Barbados calc volume 3 survey of living conditions by Barbados Labour Party

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions 2010: Volume 3: Survey of Living Conditions (SLC)

Submitted to the Government of Barbados, National Assessment Team (NAT) and The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on behalf of the Team of Consultants (TOC)

Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados July 2012

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions 2010 Survey of Living Conditions TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................... x Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of Research Methodology .............................................................................................. 2 Response rates and Geographical Coverage ................................................................................... 3 Poverty Indicators and Estimates ................................................................................................... 4 Research Results............................................................................................................................ 5 Main Research Results: Addressing the Terms of Reference (TOR) ............................................. 20 Summation: Addressing the Causes and Correlates of Poverty ..................................................... 22 Main Causes Identified and Related Issues ................................................................................... 24 Potential Policy Measures to Address Main Issues Identified ....................................................... 26 Next Steps ................................................................................................................................... 27 1.

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 29 1.1.

Background...................................................................................................................... 29

Sampling Methodology, Survey Instrument Construction and Response Rates ......................... 31 2.1.

Strata Determination ........................................................................................................ 31

2.2.

Sampling Size Selection and Design ................................................................................. 32

2.3.

Survey Instruments Construction ...................................................................................... 32

2.4.

Response Rates ................................................................................................................ 33

Construction of Poverty Indicators and Poverty Estimates ........................................................ 34 3.1.

Construction of Poverty Thresholds .................................................................................. 34

3.2.

Poverty Estimates and Indicators ...................................................................................... 37

3.3.

Summation ....................................................................................................................... 41

Main Survey Results ................................................................................................................ 43 4.1.

Response Rates and Geographical Coverage ..................................................................... 43

4.2.

Household Size, Demographics and Housing .................................................................... 43

4.3.

Children ........................................................................................................................... 54

4.4.

Individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Health ........................................................................................................... 58

4.5.

Individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Education ..................................................................................................... 62

4.6.

Economic Activity ........................................................................................................... 70

4.7.

Income and Expenditure ................................................................................................... 83 ii

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

4.8.

Crime and Security........................................................................................................... 86

4.9.

Migration ......................................................................................................................... 88

An Overview of Poverty and Living Conditions in Barbados .................................................... 92

Summary: Addressing the Causes and Correlates of Poverty .................................................... 95

6.1.

Poverty, the Labour Market and Household Dependency .................................................. 95

6.2.

Main Causes Identified and Related Issues ....................................................................... 96

6.3.

Potential Policy Measures to Address Main Issues Identified .......................................... 100

6.4.

Next Steps ...................................................................................................................... 104

Appendix 1: Sampling Methodology: The Spatial Dimension of Poverty in Barbados ............ 106 Survey Instrument Construction ................................................................................................. 112 Execution of the Survey of Living Conditions: Training and Timeline ....................................... 114

Appendix 2: Minimum Cost Food Basket............................................................................... 117

Appendix 3: Supplementary Tabular Results .......................................................................... 120

TABLES Table A.1: Response Rates by Strata.................................................................................................. 3 Table A.2: Regional Poverty Indicators ............................................................................................. 5 Table A.3: Sex/Age Categories by Poverty Status (%) ....................................................................... 6 Table A.4: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Poverty Status ......................................... 6 Table A.5: Rating of Living Standard versus Childhood Household of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................................................................................................... 7 Table A.6: Material of Outer Walls- 1997 to 2010 (%)....................................................................... 7 Table A.7: Material of Outer Walls by Expenditure Quintile (%) ....................................................... 7 Table A.8: Rating of adequacy of Water Supply by Strata (%) ........................................................... 8 Table A.9: Households Owning Assets by Poverty Status (%) ........................................................... 8 Table A.10: Crosstabulation of Presence of Mother and Father in the Household (%) ........................ 9 Table A.11: Medical Conditions Suffered (% of Cases) (multiple response) ..................................... 10 Table A.12: Average Waiting Time by Last Medical Facility Visited (minutes) ............................... 10 Table A.13: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) ...... 12 Table A.14: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Sex (%) .................................................. 12 Table A.15: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Age Group (%) ....................................... 12 Table A.16: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Expenditure Quintile (%) ........................ 13 Table A.17: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%) .............................................. 13 Table A.18: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) .................................. 14 Table A.19: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................... 14 Table A.20: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Poverty Status (%) ............................. 14 Table A.21: Employment Status of those Employed by Sex (%) ...................................................... 15 Table A.22: Employment Status of those Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................ 15 iii

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table A.23: Employed Occupations by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................... 16 Table A.24: Sex of Self-Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) ...................................................... 16 Table A.25: Approximate Business Income in the Last Month (%) .................................................. 17 Table A.26: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Sex (%) ................................................ 17 Table A.27: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Sex (%) ................ 17 Table A.28: Individuals Change in Key Economic Variables since mid-2007 (%) ............................ 18 Table A.29: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Sex (%) .................................................. 18 Table A.30: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Strata (%) ......................................... 19 Table A.31: Main Sources of Income by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................. 19 Table A.32: Level of Education Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) .............................. 20 Table A.33: Comparison of Main Results of Poverty Surveys in Barbados: 1997 and 2010 .............. 22 Table A.34: Dependency Ratios and Household Size by Sex of Head of Household ......................... 23 Table A.35: Policy Effects and Goals .............................................................................................. 27 Table 1.1: Elements of the TOR addressed by the Survey of Living Conditions/Household Budget Survey ............................................................................................................................................. 29 Table 3.1: Weekly Minimum Cost Food Basket (MCFB) by age and sex (Source: Barbados National Nutrition Centre) ............................................................................................................................. 35 Table 3.2: The Annual Indigence Line for Barbados by age and sex category................................... 35 Table 3.3: Food Share Multipliers for the Developing World (adapted from De Iloyos and Lessem, 2008)............................................................................................................................................... 36 Table 3.4: Food Share Multipliers for Barbados (SLC, 2010) and various Caribbean Countries (Belize CPA, 2010) ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Table 3.5: Annual Individual Poverty Thresholds for Barbados (BDS$) ........................................... 37 Table 3.6: Poverty Status for Households and Individuals in Barbados ............................................. 37 Table 3.7: Strata by Poverty Status (%) ............................................................................................ 38 Table 3.8: Rating of Household Standard of Living by Poverty Status (%) ....................................... 38 Table 3.9: Rating of Household Standard of Living by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................. 39 Table 3.10: Rating of Economic Situation of Household versus Previous Year by Poverty Status (%) ........................................................................................................................................................ 39 Table 3.11: Rating of Economic Situation of Household versus Previous Year by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................................................................................................... 39 Table 3.12: Rating of Change in Living Standards since 2007 by Poverty Status (%) ....................... 40 Table 3.13: Rating of Change in Living Standards since 2007 by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............. 40 Table 3.14: Rating of Living Standard in Childhood Household of Head of Household by Poverty Status (%)........................................................................................................................................ 41 Table 3.15: Strata by Poverty Indicators .......................................................................................... 41 Table 3.16: Regional Poverty Indicators .......................................................................................... 42 Table 4.1: Household Response Rates by Strata ............................................................................... 43 Table 4.2: Individual Response Rates by Strata ................................................................................ 43 iv

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table 4.3: Sex/Age Categories by Poverty Status (%) ...................................................................... 45 Table 4.4: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Poverty Status ........................................ 45 Table 4.5: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Expenditure Quintile .............................. 45 Table 4.6: Relationship to Head of Household by Sex (%) ............................................................... 46 Table 4.7: Marital Status of Individuals (%)- 1997 to 2010 .............................................................. 46 Table 4.8: Marital Status of Head of Household by Sex (%) ............................................................. 47 Table 4.9: Sex of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................. 47 Table 4.10: Rating of Living Standard versus Childhood Household of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................................................................................................. 47 Table 4.11: Education Level of Father of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) .............. 48 Table 4.12: Education Level of Mother of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............ 48 Table 4.13: Type of Dwelling- 1997 to 2010 (%) ............................................................................. 49 Table 4.14: Type of Dwelling by Expenditure Quintile .................................................................... 49 Table 4.15: Type of Tenure for Dwelling- 1997 to 2010 (%) ............................................................ 49 Table 4.16: Type of Tenure for Dwelling by Poverty Status ............................................................. 50 Table 4.17: Material of Outer Walls- 1997 to 2010 (%).................................................................... 50 Table 4.18: Material of Outer Walls by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................... 50 Table 4.19: Rating of adequacy of Water Supply by Strata (%) ........................................................ 51 Table 4.20: Type of Toilet Facilities- 1997 to 2010 (%) ................................................................... 51 Table 4.21: Places of Shelter in a Disaster (%) ................................................................................. 52 Table 4.22: Percentage of Households Owning Assets- 1997 and 2010 ............................................ 52 Table 4.23: Households Owning Assets by Poverty Status (%) ........................................................ 53 Table 4.24: Locations of Internet Access by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses)54 Table 4.25: Crosstabulation of Presence of Mother and Father in the Household (%) ....................... 54 Table 4.26: Type of Medical Facility Visited Most Often by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................... 54 Table 4.27: Medical Conditions of Child by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses)55 Table 4.28: Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disabilities by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses) ........ 55 Table 4.29: Extracurricular Activities of Children (% of Cases) ....................................................... 56 Table 4.30: Mode of Transport to School by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................................ 56 Table 4.31: Mode of Transportation to School (%) and Travel Time by Strata (Minutes) ................. 57 Table 4.32: Textbooks possessed by Children by Expenditure Quintile (%) ..................................... 57 Table 4.33: Reasons for Child not having some/all Textbooks (% of cases) ...................................... 57 Table 4.34: Source of Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Textbooks (% of Cases) .................................................................... 58 Table 4.35: Medical Conditions Suffered (% of Cases) (multiple response) ...................................... 58 Table 4.36: Medical Conditions Suffered by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple response) 59 Table 4.37: Disabilities (% of Cases) (multiple response)................................................................. 59 Table 4.38: Types of Illness/Injuries Suffered in Last 30 Days (%) .................................................. 59 v

