Finance Minister Tables Survey Living Conditions

The 2012 Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions, which measures the living standards of Jamaicans, was tabled in the House of Representatives on February 24 by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips.

Among the areas covered in the publication include demographic characteristics, household consumption, health, education, social protection, early childhood development and ageing.

In his comments, Dr. Phillips noted that the survey has shown an ageing population, with the decline in the number of children per household, as being the greatest influence on mean household size.

He also informed that a trend of declining household size was evident with single person households being the most prevalent household type, accounting for a quarter of all households types, and two member household types, and two member households accounting for a fifth.

In terms of the poverty rate, the survey showed that the poverty rate increased from 17.6 per cent in 2010 to 19.9 per cent in the current survey.

“The Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), Jamaica’s main social assistance programme, continues to provide social assistance to those most in need,” Dr. Phillips said.

He also informed that a Poverty Reduction Coordinating Unit is to be established at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), specifically to focus on overseeing projects which will reduce poverty.

The Minister said that an associated inter-sectoral committee is to be established to guide and monitor the process of developing a new national policy on poverty and a new poverty reduction programme by the end of the financial year 2015/16.

“The institutional framework envisages a partnership between Government, non- government organisations, civil society and academia,” Dr. Phillips said.

The survey has also shown that there has been long term increases in enrolment in educational institutions past age 16.

“An increase in the number of school spaces at the secondary level may have been a contributing factor in the increased enrolment at this level; however, the data reveals a larger rate of enrolment among the wealthy than among the poor,” he added.

The survey is a joint publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), and is based on a survey conducted by STATIN.

The report has been referred to the Human Resource Committee of the House to consider its findings and the implications for policy direction.