JSLC Remains Cornerstone of Evidence-Based Policy for Vulnerable Jamaicans

The annual Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC) continues to play a pivotal role in guiding national policy and improving the lives of citizens, particularly the most vulnerable.

The survey, conducted since 1988 by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in collaboration with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), remains the country’s most comprehensive source of social data.

It informs the development and monitoring of policies and programmes across key sectors such as health, education, housing, and social protection. Data collection for the 2025 cycle began on August 4.

Speaking during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS ) ‘Think Tank’, Director of Policy Research in the PIOJ’s Social Policy Planning and Research Division, Suzette Johnson, emphasised the critical role of the JSLC in tracking and evaluating the impact of key social protection initiatives.

These include the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), the National Health Fund (NHF), and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), among others.

She further noted that findings from the JSLC were instrumental in the development of PATH, which was launched in 2002.

“The data is used to inform the design of many of our programmes. Jamaica has, over the years, established a lot of poverty reduction initiatives, policies and programmes. Over time, after evaluating how the change has been realised in the population, we had the establishment of the PATH. The JSLC was an important tool in tracking and monitoring the experience of persons in the population on PATH,” the Director added.

She emphasised that the JSLC not only measures programme coverage but also uncovers reasons why some individuals do not participate in key social protection initiatives, such as the NIS.

Mrs. Johnson indicated that insights from the JSLC are shared directly with policymakers and programme implementers, enabling more targeted outreach.

“We’re trying to improve coverage and information and the knowledge base at all levels to improve the benefits that we experience from day to day,” she added.