New York City’s reputation as a major Caribbean capital is being reinforced by new demographic data showing that immigrants from Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago continue to rank among the city’s 10 largest foreign-born populations.
The finding comes from the 2026 edition of The Newest New Yorkers, the city’s first comprehensive update on its immigrant population in more than a decade. The report estimates that approximately 3.1 million immigrants live in New York City, accounting for more than one-third of the population and about 43 percent of its workforce.
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The continued presence of four Caribbean countries in the top 10 is particularly significant because it has remained remarkably consistent for decades. The data shows that Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago have maintained their positions among the city’s leading immigrant groups for more than 30 years, highlighting the enduring influence of the Caribbean diaspora on New York’s social, cultural and economic life.
Jamaica Remains a Major Force
Jamaicans represent the third-largest foreign-born group in New York City, with approximately 162,490 Jamaica-born residents recorded in 2023. Jamaica has held the third position since 1990, even though its immigrant population has declined by nearly six percent over the past decade.
The Jamaican community is also becoming more geographically dispersed. While Brooklyn remains an important center of Jamaican life, significant populations are now found throughout Queens and the Bronx. East Flatbush remains the city’s largest Jamaican enclave, while communities in Springfield Gardens and St. Albans have also grown into major centers of Jamaican settlement.
The report suggests that Queens could eventually overtake Brooklyn as the borough with the largest Jamaican-born population, reflecting the changing geography of the city’s Caribbean population.
Guyanese Community Has Extraordinary Concentration
Guyanese immigrants constitute New York City’s fifth-largest foreign-born group, with approximately 129,004 residents recorded in 2023.
Perhaps even more striking is the concentration of Guyanese immigrants in New York. Nearly half of all Guyanese immigrants living in the United States reside in New York City, according to the report. Queens is overwhelmingly the center of that population, accounting for approximately 59 percent of the city’s Guyanese-born residents.
South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Baisley Park, Queens Village and St. Albans form a broad corridor of Guyanese settlement. South Ozone Park alone has more than 22,000 Guyanese-born residents and remains closely associated with the cultural and commercial identity of “Little Guyana.”
Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago Maintain Their Place
Haitian immigrants ranked eighth among New York City’s foreign-born populations, with approximately 84,120 Haiti-born residents in 2023. Trinidad and Tobago followed at 10th, with about 69,332 immigrants.
Both communities have experienced population declines over the past decade, with the Haitian-born population decreasing by roughly three percent and the Trinidadian and Tobagonian population by nearly 14 percent. Nevertheless, both countries have retained a place among the city’s top 10 immigrant groups for more than three decades.
The Haitian experience also reflects a broader national migration trend. In 1970, New York was home to approximately 72 percent of Haitian immigrants in the United States. By 2023, that share had fallen below 11 percent as Haitian communities expanded significantly in Florida and other parts of the country. New York, however, continues to maintain one of the country’s most established Haitian communities.
Caribbean Influence Extends Beyond Population Numbers
The figures offer more than a snapshot of immigration. They demonstrate the extent to which Caribbean communities have become woven into the fabric of New York City.
From Brooklyn’s West Indian cultural institutions and Labor Day Carnival to the commercial corridors of Queens, Caribbean immigrants have helped shape the city’s neighborhoods, businesses, political landscape, music, food and cultural traditions.
Their influence is also reflected in the city’s workforce. Immigrants overall make up approximately 43 percent of New York City’s workforce, illustrating the important economic contribution of foreign-born New Yorkers.
The data also places the Caribbean presence in a wider context. The Dominican Republic and China now rank among New York’s largest immigrant populations, with Jamaica remaining the leading non-Hispanic Caribbean country in the city’s foreign-born rankings.
For the Caribbean diaspora, the findings reinforce New York City’s historic role as a major center of Caribbean life outside the region itself. While changing migration patterns and the rising cost of living have prompted some Caribbean immigrants to relocate to other U.S. states, the longstanding communities established in New York remain deeply rooted.
The latest figures therefore tell a story not only of immigration, but of endurance. More than three decades after first establishing themselves among New York’s largest immigrant populations, Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago continue to occupy a prominent place in the city’s demographic landscape, underscoring the Caribbean’s lasting imprint on one of the world’s most diverse cities.