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table 4.39: Health Practitioner Visited in last 30 Days (% of Cases) ................................................ 60 Table 4.40: Last Medical Facility Visited (%) .................................................................................. 60 Table 4.41: Average Waiting Time by Last Medical Facility Visited (minutes) ................................ 61 Table 4.42: Reason for Dissatisfaction with Last Visit (% of Cases) (multiple responses)................. 61 Table 4.43: Reason for Dissatisfaction with Last Visit to Health Practitioner by Type of Facility Visited (% of Cases) (multiple responses) ........................................................................................ 62 Table 4.44: Type of Educational Institution Currently Attending (%) ............................................... 62 Table 4.45: Textbooks Possess by those in Education (%) ................................................................ 62 Table 4.46: Manner in which Textbooks Obtained (% of Cases) ...................................................... 63 Table 4.47: Main Reasons for Missing Instruction in the Last Term/Semester .................................. 63 Table 4.48: Formal Extracurricular Activities Undertaken (%) ......................................................... 64 Table 4.49: Mode of Transportation to Educational Institution by Expenditure Quintile (%) and Average Travel Time (minutes) ....................................................................................................... 64 Table 4.50: Mode of Transportation to Educational Institution (%) and Travel Time by Strata (Minutes) ........................................................................................................................................ 64 Table 4.51: Highest Examination Passed- Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) ........................................ 65 Table 4.52: Highest Examination Passed- Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) .............. 65 Table 4.53: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) ................................... 66 Table 4.54: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Economic Activity in Last Month (%) .................................................................................................................................................. 66 Table 4.55: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) ......... 67 Table 4.56: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) ....... 68 Table 4.57: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Sex (%) ................................................... 69 Table 4.58: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Age Group (%) ........................................ 69 Table 4.59: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Expenditure Quintile (%) ......................... 70 Table 4.60: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%) .............................................. 70 Table 4.61: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) ................................... 71 Table 4.62: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................... 71 Table 4.63: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Poverty Status (%) .............................. 71 Table 4.64: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%)............................................................. 72 Table 4.65: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) ................................................. 72 Table 4.66: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................. 72 Table 4.67: Employment Status of those Employed by Sex (%) ....................................................... 73 Table 4.68: Employment Status of those Employed by Age Group (%) ............................................ 73 Table 4.69: Employment Status of those Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................. 73 Table 4.70: Employed Occupations by Sex (%) ............................................................................... 74 Table 4.71: Employed Occupations by Expenditure Quintile (%) ..................................................... 74 Table 4.72: Industry of Employment by Sex (%).............................................................................. 75 vi

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table 4.73: Industry of Employment by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................................... 75 Table 4.74: Reasons for Working Less than 40 hours by Sex (%) ..................................................... 76 Table 4.75: Reasons for Working Less than 40 hours by Expenditure Quintile (%) .......................... 76 Table 4.76: Sex of Self-Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) ....................................................... 77 Table 4.77: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Sex (%) ........................................................... 77 Table 4.78: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................ 78 Table 4.79: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Previous Month’s Business Income (%) .......... 78 Table 4.80: Approximate Business Income in the Last Month (%) ................................................... 79 Table 4.81: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Sex (%)................................................. 79 Table 4.82: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Expenditure Quintile (%) ...................... 79 Table 4.83: Main Reason Left Last Job by Sex (%) .......................................................................... 80 Table 4.84: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Sex (%) ................. 80 Table 4.85: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Age Group (%) ...... 81 Table 4.86: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................................................................................................................................. 81 Table 4.87: Reasons for Not Working for Those Seeking Work by Sex (%) ..................................... 82 Table 4.88: Reasons for Not Working for Those Seeking Work by Expenditure Quintile (%) ........... 82 Table 4.89: Occupation Work being sought in (%) ........................................................................... 82 Table 4.90: Source of Information for Employment Vacancies (%) .................................................. 83 Table 4.91: Individuals Change in Key Economic Variables since mid-2007 (%) ............................. 83 Table 4.92: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Sex (%) ................................................... 83 Table 4.93: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Age Group (%)........................................ 84 Table 4.94: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Strata (%) .......................................... 84 Table 4.95: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Household’s Expenditure Quintile (%) ........................................................................................................................................................ 84 Table 4.96: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Household’s Poverty Status (%)......... 85 Table 4.97: Main Sources of Income by Sex (%) ............................................................................. 85 Table 4.98: Main Sources of Income by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................................... 86 Table 4.99: Crimes Experienced in Last Year (%) ............................................................................ 86 Table 4.100: Reasons for Not Reporting a Crime to the Police (% of Cases) (multiple responses) .... 87 Table 4.101: Level of Satisfaction with official handling of the Crime (%)....................................... 87 Table 4.102: Security Items Possessed (% of Cases) ........................................................................ 87 Table 4.103: Type of Security Obtained due to fear of crime (% of Cases) (multiple responses) ....... 88 Table 4.104: Relationship to Head of Household (%) ....................................................................... 88 Table 4.105: Level of Education Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................. 89 Table 4.106: Economic Activity Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................. 89 Table 4.107: Main Reason for Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................................. 89 Table 4.108: Area Person Moved to (%) .......................................................................................... 90 vii

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table 4.109: Main Reasons for Living Abroad by Expenditure Quintile (%) .................................... 90 Table 4.110: Main Reasons for Returning to Barbados by Expenditure Quintile (%) ........................ 91 Table 5.1: Strata by Poverty Status (%) ............................................................................................ 92 Table 5.2: Regional Poverty Indicators ............................................................................................ 92 Table 5.3: Comparison of Main Results of Poverty Surveys in Barbados: 1997 and 2010 ................. 94 Table 6.1: Dependency Ratios and Household Size by Sex of Head of Household............................ 95 Table 6.2: Policy Targets and Interventions ................................................................................... 101 Table 7.1: Overcrowded Households by Parish .............................................................................. 107 Table 7.2: Material of Outer Walls of Occupied Houses by Parish (%) ........................................... 107 Table 7.3: Rankings and Differences of Wooden and Concrete Block Houses by Parish ................. 108 Table 7.4: National Assistance Grants by Parish ............................................................................ 108 Table 7.5: Comparison of Rankings by Parish ................................................................................ 109 Table 7.6: General Outline of Parishes and Strata Allocation ......................................................... 110 Table 7.7: Confidence Intervals and Number of Questionnaires for Selected Sample Sizes............. 110 Table 8.1: Sample Menus for Calculation of Minimum Cost Food Basket from National Nutrition Centre ........................................................................................................................................... 117 Table 9.1: Gini Coefficient Calculation Data- Consumption by Population Proportion ................... 120 Table 9.2: Marital Status of Individuals by Sex (%) (2010 SLC) .................................................... 120 Table 9.3: Marital Status of Head by Expenditure Quintile............................................................. 120 Table 9.4: Respondent Ethnicity (%)- 2000 and 2010..................................................................... 121 Table 9.5: Religious Affiliation (%)- 2000 and 2010 ...................................................................... 121 Table 9.6: Type of Tenure for Dwelling by Expenditure Quintile ................................................... 121 Table 9.7: Type of Tenure for Land by Expenditure Quintile (%) ................................................... 122 Table 9.8: Material of Roof- 1997 to 2010 (%) .............................................................................. 122 Table 9.9: Type of Fuel Used for Cooking- 1997 to 2010 (%) ........................................................ 122 Table 9.10: Main Source of Water Supply- 1997 to 2010 (%) ........................................................ 122 Table 9.11: Main Source of Lighting- 1997 to 2010 (%) ................................................................ 123 Table 9.12: Household sharing of Facilities (%) ............................................................................. 123 Table 9.13: Percentage of Households Owning Assets- 1997 and 2010 .......................................... 124 Table 9.14: Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mother Lives in Household (%) ...................................................................... 124 Table 9.15: Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Father Lives in Household (%) ........................................................................ 124 Table 9.16: Use of Therapy for Disability by Expenditure Quintile (%).......................................... 125 Table 9.17: Reasons for Missing School by Expenditure Quintile (%) ............................................ 125 Table 9.18: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) ................................ 125 Table 9.19: Amount of Time since Departure for persons leaving the household (%) ..................... 125 FIGURES Figure 1: Geographical Representation of Strata ................................................................................ 2 viii

