How Jamaica Bucked a Regional Trend to Reduce Gang Violence

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, homicide rates are going up—and U.S. intervention isn’t helping.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness hold a joint press conference in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 26. September 2, 2025, 10:26 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

For almost four decades, Jamaica has ranked among the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world. But since 2022, thanks to concerted government efforts, its murder rate has been falling: first by nearly 8 percent from 2022 to 2023, followed by an 18.7 percent decline from 2023 to 2024. In the first seven months of this year, the island has registered an unprecedented 43 percent drop in homicides compared to 2

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