Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has partnered with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) to improve the measurement of, understand the reasons for, and create action solutions to reduce poverty in Jamaica

On Friday, January 16, 2025, the CDB, PIOJ, and OPHI officially launched the country’s first-ever Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) at the AC Hotel Kingston.

The MPI provides a comprehensive picture of poverty by capturing not only what households earn and consume but also what they lack across dimensions, including health, education, housing, access to services, employment security, and overall well-being. It complements traditional monetary poverty assessments and strengthens Jamaica’s ability to implement targeted, evidence-based social and economic policies and interventions aligned with Vision 2030 Jamaica and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking at the launch of the new solution, Elbert Ellis, Portfolio Manager, Social Sector Division, CDB, stated,“Today’s launch is an important step forward in how Jamaica prepares interventions to address poverty. The Multidimensional Poverty Index offers a more holistic, inclusive framework for understanding interconnected deprivations, transforming poverty data into actionable intelligence.”

He added that the MPI will also enhance the country’s capacity to design gender-responsive policies, as the tool enables sex-disaggregated analysis and highlights the different ways women, men, girls, and boys experience poverty. 

Jamaica is benefitting from the MPI through grant financing from CDB’s Special Fund Resources (SFR) and technical support from the Bank’s Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment (eCPA) Programme. The process drew on extensive collaboration among national stakeholders, technical experts, and development partners. As a result of this initiative, Jamaica is positioned as a regional leader in adopting multidimensional approaches to poverty reduction. 

With this in mind, Ellis commended Jamaica for its strong leadership and stakeholder engagement throughout the process, adding that the MPI “stands as a strong example of how CDB’s eCPA translates into country-owned, policy-relevant outcomes.” 

The launch of the MPI coincides with Jamaica’s efforts to strengthen resilience in the wake of recent climate-related shocks, including the impacts of Hurricane Melissa. The MPI will play an important role in ensuring that recovery and reconstruction efforts effectively meet the needs of vulnerable populations. 

Dr Wayne Henry, director general, PIOJ, also underscored the importance of the MPI and the value it brings to Jamaica’s development planning.

“From inadequate housing and sanitation to being unemployed or excluded from school, the Multidimensional Poverty Index captures these challenges and helps us to make better policy and programme decisions to eradicate them. It enhances our toolkit for planning and sharpens our ability to track development progress,” he explained. 

The Caribbean Development Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Jamaica as it integrates the MPI into national policymaking and strengthens its social protection, human capital development, and climate resilience frameworks.