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Figure 2: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those not currently enrolled ....... 11 Figure 3: Geographical Representation of Strata .............................................................................. 31 Figure 4: Sex and Age Distribution of Respondents with Normal Curve Overlay ............................. 44 Figure 5: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those currently enrolled ............ 67 Figure 6: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those not currently enrolled ....... 68 Figure 7: Poverty, the Labour Market and Household Dependency .................................................. 99 Figure 8: Geographical Representation of Strata ............................................................................ 111

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

LIST OF ACRONYMS MCFB

Minimum Cost Food Basket

MCNFB

Minimum Cost Non-Food Basket

BSS

Barbados Statistical Service

CALC

Country Assessment of Living Conditions

SLC

Survey of Living Conditions

HBS

Household Budget Survey

PPA

Participatory Poverty Assessment

Institutional Assessment

TOR

Terms of Reference

NNC

National Nutrition Centre

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions (CALC) 2010 Survey of Living Conditions (SLC)

Executive Summary The main purpose of the CALCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Survey of Living Conditions (SLC) was to provide primary data for the construction of poverty estimates as it relates to the annual minimum cost food basket (MCFB), an indigence line, a poverty line, and a variety of indicators to enable regional and international comparisons, including the headcount ratio, the poverty gap index, the squared poverty gap and the Gini coefficient for the country. In addition, the data is utilised to provide representations of the spatial distribution of poverty. The SLC forms the main quantitative element of the Barbados CALC. The objectives of the SLC was to gather statistically representative household and individual data on basic demographics (age, sex, employment status, occupation, marital status, education/training), income and income sources, expenditure, household size and composition, dwelling type and resident status, asset ownership, and quality of amenities. The survey also sought to determine detailed expenditure and earnings in terms of food and drink, housing and related supplies, clothing, transportation, health, education and training, and recreation and leisure. The collection of this quantitative data allowed for the construction of the poverty estimates as it relates to the minimum cost food basket (with information from the National Nutrition Centre), the indigence line (the Minimum Cost Food Basket (MCFB)), the poverty line (the MCFB plus the minimum cost non-food basket (MCNFB)), and the level of indigence, poverty and vulnerability in Barbados. Overall the Barbados SLC specifically sought to accomplish the following: 1. Measure the indigent and poverty lines for Barbados and determine the characteristics, extent, geographic concentration, severity and causes of poverty (by age and sex); 2. Analyse the different types of poverty manifested i.e. chronic, new and transitory poverty and identify structural disadvantages faced by each group; 3. Identify and analyse the dynamic links between poverty and the following: a. Employment, unemployment, and conditions in the formal and informal sectors and poverty (e.g. size, composition and changes in the structure of employment, sectoral distribution, the relative position of men, women, and youth and their earnings/incomes) b. Social and economic inequality; 4. Undertake a comparative analysis of poverty, social and economic conditions in relation to results of previous CPAs or other poverty assessments; 5. Analyse the level of social vulnerability including the construction of an index and characteristics of vulnerable households; 6. Identify (in collaboration with the other elements of the CALC) current and propose additional priority civil society and public actions required to assist in moving households out of poverty; and 7. Develop a draft programme of action (PoA) (in collaboration with the other elements of the CALC) which sets out strategic options for addressing critical issues emerging from the research and proposals for improving existing social development programmes, or changes to social and economic policy, as well as investment projects to strengthen or enhance the effectiveness of Government, NGO and CBO efforts to sustainably reduce poverty. The rest of this summary outlines the methodology utilised for the SLC and the main results as they relate to the aims of the project outlined above.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Overview of Research Methodology The research methodology for the SLC involved a survey of households and individuals. From these results, the calculation of poverty indicators and an analysis of living conditions were undertaken. Previous to the execution of the SLC, a determination of the geographical distribution of poverty was undertaken. This exercise resulted in the division of the country into six (6) strata of similar population size as depicted in Figure 1. Figure 1: Geographical Representation of Strata

The strata descriptions are: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Greater Bridgetown: the immediate area surrounding the capital in the parish of St. Michael Outer Urban: other areas of St. Michael and adjacent areas of Christ Church South East: majority of St. Philip and Christ Church Central: majority comprised of St. Thomas and St. George with adjacent areas from St. Michael, Christ Church and St. Philip 5. West: majority comprised of St. James and adjacent areas of St. Peter and St. Michael 6. North and East: majority comprised of St. Lucy, St. Andrew, St. John and St. Joseph with adjacent areas from St. Peter and St. Philip. Following the identification of the appropriate number of strata, various options for the proportion of the population to sample were considered. A final targeted sample size of 2.5% of households was established, accounting for approximately 2476 households and 5469 individuals. To account for potential non-response, oversampling was undertaken and the ultimate target sample was 3000 households and approximately 6,600 individuals. In order to achieve this sample size, at the strata level, a sample of 20 enumeration districts (EDs) were selected and 25 households from each ED. Households were selected using systematic sampling with a random start. 2

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In keeping with other such assessments in the region, the SLC for Barbados utilised two research instruments, a household questionnaire to be completed by the head of household coving items related to the characteristics of the household, and including information on persons in the household under the age of 15; and an individual questionnaire to be completed by all persons 15 years of age and over. The main elements of these survey instruments are outlined below. Household Questionnaire Structure 1. Background: Enumeration District Number, Household Number, Enumerator and Supervisor Number, Record of Visits. 2. Listing of Household Members: Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Relation to Head of Household, Main Economic Activity, Employment Status, and Working Status. 3. Housing: Type of Dwelling, Characteristics, Number of Rooms. 4. Head of Household Background: change in standard of living from household grew up in, highest grade completed by father and mother. 5. Information on household members that have left in last five (5) years. 6. Information on those under the age of 15. Individual Questionnaire Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Demographics: sex, age, ethnicity, religion, etc. Migration Health Education Employment Marital Status Crime Expenditure Income

Response rates and Geographical Coverage The sample targets for the SLC were 3000 households and 6,600 individuals (15 years of age and over) spread across the six (6) strata. The actual numbers sampled were 2,426 households (98% of required target and 81% of oversampling target) and 5,618 individuals (103% of required target and 85% of oversampling target). These sample responses represent 2.4% of estimated households in Barbados and 2.6% of the adult population, with margins of error of +/-2.0% and +/-1.3% respectively. The responses by strata are shown in Table A.1. Table A.1: Response Rates by Strata Strata Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East Total

Frequency 391 401 451 361 447 375 2,426

Percent of Sample 16.1 16.5 18.6 14.9 18.4 15.5 100.0

As Table A.1 shows, the South East and West strata were over-sampled, while the other strata were undersampled, the most severe being the Central stratum. In terms of individuals, the largest proportion was seen in the West with 19.7% of sample, while the Outer Urban and Central strata have the lowest with 14.9% of the 3

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

sample. Given that the analysis at the strata level only refers to shares within the strata, and not across strata, this over- and under-sampling will not affect the analysis given that figures are as a percentage of the strata responses and not overall responses.

Poverty Indicators and Estimates Following the execution of the survey of households and individuals, and utilising supplementary information from the National Nutrition Centre (NNC) on dietary requirements of sex/age groups, various poverty indicators were constructed and poverty estimates calculated. The indicators included: 1. The Indigence Line. This is equivalent to the annual minimum cost food basket (MCFB) which is the minimum monetary requirement to meet basic nutritional needs for different demographic groups. 2. The Poverty Line. This is the MCFB plus the minimum monetary requirement to meet non-food costs for the basic needs of an individual. 3. The Vulnerability Line. This is an arbitrary amount used to indicate the level of vulnerability to poverty. It is usually expressed as 125% of the Poverty Line. These thresholds were then applied to the results of the SLC, and four (4) main poverty indicators that provide measures of the level and character of poverty and inequality were calculated: 1. The Headcount Ratio. Percentage of households or persons categorised as poor (indigent and nonindigent poor). 2. The Poverty Gap Index. The average distance below the poverty line measured as the difference between actual consumption and the poverty line as a percentage of the poverty line. If average consumption was zero, the index would be 100. 3. The Poverty Gap Squared. The same approach as the poverty gap but places greater emphasis on the poorest households by utilising the square of the difference between the poverty line and actual consumption. 4. The Gini Coefficient. A measure of inequality of consumption. Following the execution of the household and individual surveys, and utilising data from the NNC in relation to the minimum cost food basket, the estimated share of non-food expenditure was estimated as 52% of total expenditure. This information was then utilised to calculate the poverty indicators as follows. The average per capita indigence and poverty lines for Barbados were estimated as BDS$3970 and BDS$7861 respectively. In total 6.9% of households and 9.1% of individuals were categorised as indigent poor while 8.1% of households and 10.2% of individuals were categorised as non-indigent poor. In terms of geographical distribution, the Greater Bridgetown, Outer Urban and North and East strata had an above average population that was poor. In terms of the depth and severity of poverty, the Poverty Gap Index and Squared Poverty Gap for Barbados were estimated at 6.0 and 3.2 respectively while the Gini coefficient was 0.47. In relation to regional comparisons, the poverty levels in Barbados are somewhat lower than for other countries in the region with the exception of Antigua and Barbuda which had a household poverty rate of 13.4% and individual rate of 18.3% in 2007, the period immediately preceding the current economic crisis. The results in Table A.2 indicate that, with the exception of Nevis, the Poverty Gap Index in Barbados is relatively low in comparison to other countries in the region. The same can also be said for the degree of inequality amongst the poor (poverty severity), where Barbados has the third lowest level after St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, in terms of inequality in consumption, as measured by the Gini coefficient, Barbados demonstrates the second highest level of inequality after Antigua and Barbuda. The lowest level of inequality in consumption was seen in Grenada with a Gini coefficient of 0.37.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table A.2: Regional Poverty Indicators Country (year of data) Barbados (2010) Dominica (2010) St. Lucia (2007) Belize (2009) Grenada (2008) Antigua and Barbuda (2007) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2008) St. Kitts and Nevis (2009) -St. Kitts -Nevis

