Jamaica Records Lowest Murder Total for January

At the start of 2026, Jamaica recorded 33 murders for the month of January, the lowest figure logged since the country began keeping disaggregated monthly crime data in 2001. The number mirrors a notable shift in the island’s crime pattern at the opening of the year.

Compared with January 2025, when 74 murders were recorded, the latest total represents a 55 per cent reduction. In numerical terms, this means 41 fewer people lost their lives year-on-year during the same period.

The January figure follows a broader decline seen last year, as official data showed that the overall murder count for 2025 was lower than that recorded in 2024. That downward movement has continued into the new year, placing early 2026 among the least violent starts in recent history based on monthly records.

However, while the overall murder tally has fallen, the period has also been marked by an increase in fatal encounters involving members of the security forces across several parts of the island. Those incidents have raised fresh questions about policing tactics and accountability, even as national murder totals move in the opposite direction.

Government officials and crime observers have pointed to a mix of factors behind the January numbers, including targeted operations, changes in criminal activity, and community-level interventions.