamaican ancestry in the spring of 2021 were living in Ontario (201,945).  Most called Toronto home (140,870), with Oshawa (12,150) and Hamilton (9,530) also having large Jamaican communities.

Alberta had the second largest Jamaican community among the provinces at 15,620, with most living in Calgary (6,710) and Edmonton (6,495).  

Quebec ranked third with 11,395 reporting Jamaican roots. Most lived in Montréal (10,095).

Prince Edward Island (300) and Newfoundland and Labrador (320) had the smallest Jamaican communities among the provinces in 2021.

In the territories, 230 Canadians reported Jamaican ancestry in 2021, with Canada’s most northerly territory of Nunavut (80) having the largest community.

Jamaican temporary foreign workers help put food on Canadian tables

While many Jamaicans come to Canada to put down roots, thousands arrive here every spring to work at farms or in fields, greenhouses and food manufacturing plants as part of the temporary foreign workers program.

Over one in eight of the 61,735 temporary foreign workers who came to Canada in 2021 to work in the agriculture and agri-food sector hailed from Jamaica (8,685), making it the third largest source of this vital labour pool following Mexico (27,065) and Guatemala (14,377).

Ontario (6,521) accounted for the largest share of these Jamaican temporary foreign workers, followed by British Columbia (932) and Nova Scotia (899).

Jamaica’s connection to Canada goes beyond the 249,070 Canadians who reported Jamaican roots in the 2021 Census. Jamaica is a popular travel destination for Canadians, particularly during the coldest winter months. Jamaica’s world-famous food and drink account for over half of the country’s exports into Canada.

Canadian visits to Jamaica have fallen by two-thirds compared with prior to the pandemic

Canadian winters can be long and brutal, and some folks head south to embrace the warmth and sun of a Caribbean Island.

Like every other activity requiring physical proximity, non-essential air travel was subject to various health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. This led to a sharp drop in holiday travel that has yet to recover.

Canadians paid 291,000 visits to Jamaica in 2019, making it Canada’s 12th most popular travel destination abroad overall and third most popular Caribbean Island destination following Cuba (964,000) and Dominican Republic (618,000).

In the first quarter of 2019 alone, Jamaica received 88,000 visits from Canadians, ranking as Canada’s eighth most popular travel destination overall and third most popular among the Caribbean Islands that quarter.

However, by the first quarter of 2022, the number of Canadian visits to Jamaica had fallen by two-thirds to 29,000, with Jamaica ranking 11th overall among Canada’s top travel destinations and fourth among the Caribbean Islands behind Dominican Republic, Cuba and Barbados.

Exports from Canada to Jamaica reach highest level since 2008

Following a decline in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic, Canada’s merchandise exports to Jamaica rose by $15 million to $137.6 million in 2021, the highest level of exports to Jamaica since 2008.

Consumer goods ($65.2 million) accounted for nearly half of all the goods exported from Canada to Jamaica in 2021, followed by farm, fishing and intermediate food products ($12.1 million) and electronic and electrical equipment and parts ($8.6 million).

Imports from Jamaica to Canada fall to their lowest level on record

Merchandise imports from Jamaica are at their lowest ebb on record. In 2021, Canada imported $70 million of goods from Jamaica, down $15 million from a year earlier, and the lowest level of imports from Jamaica into Canada since the current data series began in 1988. By way of comparison, Jamaica exported (correction) a record high $413.8 million worth of goods into Canada in 2006.

The drop in imports from Jamaica to Canada was mainly due to sharply lower shipments of bauxite and aluminum oxide, which have fallen from a record high $384.2 million in 2006 to $11.6 million in 2021. Jamaica ranks among the leading bauxite exporters in the world, which is mainly used in the production of aluminium.

Jamaican food and drink drive imports today

Given that Jamaica is renowned for its rum, unique cuisine and condiments such as jerk seasoning or marinade, it is not surprising that food and drink figure prominently in imports to Canada.

Consumer goods ($42 million) were the largest imports to Canada from Jamaica in 2021, led by alcoholic beverages (distilled liquor—rum presumably, and also some beer) and other food products (mainly condiments).

Imports of farm, fishing and intermediate food products followed at $12.1 million, mainly fresh vegetables.