Household Poverty 15.0 22.8 21.4 31.0 na 13.4 -

Individual Poverty 19.3 28.8 28.8 42.0 37.7 18.3 33.1 21.8 23.7 15.9

Poverty Gap Index 6.0 8.9 9.0 11.4 10.1 6.6 7.5 6.4 2.7

Poverty Severity 3.2 4.0 4.1 5.0 4.0 3.8 3.0 2.6 0.8

Gini 0.47 0.44 0.42 0.42 0.37 0.48 0.40 0.40 -

In terms of the causes and correlates of poverty, poor households were characterised as being larger (3.7 persons versus 2.7 for the non-poor), comprising a greater amount of children (2.3 children versus 1.5 for the non-poor), experiencing more overcrowding (11% of poor households were overcrowded versus 3% for the non-poor), having members with lower levels of education in lower skilled jobs, and employed in lower paying sectors. These factors are explored in greater depth in the following subsections.

Research Results Household Size, Demographics and Housing The SLC 2010 collected data on a total of 6973 persons, including 1,355 persons under the age of 15 and 5,618 persons 15 years of age or older. The average number of under-15s per household (for households with children) was 1.7. For those 15 years of age and over, the average number per household was 2.3. Overall, average household size was 2.9. In comparison, the average household size from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing was 3.1. The sex distribution was 45.6% males and 54.4% females. The corresponding shares from the 2000 Census were 48.0% and 52.0%. For adults the distribution was 44.4% male and 55.6% female, while for children it was 50.7% males and 49.3% females. The distribution of the population by age and sex as it relates to poverty status is shown in Table A.3. The results demonstrate that persons under 15 years of age are overrepresented in poor households with 29.2% of the indigent poor and 29.8% of the non-indigent poor being in this age category. The related shares for vulnerable and non-poor households are 19.4% and 14.2% respectively. In addition, poor households had a lower share of males between the ages of 15 and 59 than non-poor households; 21.2% of individuals in indigent poor households and 30.9% in non-poor households are males between the ages of 15 and 59, as shown in Table A.3. In looking specifically at the youth category (those 15 to 24 years of age), the poverty rate was 23.0% as compared to 15% for those over 24 years of age. It appears from the results of other elements of the SLC that the lower share of males in poor households and a higher share of youth in poor households may be due to labour market issues as it relates to the gender segmentation of the labour market and unemployment. In essence, females are overrepresented in lower-paying occupations and sectors than males, and the youth experienced higher levels of unemployment. Given this result, it would be expected that males are more

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

likely to be non-poor, and for the youth to comprise a greater proportion of the poor. These and other relevant issues are examined in the summation. Table A.3: Sex/Age Categories by Poverty Status (%) Sex/Age Category

Indigent Poor

Male 0-5 Female 0-5 Male 6-14 Female 6-14 Male 15-59 Female 15-59 Male 60 and over Female 60 and over Total Number

4.0 4.6 10.6 10.0 21.2 32.3 7.2 10.2 100.0 501

NonIndigent Poor 5.2 5.2 9.7 9.7 20.8 33.6 6.3 9.5 100.0 557

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Total

2.7 2.5 7.1 7.1 27.5 33.6 8.0 11.5 100.0 563

2.9 2.8 4.3 4.2 30.9 35.4 8.4 11.0 100.0 3849

3.2 3.2 5.7 5.6 28.6 34.7 8.1 10.8 100.0 5470

As expected, average household size, average number of children and overcrowding (more than two persons per bedroom) varied considerably by poverty status. Table A.4 shows than poor households had on average 3.7 persons per household, 2.3 children and approximately 11% were overcrowded. The related figures for non-poor households were 2.7, 1.5 and 3% respectively. Table A.4: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Poverty Status Poverty Status Indigent Poor Non-indigent Poor Vulnerable Non-poor Total Number

Average Household Size (number of persons) 3.8 3.6 2.9 2.7 2.89 1908

Average Number of Children 2.3 2.3 1.6 1.5 1.7 616

Overcrowded Households (%) 11.2 10.5 2.6 2.9 4.0 1871

The sex distribution of head of household was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The mean head of household age for males was 54 years and 56 years for females. In relation to poverty status, 11.5% of male headed households were categorised as poor, while 19.4% of female headed households were poor. In seeking to explore the issue of intergenerational poverty, household heads were asked to compare their current standard of living to their childhood household. As Table A.5 demonstrates, on average 72.1% of households considered they are currently better off than in the household in which they grew up. For the lowest quintile, this is 68.0%. This suggests a level of intergeneration poverty where even though these households currently exist in poverty, or at the margins of poverty, they are better off than in the household in which they grew up.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.5: Rating of Living Standard versus Childhood Household of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile1 (%) Rating Level Much Better Off Better Off Same Worse Off Much Worse Off Total Number

II 26.0 47.3 20.2 6.3 0.3 100.0 366

19.6 48.4 19.6 11.1 1.4 100.0 368

III 26.0 48.8 18.8 6.2 0.3 100.0 373

IV 25.7 45.0 22.3 6.2 0.8 100.0 373

V 29.9 43.4 20.1 5.6 1.1 100.0 378

Percentage of Responses 25.5 46.6 20.2 7.1 0.8 100.0 1858

Information on the physical structure of dwelling units was also gathered during the execution of the SLC. While the materials of outer walls have remained fairly consistent over the period 1997 to 2010, there has been a slight decrease in the use of wood/timber and a slight increase in the use of concrete/concrete blocks. Table A.6: Material of Outer Walls- 1997 to 2010 (%) Material of Outer Walls Wood/Timber Concrete/Concrete Blocks Mix of Wood and Concrete Stone Brick/Blocks Plywood Makeshift Other Total Number

2010 SLC 23.0 48.2 22.8 1.8 3.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 100.0 2,391

2000 Census 26.9 46.2 24.9 1.8 0.2 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 31.8 42.7 22.1 0.9 97.5 1,600

Examining these materials of outer walls by expenditure quintile demonstrates a wide differential between the lowest quintile and the highest quintile with wood/timber accounting for 34% in the lowest quintile and 12% in the highest quintile. Concrete/concrete blocks accounts for 34% of the lowest quintile and 65% of the highest quintile while a mixture of wood and concrete accounts for 27% in the lowest quintile and 16% in the highest quintile. Table A.7: Material of Outer Walls by Expenditure Quintile (%) Tenure Type for Dwelling Wood/Timber Concrete/Concrete Blocks Mix of Wood and Concrete Stone Brick/Blocks Plywood Makeshift Total Number

I 33.8 33.8 27.1 1.1 3.7 0.3 0.3 100.0 376

II 18.8 48.7 26.7 2.9 2.6 0.3 100.0 378

III 20.9 52.1 22.8 1.3 2.6 0.3 100.0 378

IV 17.8 56.6 18.6 1.9 4.8 0.3 100.0 376

V 11.9 64.6 15.6 2.6 5.0 0.3 100.0 378

Percent 20.6 51.2 22.2 2.0 3.8 0.3 0.1 100.0 1886

Overall, the average household had few water shortages with only 10% of households experiencing 2 or more days per week without water over the last year. This is perhaps the reason for the high rating of adequacy of water supply with only 7.3% of households rating this as less than adequate, as shown in 1

Expenditure Quintiles refer to the following consumption ranges: I: less than BD$9202; II: BD$9202-BD$13891; III: BD$13892-BD$19928; IV: BD$19929-BD$32950; V: More than BD$32950

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Table A.8. However, when these results are disaggregated by strata, there is a clear dissatisfaction seen in the Central, West and North and East stratums where 14%, 9% and 14% respectively rate their water supply as less than adequate. Table A.8: Rating of adequacy of Water Supply by Strata (%) Rating of Water Supply

