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Things have gotten better for residents of the Colonarie Census Division, which is part of the constituency represented by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, seen her, on Tuesday, reading his party’s youth manifesto. (Photo: Lance Neverson/Facebook)
Things have gotten better for residents of the Colonarie Census Division, which is part of the constituency represented by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, seen her, on Tuesday, reading his party’s youth manifesto. (Photo: Lance Neverson/Facebook)

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The Colonarie census division — the birth home of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, in 2018 — the most recent year for which data is available — had the fewest people living in poverty in St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 15.4%.

This was a dramatic 24.8-percentage-point fall from a decade earlier, when the poverty headcount — the percentage of the entire population who falls below the poverty line — in that community was 40.2%.

“And we need to understand the need to ask the question why only Colonarie, why not the rest of the country,” opposition spokesperson on health matters, Daniel Cummings told a press conference on Wednesday, where the leaked data was given to the media.

The government collected the data in 2018, and has failed to release it amidst repeated calls during the life of the last Parliament, by Cummings who is seeking a third term as MP for West Kingstown.

Opposition Leader and President of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), Godwin Friday also spoke at the press conference.

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Colonarie was not the only census division in the country to see a fall in poverty, however, though the figure in other area was small, to the point of negligible.

In Layou, the only other area that saw a fall in its poverty data, in 2018, 31.9% of the population was living in poverty, a mere 0.5 of a percentage point lower than it was in 2008.

But in the neighbouring central leeward census district of Barrouallie, things went very much far south, with poverty more than doubling over the 10-year period.

In 2008, poverty in Barrouallie stood at 28.5%, but the figure had skyrocketed to 60.2% in 2018.

There was an increase in poverty in the Chateaubelair census division, though not as dramatic as in Barrouallie

In 2018, poverty in the Chateaubelair stood at 60.3% — 17.2% higher than a decade earlier.

And, on the eastern side of the country, the situation was not much different, with poverty in the Georgetown division rising 9.4 percentage points to 65%.

In Marriaqua, traditionally the breadbasket of the country, poverty had moved from 29.6% in 2008 to reach 44.6% in 2018, an increase of 15 percentage points.

The Bridgetown census division saw an even larger increase in poverty – 21.9 percentage points – having moved from 24% in 2008 to 45.9 in 2018.

And, even in Kingstown, the nation’s economic heartland and where the lowest levels of poverty exist, poverty had increased by 4 percentage points in the previous decade to reach 19.2% in 2018. 

A similar situation existed in the suburbs of Kingstown, where the increase was 5.3 percentage points, standing at 36.6% in 2018.

And, in the Calliaqua census division, the situation was more dismal, moving from 29.6% in 2008 to 44.6% in 2018, an increase of 15 percentage points.

And, the Southern Grenadines had the smallest percentage of poverty-stricken people, outside of Kingstown – 22.6% in 2018, having increased from 15.6% in 2008, a change of 7 percentage points.

And, in the Northern Grenadines, which had the second lowest percentage of poverty in 2008 — 12%, the figure had more than doubled, rising 13.8 percentage points to 25.8%.

Cummings said that the government halted work on the report in early 2019 because of the unfavourable findings.

The Unity Labour Party government has published the report on and has often boasted about the reduction of poverty between 1998 and 2008, but has remained largely silent on the latest data quoted by the opposition, saying only that poverty fell during its tenure in office, which began in March 2001.

4 replies on “Poverty rises across SVG, but slashed in PM’s home community — report”

  1. wilmoth aberdeen says:

    Jimmy Prince, as the Parliamentary lapdog for Ralph & Jamaican Coldmilo Gonsalves and […] never elected Julian Francis… why did you enable those [people] to raise the poverty levels in my beloved Marriaqua 20% in 2018 ?

  2. Percival Thomas says:

    SVG has become a poverty stricken country under the ULP. Most people are getting poorer and the ULP try to fool us that they have reduced poverty in the country.
    It is not just the poverty but the consequences of poverty. The people who go hungry because they have no money to spend. The unsafe neighbour hood. The levels of crime in some poor areas.. The poor health care. The impact of poverty on parents and especially children. These are some of the consequences of poverty.
    Poverty does not have to be so high in SVG. The high level of poverty is a direct result of government policies. All the wasted money spent and failed projects, the Geothermal project and others. The high level of VAT and its impact and the poor. Distributing incomes in favour of the rich and neglecting the poor.
    I am sure VOTERS will have their say on 5 November. Ralph and the ULP is certain to pay a heavy price. Voters will make sure the ULP is not around to create more poverty.

    1. It is undeniable, Percival, that the Economics of the ULP have not achieved prosperity for the country or the majority of it’s people. I grew up in an area that has “created” some of the greatest prosperity of this generation, in the Western Hemisphere. We did things MUCH DIFFERENTLY! Here in SVG we seem to do things that GUARANTEE POVERTY, It is no wonder SVG has become poorer.
      Virtually all wealth created since I have come to SVG has been sucked-away by the government. Who has constructed the wealthiest structures and buildings in Kingstown for the past 20 years? The Private Sector?…NO!!! The Customs Building, The BOSVG Building, The NIS Building, maybe more. In fact, I hear these and other projects such as the Cruise ship terminal, airport. Future projects, (Courthouse and such) etc,,, were all built with borrowed money that will not be paid until after your grandchildren are ready to retire. Now they want to borrow and spend more on projects we cannot afford, instead of maintaining roads and schools that assist the Private Sector to become strong healthy and prosperous, thereby increasing revenue. By undermining the Private Sector the government harms itself by hindering the future ability to gather revenue. The trend shows that that is the plan.
      I see so many youth that have dropped out of school. They see their other fellow youth with Secondary Degrees cannot get work so they drop out because they see no reason to continue. After government has created conditions it should be their responsibility to rescue the situation…Don’t hold your breath! Maybe it is time for the government to start listening to the people that have witnessed how prosperity can be created rather than continuing with their own arrogant failed policy that does not work and never will work.

      I can go on and on with suggestions that MAY be helpful but obviously what the ULP has been doing all these years is certainly NOT WORKING!

  3. Can’t wait to see the back of ulp, the hurtful thing is if the Labour Party did not allow him the then nmu to join their party on their second attempt, the giant toddler. would have never never, NEVER been in that office. We need a leader not a ruler and dictator.

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