Poverty and living standards in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica: official figures
An estimated 24.4% of people in Saint Elizabeth lived below the poverty line in 2012, against 19.8% for Jamaica; 2nd highest of 13 (PIOJ/STATIN poverty mapping from the 2011 census and 2012 survey).
How many people in Saint Elizabeth cannot afford enough food?
An estimated 9.8% of people in Saint Elizabeth lived in food poverty (consumption below the food poverty line) in 2012, against 7.2% nationally; 2nd highest of 13.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyIs poverty in Saint Elizabeth higher than the national average?
Saint elizabeth's 2012 poverty estimate was 4.6 percentage points above the national rate of 19.8%.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow many people in Saint Elizabeth are poor?
Applying the estimated poverty rate to the 2011 census population gives roughly 36,700 people in poverty in Saint Elizabeth in 2012, of whom roughly 14,700 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 Saint Elizabeth?
Direct estimates from the 2012 Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions put poverty in Saint Elizabeth at 23.8% and food poverty at 10.4%, compared with the model-based 24.4% and 9.8%.
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow deep is poverty in Saint Elizabeth?
Food poverty affected about 40% as many people as total poverty in Saint Elizabeth in 2012 (Jamaica: 36%).
Source: Planning Institute of Jamaica and Statistical Institute of Jamaica · saved copyHow Saint Elizabeth compares with other parishs
Population in poverty (estimate) (2012)
Saint Elizabeth ranks 2 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)
Saint Elizabeth ranks 2 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 Saint Elizabeth: 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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