Less than Adequate Adequate More than Adequate Total Number

Greater Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;town

Outer Urban

South East

Central

West

1.8 81.8 16.3 100.0 380

2.9 75.5 21.6 100.0 379

2.8 77.0 20.2 100.0 426

14.4 74.0 11.6 100.0 354

9.0 70.4 20.6 100.0 422

North and East 14.1 71.2 14.7 100.0 361

Percentage of Cases 7.3 75.0 17.7 100.0 2,322

One of the interesting trends to emerge from the SLC in comparison to the 2000 Census and the 1997 poverty study was the drastic reduction in the use of pit latrines. From the 1990 Census, 32.1% of households used pit latrines. There has subsequently been a significant downward trend where this was 22.0% in 1997, 16.5% in 2000 and 3.8% in 2010. This downward trend has been accompanied by an upward trend for WCs where this increased from 74.1% in 1997 to 81.8% in 2000 and 95.4% in 2010. However, although there has been a dramatic decrease in the amount of households using pit-latrines, the distribution indicates this is still an issue in the Greater Bridgetown and South East Strata with 50% of the households using pit latrines located in these areas; 26.1% of households using pit latrines are in Greater Bridgetown with 23.9% in the South East. The Outer Urban Strata only accounted for 3.3% of households with pit latrines. The possession of certain household assets or the number of these assets has been used as an indicator of income levels. The SLC addressed this issue by asking households to indicate the number of certain assets they possessed. Reviewing the ownership of assets by poverty status reveals a number of areas where the poor are lacking, as shown in Table A.9. Table A.9: Households Owning Assets by Poverty Status (%) Asset Telephones-Land Telephones-Cellular Washing Machines Motor Vehicles Computers (Laptop, Desktop) Air Conditioners Solar Water Heaters Other Water Heaters Satellite TVs Number

Indigent Poor

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Total

70.3 68.8 56.3 24.2 35.9

Non-Indigent Poor 83.0 88.2 72.5 37.3 56.2

88.4 86.3 75.8 39.5 53.2

90.3 94.1 83.0 66.3 70.2

88.1 91.0 79.5 58.1 64.8

1.6 10.2 18.0 26.6 128

3.3 21.6 20.3 39.2 153

7.4 31.1 22.1 39.5 190

13.7 48.2 20.4 59.2 1349

11.3 41.5 20.4 53.1 1820

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

computers in poor households, this has implications for the educational opportunities of children, putting them at a disadvantage in relation to children in non-poor households. In addition to these two items, the differential access to private motor vehicle transport also needs to be noted; only 34.6% of the poor and vulnerable own motor vehicles compared to 66.3% of the non-poor. This lack of access by the poor and vulnerable may have implications for access to employment and educational opportunities, especially in relation those in areas underserved by public transport, both geographically and at varying times of the day or week. This constraint of physical access due to lack of transport is also relevant in relation to virtual access. For internet access, the majority of respondents accessed from the home, with 18% accessing from work. Overall, 40% did not access the internet. However, when these results are dissected by expenditure quintile, the lack of access to the internet is more pronounced for the two lowest quintiles, 57% and 47% respectively. The lack of access to computers for the poor, coupled with the lack of access to the internet, has implication for the education and development of those residing in these households. Children’s Status, Health and Education One of the main matters of concern to emerge from this element of the data was the differential between the presence of mothers and fathers in the household. While 86% of mothers were present, only 40% of fathers were present, as shown in Table A.10. Only 36% of children had both parents in the household. Table A.10: Crosstabulation of Presence of Mother and Father in the Household (%)

Mother Lives in Household Yes No Not Stated Total

Yes 35.7 4.2 0.1 39.9

Father Lives in Household No Not Stated 49.4 1.0 4.7 0.3 0.3 1.4 54.4 5.7

Total 86.1 9.1 4.8 100.0

In relation to children’s health, the majority did not suffer from any medical condition (77%) while 17% suffered from asthma. There were no significant differences here related to poverty status. For diagnosed disabilities, approximately 8% of children suffered some type of diagnosed disability with the prevalent being speech (1.6%), learning/intellectual (1.2%) and sight (1.2%). For education, approximately 75% of children had the ability to read and 77% the ability to write. However, these figures included all children, including infants. In looking specifically at those children that had ever attended school (81%), 89.6% had the ability to read, and 92.4% the ability to write 2. In total, 97.6% were currently enrolled in an educational institution, the majority of which was full-time (99.9%). Approximately two-thirds (65.8%) were enrolled in primary school and 32.1% in secondary school, the majority of which were public institutions (89.7%).

Individuals’ Health The results of the health module of individuals’ survey instrument appear to indicate that females are suffering from more medical conditions than males, particularly as it relates to high blood pressure and arthritis. Results demonstrate that 55% of females suffer from no medical conditions while the corresponding percentage for males is 64.7%.

These figures should be treated with caution given that the level of competency was not tested.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.11: Medical Conditions Suffered (% of Cases) (multiple response) Medical Condition Diabetes High Blood Pressure Heart Condition Cancer Asthma Other condition Arthritis No medical condition Total Number

Male 9.7 14.7 2.6 .7 6.9 3.8 6.8 64.7 10990.0% 2500

Female 10.2 25.2 3.5 .8 8.2 5.5 12.2 55.3 12090.0% 3137

Total 10.0 20.5 3.1 0.7 7.6 4.7 9.8 59.5 115.9 5637

Investigating these conditions at the expenditure level reveals that diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer are most prevalent in the lowest and highest quintiles, whilst heart conditions are most prevalent in the highest quintile. In relation to disabilities, there is limited differentiation amongst the sample, with the marginal exception of sight where 4.6% of females and 3.7% of males having this disability. In total, only 2.0% of the sample revealed that they received any public assistance for any of their illnesses or disabilities. One of the interesting results to emerge from this element of the research related to the issue of waiting time and satisfaction with service quality at health institutions. Table A.12 indicates that average waiting time was in excess of 2 hours at a public hospital and over 1.5 hours at a polyclinic. These waiting times fall steadily in relation to private medical facilities. Table A.12: Average Waiting Time by Last Medical Facility Visited (minutes) Medical Facility Public Hospital Polyclinic Private Clinic/Hospital Private Doctor/Dentist Abroad Private Doctor/Dentist Traditional Healer Alternative Medicine Clinic Hospital Abroad Pharmacy/Chemist Total Number

Average Waiting Time (minutes) 127.90 104.41 42.90 37.84 37.49 5.00 26.88 5.00 53.21 60.55 3,546

Individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Education Overall 99.2% of respondents had attended a formal education institution, on average starting their education at 4 years of age. In total, 14.3% were currently enrolled; 75.9% of which were at a public institution and 24.1% at a private institution. In terms of current status, 55.3% were full-time and 44.7% part-time. Turning to those not currently enrolled, the majority had at least completed secondary education (71%) while 10

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

approximately 26% had gone on to get higher qualifications (9% technical/vocational and 16% tertiary). The division by sex shows that past the secondary school level, males were more likely to enter a technical/vocational college and females more likely to enter tertiary institutions, although the differential is small. In looking at the highest examination passed in these institutions, there was little deviation by sex (see Appendix 2 for supplementary tabular results). However, when reviewed by expenditure quintile, the results are quite revealing. Figure 2: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those not currently enrolled

Figure 2 demonstrates that as qualification levels rise, the proportion of those in the lower quintiles with such qualifications decreases. In addition, Table A.13 demonstrates a steady decrease in the share of those with no qualifications as expenditure increases, from 56% to 18%. At higher certification levels the opposite holds with 4% of those in the lowest quintile with a degree or higher and 29% in the highest quintile.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.13: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) Highest Examination Passed None BSSC -School Leaving O' Level/CXC General A-Level/CAPE Certificate Diploma Associate Degree Degree Post-Graduate Degree Professional Qualification Others Total Number

55.9 5.9 22.8 0.4 6.5 2.3 1.6 2.3 0.7 0.5 1.1 100.0 749

III 34.4 8.3 23.8 0.6 12.0 5.4 5.4 5.9 1.8 1.8 1.4 100.0 727

42.8 7.9 23.1 1.9 9.1 4.6 2.6 4.2 1.2 1.9 0.7 100.0 736

IV 28.4 5.8 20.2 2.0 13.0 7.9 4.1 8.4 3.6 3.6 1.3 100.0 687

V 18.4 5.9 19.4 2.4 11.9 7.8 4.8 13.5 7.8 7.8 1.1 100.0 630

Percent 36.7 6.8 22.0 1.4 10.4 5.5 3.6 6.6 2.9 3.0 1.1 100.0 3,529

For the area of technical/vocational training, 33.3% had undertaken this in the past with 93.1% completion. The main areas trained in by sex are shown in Table A.14. Table A.14: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Sex (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Total Number

Males 2.9 69.4 2.9 0.1 3.1 4.8 0.5 7.8 8.6 100.0 770

Females 1.1 7.5 17.5 9.9 14.3 15.7 3.2 19.9 10.8 100.0 747

Percent 2.0 38.9 10.1 4.9 8.6 10.2 1.8 13.8 9.7 100.0 1,517

The variation in training undertaken by sex is quite stark and not surprising given the sexual division of labour in Barbados. As Table A.14 demonstrates, the majority of males are undertaking training in the skilled trades (69%), while females are mostly participating in training in business studies, upholstery/garments, hospitality and the caring vocations (teaching, nursing, child care) (67%). Table A.15: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Age Group (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Number

