World Bank2025-10-172025-10-172025-10-17https://hdl.handle.net/10986/43860This brief focuses on the Caribbean countries of Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Suriname, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia. Other than Jamaica, which has a population of approximately 2.8 million, these countries are small in both population (ranging from 117,000 in Grenada to 634,000 in Suriname) and geographic size (ranging from 344 square kilometers in Grenada to 163,820 square kilometers in Suriname). Despite relatively high per capita incomes, above the average for Latin America and the Caribbean, and steady economic growth in recent years, they face shared development challenges. All are highly vulnerable to external economic shocks and natural hazards, which frequently undermine development gains and fiscal stability. Limited economic diversification remains a significant constraint, with most of these countries heavily relying on tourism or commodity exports. While access to basic education has improved, high youth unemployment persists. This brief draws on newly harmonized household survey data for these six Caribbean countries to present core poverty and inequality statistics. Box 1 provides details on the data and harmonization process. Section 2 presents an overview of poverty, vulnerability, and inequality across these Caribbean countries, comparing them with relevant regional and global benchmarks. Section 3 examines the characteristics of poor households, focusing on individual and household demographics, the attributes of the household head, dwelling conditions, and digital connectivity. Section 4 concludes and discusses implications for policy.en-USCC BY-NC 3.0 IGONO POVERTYDECENT WORKECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTINEQUALITYBriefWorld Bank