Poverty in the Caribbean looks very different from country to country. It is widespread in fragile and conflict-affected contexts such as Haiti, but even in higher-income countries like Barbados, pockets of poverty persist and many people are vulnerable to falling into poverty when shocks strike. These contrasts are compounded by differences in how and how often poverty is measured, with many countries relying on outdated estimates that no longer reflect current economic, social, or climate realities. This webpage brings together the latest regional and country-level poverty data, analytical insights, and project results that are helping close data gaps and inform more effective policy responses across the Caribbean—ensuring poverty reduction efforts reach those most at risk.
We cannot solve what we cannot see. For years, the Caribbean's development challenges have been obscured by incomplete data, limiting how well policies can respond to real needs to lift people out of poverty sustainably
A 2025 World Bank report entitiled Shared Metrics, Shared Progress, which draws on efforts to harmozine household survey data used to measure poverty, brings clearer, comparable insights from six Caribbean countries (Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname. It shows that up to one in four people live in poverty, with 10-25 percent living below the US$8.30-a-day poverty line in these countries.
Poverty is only part of the challenge. In all countries except Saint Lucia, more than one-third of the population is vulnerable to falling into poverty due to economic or climate shocks. Six main poverty profiles highlight who is most affected and help guide targeted policies:
Poverty is strongly associated with low levels of education and unemployment.
Households headed by employed individuals tend to experience lower poverty rates.
Children aged 0–14 face higher poverty rates than any other age group and make up a disproportionate share of the poor.
Female-headed households with children face particularly high poverty rates in most countries.
High inequality persists in all six countries except Barbados.
Access to basic services such as sanitation, electricity, and adequate housing—remains insufficient, especially for poor households in Belize and Saint Lucia, according to survey data.
These insights offer opportunities to support regionwide poverty-reducing policies to boost productive jobs, develop adaptive social protection measures, strengthen redistribution, and improve access to basic services.
The OECS Data for Decision Making (DDM) Project (P174986) is a regional project, supporting Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the OECS Commission in strengthening national and regional statistical systems for evidence-based policymaking. It aims to improve country capacity to produce and publicly disseminate statistical data for country and regional-level analytics. Core activities include statistical modernization (e.g., development and implementation of National Strategies for the Development of Statistics, legal and technological upgrades), production and dissemination of core datasets (Population and Housing Census, Agricultural Census, household welfare surveys, Labor Force Surveys), capacity building,establishment of the OECS Regional Data Governance Council (RDGC), and creation of an OECS Regional Microdata Catalog to document and disseminate microdata. The project totals US$27 million in credits and grants from the World Bank’s International Development Association. The World Bank Board of Directors approved the Project on May 17, 2022. It closes on June 30, 2027.
Key achievements so far include:
Population and Housing Census conducted in all 3 participating countries
Agricultural Census and 12 months of harmonized OECS Labor Force Survey conducted in Grenada
Enterprise Census conducted in Saint Lucia
The Survey of Living Conditions and Household Budgets (SLCHBS) is in the field in Saint Lucia and Grenada
Establishment of the OECS Regional Data Governance Council in October 2023; adoption of harmonized questionnaires for the OECS Harmonized Labor Force Survey and the SLCHBS;
OECS Regional Microdata Catalogue developed and online, with initial survey documentation and ready for future microdata incorporation
With funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, the World Bank team has been providing technical assistance for the preparation of SLCHBS in the three participating countries. This includes support in the sample design and selection, questionnaire development, training of trainers for interviewer training, and fieldwork monitoring.
The Suriname Poverty and Equity Assessment, which was produced in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, presents an updated picture of living conditions following the economic crisis that began in 2020. Using 2022 household survey data, the study found that 17.6 percent of Suriname’s population lives below the national poverty line. When broader aspects of well-being are considered—such as access to education, health care, and basic services—nearly 46 percent of the population experiences multidimensional poverty according to Suriname’s national definition. Poverty is especially concentrated in the interior regions and among households with lower levels of education, pointing to persistent geographic and social disparities.
The report highlights human capital and jobs as central to reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Key policy priorities include the following:
Strengthen human capital by improving education quality and expanding skills development to better match labor market needs.
Promote better jobs and inclusion, with a focus on increasing women’s labor force participation through childcare provision and family-friendly work policies.
Expand and better target social assistance, particularly for poor households with children, to close coverage gaps, enhance efficiency, and strengthen protection against economic shocks.
The 2024 Jamaica Poverty Assessment uses detailed microdata collected over three decades to examine the country’s turbulent poverty journey – a rollercoaster ride that echoes Jamaica’s vulnerability to economic shocks. After reaching a historic low of 9.9 percent in 2007, the national poverty rate more than doubled to 24.6 percent in 2013 following the Global Financial Crisis. The poverty rate fell again to 11.0 percent in 2019, but ticked up to 16.7 percent in 2021 as COVID-19 struck.While Jamaica has made progress since the pandemic, it remains an open question whether poverty reduction can be sustained, especially given the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa.
This story of persistent vulnerability reflects Jamaica’s dependence on low-productivity sectors such as tourism and agriculture as well as a labor market dominated by low-quality jobs which are susceptible to economic downturns: in 2021, some 47.5 percent of non-agricultural jobs were informal. Human capital development also remains a challenge in Jamaica. Despite Jamaica’s progress on maternal health and childhood vaccination, COVID-19 disrupted services, accentuating inequality in health outcomes: malnutrition is three times higher in the poorest 20 percent of households compared to the richest 20 percent. Similar gaps between poor and rich households and between rural and urban areas also affect education: children are staying longer in school but not necessarily having the learning outcomes to show for it.
The report highlights four key areas for breaking the cycle and sustaining poverty reduction in Jamaica:
1. Boosting economic transformation to create productive jobs – this relies on providing the private sector with the regulatory support and infrastructure it needs as well as promoting the use of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
2. Strengthening social safety nets to protect vulnerable people when shocks hit – this relies on fiscal reforms to target cash transfers and income protection systems better.
3. Investing in climate resilience – this includes bolstering climate-smart practices and infrastructure investments to protect rural livelihoods, even as weather patterns become less predictable.
4. Unlocking the potential of Jamaica’s young people – this means improving education, integrating digital skills into the curriculum, and supporting young entrepreneurs.