15 -24 years 2.0 47.7 3.3 10.5 3.3 13.1 1.3 11.1 7.8 153

25 to 65 years 1.6 39.0 9.1 4.8 8.3 10.2 2.2 15.1 9.7 1159

Over 65 years 4.4 31.7 20.5 1.5 14.6 7.8 0.5 8.3 10.7 205

Percent 2.0 38.9 10.1 4.9 8.6 10.2 1.8 13.8 9.7 1,517

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Analysing the results by age group reveals that the youth (15 to 24 years of age) undertook training in skilled trades, hospitality and business studies. Table A.16: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Expenditure Quintile (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Total Number

I 2.9 44.0 12.9 3.3 4.8 12.0 2.4 9.1 8.6 100.0 209

III

2.5 40.5 9.9 5.0 11.2 9.1 2.1 12.0 7.9 100.0 242

1.5 43.0 9.2 5.1 8.5 10.7 1.1 12.9 8.1 100.0 272

IV 1.5 35.6 8.4 5.1 11.3 10.2 0.4 16.7 10.9 100.0 275

V 1.2 37.1 4.8 5.6 7.3 10.1 2.8 20.2 10.9 100.0 248

Percent 1.9 38.9 10.1 5.0 8.6 10.2 1.8 14.0 9.5 100.0 1,246

In addition to the division of training by sex and age-group, there is also a division seen in relation to expenditure levels where the lower quintiles dominate in skilled trades and upholstery/garments and the higher quintiles dominating in business studies and to a lesser degree hairdressing/cosmetology and the caring vocations. An overview of these results in relation to vocational training should be a matter of concern in relation to the development of the economy of Barbados given the importance placed on the development of agriculture in relation to the development of linkages with the manufacturing and tourism sectors, and consequentially the earning and saving of foreign exchange. The results demonstrate that there is limited attraction to agriculture with only 2.0% undertaking training in this area. Also of concern is a lack of uptake of training in cultural skills, a core need in the further development of the cultural industries, a strategic sector for the development of Barbados. The results of the analysis of education of individuals, and related issues, reveals a stark contrast between the higher and lower consumption indicators (expenditure quintiles) with lower levels of qualifications seen in the lower quintiles, suggesting a strong link between education and consumption ability, and further revealed in the analysis of economic activity, as expanded on below.

Individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Economic Activity One of the main components of the SLC was to review the economic activity of respondents. As Table A.17 outlines, 63% of males and 55% of females were currently working while 17% were retired and 13% were unemployed. Table A.17: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Number

Males 62.9 11.6 0.2 6.6 16.5 1.4 0.8 2,460

Females 54.7 14.3 4.5 6.7 17.5 1.4 0.9 3,073

Percent 58.4 13.1 2.6 6.7 17.0 1.4 0.9 5,533

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Reviewing the results by age group (those 15 to 24 years and the over 24s) reveals that 22.5% of the youth are categorised as unemployed while the related figure for the over 24s is 11.0%. Taking into consideration those actively seeking work suggests an unemployment rate amongst the youth of 27.6% as compared to 8.1% for those over 25 years of age3. Table A.18: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) Economic Activity

Youth (15 to 24 years) 41.2 22.5 0.6 33.7 2.0 100.0 996

Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Other Total Number

Over 24s

Percent

62.1 11.0 3.0 0.7 23.1 100.0 4,537

58.4 13.1 2.6 6.7 19.3 100.0 5,533

Reviewing economic activity by expenditure quintile shows that while 43% of those in the lowest quintile were currently working, the equivalent percentage for the highest quintile was 69%. While 5% in the highest quintile were unemployed, the unemployed accounted for 23% of the lowest quintile. Table A.19: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Total Number

II 43.3 23.2 3.0 7.8 20.0 1.7 1.1 100.0 946

58.1 12.2 3.5 7.1 17.2 1.3 0.5 100.0 934

III

65.1 9.2 2.3 6.6 15.0 1.4 0.3 100.0 911

67.2 7.2 2.0 6.5 15.1 1.2 0.9 100.0 866

V 69.2 5.0 2.2 4.9 16.9 1.2 0.7 100.0 759

Percent 60.1 11.7 2.6 6.6 16.9 1.4 0.7 100.0 4,416

In seeking to dissect the lower quintiles, Table A.20 outlines main economic activity by poverty status. Table A.20 demonstrates that 37% of the indigent poor and 46% of the non-indigent poor were currently working. For the non-poor this was 65%. Table A.20: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Poverty Status (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Number

Indigent Poor 37.4 30.9 1.5 7.6 20.0 1.8 0.9 340

Non-Indigent Poor 45.5 21.4 3.6 9.0 16.8 2.1 1.6 387

Vulnerable 55.7 14.8 2.9 7.2 18.1 1.1 0.2 447

Non-Poor 64.8 8.1 2.6 6.2 16.4 1.3 0.6 3242

Percent 60.1 11.7 2.6 6.6 16.9 1.4 0.7 4,416

From the sample, 410 youths were working and of the unemployed youth, 156 were actively seeking work. This suggests a youth labour force of 566 from the sample of which 156 were unemployed. For the over 24s, 2819 were working and 249 were actively seeking work. An over 24s labour force of 3,068 suggests an unemployment rate of 8.1% and an overall unemployment rate of 11.1%.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In relation to the other types of activity, 31% of the indigent poor and 21% of the non-indigent poor were unemployed while only 8% of the non-poor were unemployed. Looking specifically at employed respondents, 89% of those working were employed full-time while 8% were part-time. The remaining 3% were undertaking seasonal or occasional employment. There was limited deviation by sex with marginally more females working part-time and males working in occasional/odd jobs. Table A.21: Employment Status of those Employed by Sex (%) Employment Status Employer/Self Employed Government Employee Private Employee Unpaid Family Worker Apprenticeship Other Total Number

Males 20.2 21.3 57.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 100.0 1,533

Females 13.2 21.7 64.3 0.1 0.1 0.7 100.0 1,670

Percent 16.5 21.5 61.0 0.1 0.3 0.6 100.0 3,203

In terms of employment status, the results above reveal that males were more likely to work for themselves while females were more likely to work for a private employer. Analysing the results by age group reveals that the youth are also more likely to work as private employees and less likely to be an employer or selfemployed. In addition, they are also less likely to work for the Government with only 10% of the youth employed in Government as opposed to 24% for those between 25 and 65 years of age. Looking at the employment status results by expenditure shows that those in the highest expenditure quintiles were more likely to be work for themselves while they were less likely to work as a private employee. Table A.22: Employment Status of those Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Employment Status Employer/Self Employed Government Employee Private Employee Unpaid Family Worker Apprenticeship Other Total Number

I 13.5 17.7 67.2 0.0 0.5 1.0 100.0 406

II 12.4 22.9 64.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 100.0 541

III 16.9 21.3 61.5 0.0 0.2 0.2 100.0 587

IV 16.0 23.6 58.9 0.3 0.2 1.0 100.0 576

V 22.8 21.8 55.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 100.0 522

Percent 16.4 21.7 61.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 100.0 2,632

The data on the occupation of respondents shows that a large percentage of females are service or sales workers (26%), clerical support workers (17%) or professionals (12%) while for males the dominant occupations are more varied and seen in service and sales (15%), craft and related trades (10%), professions (10%), management (9%) or technical/associate professions (8%). Considering that there is strong correlation between occupational level and income, and hence consumption, it is not surprising that reviewing the occupation data by expenditure level shows a high level of variation, as shown in Table A.23.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.23: Employed Occupations by Expenditure Quintile (%) Occupation Manager Professional Technician/Associate Professional Clerical Support Worker Service and Sales Worker Skilled Agricultural/Fishery Worker Craft and Related Trades Worker Plant and machine Operators/Assemblers Elementary Occupation Other Total Number

I 2.5 5.3 4.1 6.3 25.6 5.6 9.1 5.0 5.6 30.9 100.0 320

II 3.8 8.5 4.9 12.9 21.4 4.5 7.6 4.5 3.3 28.6 100.0 448

III 6.1 8.7 6.3 12.8 22.5 3.5 6.9 2.8 2.4 28.1 100.0 462

IV 8.8 16.1 7.5 10.8 20.7 2.6 4.0 3.3 2.9 23.3 100.0 454

V 17.6 20.5 5.9 9.4 16.2 1.2 4.2 1.6 1.6 21.6 100.0 425

Percent 8.0 12.1 5.8 10.7 21.1 3.4 6.2 3.4 3.0 26.3 100.0 2,109

As the results indicate, those in management or the professions comprise a larger percentage of the highest expenditure quintiles (38% of the highest quintile and 8% of the lowest quintile). Whilst not as drastic a difference, service and sales account for 26% of the lowest quintile and 16% of the highest. The employed mostly worked for 40 hours in the last week while 20% worked for 38 or less hours per week. The main reason for working less than 40 hours per week was that the work was only part-time or that the times worked were the only times allocated by the employer which dominated as reasons for 54% of females and 30% of males. Of the 16.5% of respondents that were categorized as an employer or self-employed, 50.4% of their businesses were registered. In terms of sex, 58.5% of the self-employed were males. In terms of location of business operations, 47.0% operated from the home, 29.8% operated from a fixed location and 20.4% were mobile. The self-employed businesses employed on average 1.5 persons, with 90% employing 4 or less persons. The maximum amount of persons employed was 40. Table A.24: Sex of Self-Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Sex Male Female Total Number Percentage of Total

