Dec 2, 2008

Poverty levels decreased in Jamaica last year, but could increase in the future.

“Launched Wednesday, the 2007 Survey of Living Conditions (SLC), conducted by the PIOJ and Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), reported overall improvements in consumption and housing conditions and a decline in consumption inequality and gender-based consumption inequality. Poverty has now fallen almost 10 per cent in the past ten years….

“Presenting his findings at the survey launch, Dr Sudhanshu Handa of the University of North Carolina in the United States said that based on SLC data between 1995 and 2005 he found that up to 20 per cent of households change position in relation to the poverty line annually, with approximately 10 per cent moving in and 10 per cent moving out.

‘”Given what we know about Jamaica, we shouldn’t be surprised. In other countries, like if you were in Brazil, the deep rural areas and the indigenous populations there is no movement. In Jamaica, we don’t have that same kind of society so we’d expect a lot of movement,” said Handa.’ (Sheil, R. (2008). Poverty falls. But PIOJ says economic conditions threaten gains, Jamaica Observer, November 28, 2008 ed.)

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