Summary.The Jamaican Perinatal Mortality Survey was designed to identify the true perinatal mortality rate, and assess the factors which could contribute towards a reduction in perinatal mortality on the island.All births in a 2‐month period (n= 10527) were compared with all perinatal deaths occurring over a 12‐month period (n= 2069). Over half the deaths (n= 1058) received a detailed post‐mortem examination.Use of the Wigglesworth classification identifies the major component of perinatal death in this country to be associated with intrapartum asphyxia (44% of deaths). Deaths due to congenital malformations and miscellaneous causes contribute relatively little (<10%) to the overall mortality rate. Over a quarter of deaths apparently occur before the onset of labour, and a fifth are prematurely liveborn but die of causes related to immat