I 50.9 49.1 100.0 55 12.7

II 55.2 44.8 100.0 67 15.5

III 58.6 41.4 100.0 99 22.9

IV 63.0 37.0 100.0 92 21.3

V 60.5 39.5 100.0 119 27.6

Total 58.6 41.4 100.0 432 100.0

Table A.24 demonstrates that the while self-employed males and females have equal shares at the lowest quintile level, males dominate at higher level quintiles. This suggests that consumption is higher for selfemployed males than self-employed females. If consumption is considered as directly correlated with income, then it can be inferred that male are operating businesses in higher revenue generating areas than female businesses, as males are more prevalent in higher expenditure quintiles. This suggestion was confirmed by reviewing the data on income from the businesses. In looking at actual income for the self-employed, 54% of respondents indicated that this was over $2000 in the last month while 24% indicated that it was less than $800. If this data is viewed by sex, 42% of females had income over $2000 per month and 35% less than $800 while the comparable figures for males were 61% and 17%. These results suggest that self-employed males are overrepresented in higher earning categories and females overrepresented in lower earning categories.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.25: Approximate Business Income in the Last Month (%) Income Group Zero Less Than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 Over $5200 Total Number

Males 3.3 13.4 22.0 30.5 8.1 22.8 100.0 246

Females 5.5 29.1 23.6 26.1 9.1 6.7 100.0 165

Percent 4.1 19.7 22.6 28.7 8.5 16.3 100.0 411

Of the unemployed, 405 were actively seeking work (57.2%). This suggests that the total number of persons in the labour force (sum of employed and unemployed persons who are seeking work) for the sample was 3,634, suggesting an unemployment rate of 11.1%. With reference to the Barbados Continuous Household Labour Force Survey for the period January to March 2010 (Barbados Statistical Service, 2010), the unemployment rate was quoted as 10.6%. The unemployed that are in the labour force (seeking work) are comprised of 46% males and 54% females, with females demonstrating a longer period unemployed that males, as shown in Table A.26. While 42.9% of males had been unemployed for 6 months or more, the equivalent percentage for females was 54%. Table A.26: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Sex (%) Unemployed Periods Never Worked 1 >= 3 Months 3>= 6 Months 6 > 12 Months 1 Year and More Total Number

Males 11.0 28.0 18.1 17.6 25.3 100.0 182

Females 9.7 25.5 11.1 18.1 35.6 100.0 216

Percent 10.3 26.6 14.3 17.8 30.9 100.0 398

For the unemployed youth (15 to 24 years old) that are currently seeking employment, 24% have never worked as opposed to 1.7% of those in the 25 to 65 years old category. For those not seeking work (the voluntarily unemployed), a variety of reasons were given, as outlined below, and mainly related to long term illness, not wanting work or unavailable to work because of caring duties or pregnancy. Table A.27: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Sex (%) Reason for Not Seeking Work Temporary Illness Long Term Illness Did Not Want Work Awaiting Results or Applications Knew of No Vacancy Discouraged Caring for Someone Pregnancy Other Total Number

Males 2.4 27.1 27.1 5.9 12.9 8.2 2.4 1.2 12.9 100.0 85

Females 5.0 19.8 18.8 2.5 8.4 7.9 15.3 5.4 16.8 100.0 202

Percent 4.2 22.0 21.3 3.5 9.8 8.0 11.5 4.2 15.7 100.0 287

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

As a matter of concern from the analysis by sex and age group for those not seeking work is that 27% of males and 38% of the youth cite that they did not want to work. The related percentages for females and those 25 to 65 years were 19% and 16% respectively. In relation to the reason for not wanting to work, the PPA revealed a number of reasons that related to a preference for freedom and leisure. Comments included:     

These and other issues related to not participating in the labour market are discussion in the summation.

Income and Expenditure The individual survey instrument for the SLC sought to gather information on changes and levels of income and expenditure. Table A.28 outlines the main results as it relates to the change in key variables since mid2007, the period before the commencement of the global economic crisis. Table A.28: Individuals Change in Key Economic Variables since mid-2007 (%) Variable Personal Income Hours Worked Overall Personal Expenditure Consumption of Food and Services Purchase of New Household Durables Spending on Transport

Increased 37.1 13.4 60.0 46.5 17.7 40.6

No Change 41.3 63.5 29.7 44.5 63.4 48.4

Decreased 21.6 23.1 10.3 9.0 18.9 11.0

Number 5282 4858 5294 5217 4925 5117

In terms of income and employment, approximately 20% of respondents indicated that personal income and hours worked had decreased, while 37% indicated that personal income had increased and 13% that hours worked had increased. In relation to expenditure, despite only 37% indicating that income had increased, 60% of respondents indicated that overall personal expenditure had increased. The main expenditure increase was seen with food and services (46%). For all individuals reporting some form of income (employment and other sources), monthly income averaged $2,496, with 50% of the sample having a monthly income of $2000 or less. Female monthly income was $2,340 while the related income for males was $2,690. In terms of net monthly income from employment, this was $1,604 for females and $1,781 for males. The results in relation to income categories are shown in Table A.29 and Table A.30 by sex and by strata, with limited deviation seen between males and females; 74% of males and 78% of females earned less than $2000 in the last month. Table A.29: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Sex (%) Net Income Category Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

Male 13.0 60.9 20.2 3.7 2.3 100.0 1232

Female 15.9 62.2 18.0 2.4 1.5 100.0 1507

Total 14.6 61.6 19.0 3.0 1.8 100.0 2739

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

While 80% of those in the West and South East strata earned less than $2000 in the last month, the related share for the Central Strata was 64%. In looking at monthly earnings over $4000, approximately 9% of the Central strata are in this category as opposed to 2% in the North and East Strata and 4% in Greater Bridgetown. Table A.30: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Strata (%) Income Category

Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

Greater Bridgetown

Outer Urban

South East

Central

West

10.0 68.5 18.0 2.3 1.2 100.0 482

11.3 65.2 16.7 4.2 2.5 100.0 353

12.6 68.2 15.6 2.1 1.6 100.0 437

9.0 54.8 27.0 6.1 3.1 100.0 456

24.0 56.3 15.5 2.0 2.2 100.0 595

North and East 17.3 58.9 22.1 1.4 0.2 100.0 416

Total

14.6 61.6 19.0 3.0 1.8 100.0 2739

In terms of sources of income, the main sources were employment, which accounted for approximately 72% of the sample, contributory pensions (10%), public service Government pension (6%), remittances from abroad (6%), child support (5%) and dividends from investment (5%). All other income sources accounted for less than 5% of income sources. An analysis of income source by expenditure quintile demonstrates that while a lower proportion of those in the lowest quintile obtain income from employment than the other quintiles (58% versus an average of 72%), a larger proportion obtain income from a non-contributory pension (7% versus an average of 3%) and public assistance (4% versus 1%). In addition, it appears that those in the lowest quintile have limited investments with only 2% obtaining dividends from investments, 2% receiving deposit interest and less than 1% receiving interest from stocks or shares. The averages for the full sample were 6%, 5% and 3% while for the highest quintile these were 11%, 9% and 6%. Table A.31: Main Sources of Income by Expenditure Quintile (%) Income Source Employment Rentals Government Pension (Public Servant) Pension from Other Employer Contributory Pension from NIS Non-Contributory Pension from NIS Social Security Public Assistance Child Support Allowances Remittances from Abroad Dividends from Investment Deposit Interest Insurance Annuities Interest from Stocks/Shares

I 58.3 1.0 5.8 1.2 11.1 7.2 2.7 3.8 7.0 2.5 4.9 1.5 1.8 0.0 0.5

II 71.0 4.5 6.0 1.1 10.7 3.0 1.8 1.7 4.6 2.7 5.8 3.2 3.2 1.1 1.3

III 76.6 4.3 5.9 1.5 7.1 3.1 2.4 1.7 4.6 2.4 6.5 5.7 4.7 0.6 1.8

IV 75.9 5.5 6.7 2.6 8.8 1.6 2.9 0.7 5.5 3.7 7.6 7.4 6.3 0.9 3.7

V 76.6 10.8 7.7 1.7 9.5 1.6 1.9 0.8 4.5 3.4 8.1 11.0 9.3 2.5 6.2

Total 72.1 5.2 6.4 1.6 9.4 3.2 2.3 1.7 5.2 2.9 6.6 5.7 5.1 1.0 2.7

Number 3574 3378 3359 3364 3352 3340 3347 3365 3366 3372 3324 3283 3267 3353 3325

