Durrant Pate/ Contributor 

Latest population data is showing Jamaica’s working age population remaining relatively large at 68.4%, while the size of the child population is 22.1% per cent of the total inhabitants.

The proportion of persons in the 65+ age group represented 9.5% of the total population, resulting in Jamaica’s population being considered to be “ageing” as the proportions of the working age and elderly are increasing, while the proportion of children is decreasing.

Population ageing results in an increase in the median age of the population and is marked by declining fertility rates and improved life expectancy. The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions, which was tabled in parliament a month ago, shows a distribution of the total national population by age group and sex.

The data revealed that male children accounted for 11.4% compared with 10.7% for female children. Working-age males accounted for 33.6% relative to working-age females at 34.8%. 

The representation of dependent-elderly males in the national population was 4.5% and 5.0% for dependent-elderly females.

Disaggregating by regions

An examination of the data by region revealed that children accounted for 23.0% of the total population in Rural Areas, 22.4% in Other Urban Centres (OUC) and 20.7% in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area (GKMA). 

Working age persons accounted for 71.0% of the population in the GKMA, 69.1% in OUC and was lowest in Rural Areas at 66.1%. The dependent elderly accounted for 10.9% of the Rural Areas population, followed by OUC with 8.6% and the GKMA with 8.2%.

Overall, the proportion of females in the population (50.5%) was relatively similar to that of males (49.5%). The percentage distribution of males and females by age group and region was similar. 

The proportions of children, working-age persons and dependent elderly persons were also relatively similar among males and females. This was also true by region, except for the GKMA, where, among males, children accounted for 22.6% and the dependent elderly 7.6% of the population. 

Among females in the GKMA, children represented 19.2%, and the dependent elderly 8.7%.