Poverty and living standards in Manchester, Jamaica: official figures
An estimated 24.3% of people in Manchester lived below the poverty line in 2012, against 19.8% for Jamaica; 3rd highest of 13 (PIOJ/STATIN poverty mapping from the 2011 census and 2012 survey).
How many people in Manchester cannot afford enough food?
An estimated 9.7% of people in Manchester lived in food poverty (consumption below the food poverty line) in 2012, against 7.2% nationally; 3rd highest of 13.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyIs poverty in Manchester higher than the national average?
Manchester's 2012 poverty estimate was 4.5 percentage points above the national rate of 19.8%.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow many people in Manchester are poor?
Applying the estimated poverty rate to the 2011 census population gives roughly 46,100 people in poverty in Manchester in 2012, of whom roughly 18,400 were in food poverty.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyWhat does the living conditions survey say about poverty in Manchester?
Direct estimates from the 2012 Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions put poverty in Manchester at 22.4% and food poverty at 8.7%, compared with the model-based 24.3% and 9.7%.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow deep is poverty in Manchester?
Food poverty affected about 40% as many people as total poverty in Manchester in 2012 (Jamaica: 36%).
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow Manchester compares with other parishs
Population in poverty (estimate) (2012)
Manchester ranks 3 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Population in poverty (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Thomas | 32.5% |
| 2 | Saint Elizabeth | 24.4% |
| 3 | Manchester | 24.3% |
| 4 | Clarendon | 23.8% |
| 5 | Saint Catherine | 22.7% |
| 6 | Saint Andrew And Kingston | 19.8% |
| 7 | Trelawny | 17.9% |
Population in food poverty (estimate) (2012)
Manchester ranks 3 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Population in food poverty (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Thomas | 15.2% |
| 2 | Saint Elizabeth | 9.8% |
| 3 | Manchester | 9.7% |
| 4 | Saint Catherine | 8.9% |
| 5 | Clarendon | 8.7% |
| 6 | Saint Andrew And Kingston | 6.6% |
| 7 | Westmoreland | 6.4% |
More on Manchester: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · Jamaica
Sources
- Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica: Mapping Poverty Indicators: Consumption Based Poverty in Jamaica (2019), Table 2: predicted poverty and mean consumption by parish (pages 7-8 of the report, saved as a 2-page extract because the full file is 93 MB), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2aa1dcb644c0…)
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