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Migration In total, 12.6% of households indicated that at least one household member had moved out in the last 5 years; this ranged from one to five individuals and information was collected on a total of 393 individuals. There was a fairly even distribution by sex with males accounting for 51.1% of persons leaving. The majority of those leaving were children of the head of household which accounted for 40.1%, followed by son/daughter in-law (15.4%) and spouse/partner (11.0%). The detailed results are shown in Table A.32. The average age of leaving the household was 31 years of age with 75% departing before the age of 38. In reviewing the level of education of the departing person by expenditure quintile, there appears to be limited deviation of consequence although 25% of persons departing the lowest quartile households had a tertiary education and this has implications for the householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future earning capacity, although it does reduce the consumption burden. Table A.32: Level of Education Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) Level of Education None Complete Primary Incomplete Primary Complete Secondary Incomplete Secondary Tertiary Other Not Stated Don't Know Total Number

III

8.3 4.2 43.1 2.8 25.0 8.3 8.3 100.0 72

5.0 8.3 6.7 41.7 5.0 23.3 3.3 5.0 1.7 100.0 60

5.9 39.2 13.7 33.3 5.9 2.0 100.0 51

7.9 2.6 28.9 2.6 34.2 5.3 15.8 2.6 100.0 38

1.2 1.2 44.2 4.7 40.7 2.3 3.5 2.3 100.0 86

Percent 1.0 5.9 2.9 40.7 5.5 31.6 2.0 6.8 3.6 100.0 307

In terms of the economic activity of the person departing the lowest quartile, they were either working or looking for work (79.5%), detrimentally affecting the householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; earning capacity while reducing the consumption burden.

Main Research Results: Addressing the Terms of Reference (TOR) The following subsection lists the main elements of the TOR for the Barbados CALC that apply to the SLC and the main results from the SLC that address each item. Measure the indigent and poverty lines for Barbados and determine the characteristics, extent, geographic concentration, severity and causes of poverty (by age and sex); The average per capita indigence and poverty lines for Barbados were estimated as BDS$3970 and BDS$7861 respectively. In total 6.9% of households and 9.1% of individuals were categorised as indigent poor while 8.1% of households and 10.2% of individuals were categorised as non-indigent poor. In terms of geographical distribution, the Greater Bridgetown, Outer Urban and North and East strata had an above average population that was poor. In terms of the depth and severity of poverty, the Poverty Gap Index and Squared Poverty Gap for Barbados were estimated at 6.0 and 3.2 respectively while the Gini coefficient was 0.47. Overall, in terms of the causes and correlates of poverty, poor households were characterised as being larger (3.7 persons versus 2.7 for the non-poor), comprising a greater amount of children (2.3 children versus 1.5 for the non-poor), experiencing more overcrowding (11% of poor households were overcrowded versus 3% for

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

the non-poor), having members with lower levels of education in lower skilled jobs, and employed in lower paying sectors. Analyse the different types of poverty manifested i.e. chronically, new, transitory poor etc. and identify structural disadvantages faced by each group; There was a large percentage of intergenerational poverty with approximately 85% of heads of poor households indicating they were at the same level or better off than in the household they grew up in. Despite a proportion of them being better off, 85% of poor heads of households are still living in poverty. Identify and analyse the dynamic links between poverty and the following: Employment, unemployment, and conditions in the formal and informal sectors and poverty (e.g. size, composition and changes in the structure of employment, sectoral distribution, the relative position of men, women, and youth and their earnings/incomes); Social and economic inequality. Overall, 37% of the indigent poor, 46% of the non-indigent poor and 56% of the vulnerable were currently employed. The related percentage for the non-poor was 65%. In terms of unemployment, for those unemployed and seeking work, the rate for the poor was 26.5% as opposed to 11.4% for the vulnerable and 6.3% for the non-poor. For the employed poor, 80% were working full-time as opposed to 87% for the vulnerable and 91% of the non-poor. These results suggest a strong link between employment and poverty status with the poor less likely to be employed, and for the employed poor, they are less likely to be employed full-time. In terms of occupation, the majority of the poor are in lower level jobs (service/sales/assembly) (38.6%) and 11.1% employed as managers/professionals/associate professionals. The related percentages for the non-poor were 25.1% and 29.7% respectively. Industry of employment for the poor also showed differences from the non-poor. The poor were overrepresented in Wholesale/Retail, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Fisheries and Accommodation and Food Services with 52% employed in these sectors as opposed to 28% for the non-poor. The poor were also underrepresented in Financial Services and Professional/Technical Activities with 4% of the poor employed in these sectors as opposed to 15% of the non-poor. It is considered that one of the main reasons for these differentials in the labour market is directly related to the level of qualifications of the poor. While 56.8% of the poor that were not enrolled in an educational institution had no qualifications, this was only 30.7% for the non-poor. Reviewing the labour market and educational data by sex and age indicates that the unemployment rate for males was 10.7% and 11.5% for females. The unemployment rate for the youth (15 to 24 years) was 27.6% as opposed to 8.1% for those over 24 years of age. Other notable differences in relation to sex and age and the labour market were that males were more likely to work for themselves (20% versus 13%) and females were more likely to be a private employee (64% versus 58%). The youth were more likely to work as a private employee (84% versus 58%) and less likely to be self-employed (5% versus 18%). Industry of employment also varied by sex with Accommodation and Food Services, Administration and Financial Services accounting for 40.5% of female employment and Construction/Mining/Quarrying, Professional/Technical Activities and Transport accounting for 33.7% of male employment. Undertake a comparative analysis of poverty, social and economic conditions in relation to results of previous CPAs or other poverty assessments The only previous study of poverty in Barbados was undertaken in 1997 by the IADB. At that time the poverty rate was 8.7% of households and 13.9% of individuals. The Gini coefficient was 0.39 while the Poverty Gap Index and the Squared Poverty Gap were 2.3 and 1.0 respectively. 21

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Although not strictly comparable, Table A.33 compares the results from the 1997 study conducted by the IADB and the 2010 SLC. Table A.33: Comparison of Main Results of Poverty Surveys in Barbados: 1997 and 2010 Variable Poverty Line Vulnerability Line Household Poverty Rate Individual Poverty Rate Poverty Gap Poverty Severity Gini Coefficient Poor Household Size Non-Poor Household Size Poor Households Headed by Females (% of Poor Households) Non-poor Households Headed by Females (% Non-Poor Households) Poverty Rate for Female Headed Households Poverty Rate for Male Headed Households Overcrowding in Poor Households Overcrowding in Non-Poor Households Unemployment Rate in Poor Households Unemployment Rate in Non-Poor Households

IADB 1997 BDS$5,503.00 BDS$6,878.75 8.7% 13.9% 2.3 1.0 0.39 5.0 2.9 58.5% 42.6% 11.5% 6.5% 17.6% 3.3% 30.8% 12.4%

SLC 2010 BDS$7,860.65 BDS$9,825.82 15.0% 19.3% 6.0 3.2 0.47 3.7 2.7 62.2% 47.0% 19.4% 11.5% 11.0% 3.0% 25.9% 8.9%

As indicated previously, the poverty line increased in line with inflation, while the household poverty rate increased from 8.7% to 15.0%, and individual poverty rate increased from 13.9% to 19.3%. It should however be noted that while poverty levels would have been expected to rise given the current economic challenges being experienced globally, the two surveys cannot be directly compared due to different methodological approaches. The SLC of 2010 utilised the approach currently being utilised across the region and supported by the Caribbean Development Bank. The other data in Table A.33 indicates that while overcrowding and unemployment in poor households has fallen, the proportion of poor households that were headed by females has increased. Analyse the level of social vulnerability including the construction of an index and characteristics of vulnerable households Vulnerable households were those within 125% of the poverty line. This was established as an average BDS$9826 per capita per annum. In total 10.2% of households and 10.4% of individuals were categorised as vulnerable. The characteristics of these households are identified throughout the text of the main report.

Summation: Addressing the Causes and Correlates of Poverty The Barbados Survey of Living Conditions (SLC) investigated a range of issues from a robust sample of households in the country including information on the characteristics of the households (number of members, assets possessed, access to utilities, type of dwelling and tenure), and the characteristics of household members (health, education, employment, unemployment, income and expenditure). The results of the analysis of this data revealed a number of interconnected issues as it related specifically to poverty and vulnerability. In seeking to investigate the relationships between issues, the following takes an iterative approach to identifying the causes and correlates of poverty at different levels to inform the development of policy to address the root issues identified.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Poverty, the Labour Market and Household Dependency The SLC component of the Barbados CALC identified a number of characteristics of poor households relating to households being larger, having more children, and experiencing more overcrowding. In addition, household members suffered from lower levels of education and qualification and were in low skilled jobs in low paying sectors. In addition, female headed households were more likely to be poor than male-headed households with poverty rates of 19.4% and 11.5% respectively. As shown in Table A.34, females that headed poor households also experienced larger household sizes and higher dependency (74.8% of household members were non-earners), with the main components of dependency being children under 15 years and persons in education (31.6%). In addition to these non-earners, poor female-headed households also had a large proportion of unemployed persons (17.3%), although this was not significantly different from poor male-headed households (16.8%). While the main component of dependency in poor female-headed households was children under 15 years of age, the main components for poor male-headed households were the retired and the incapacitated, which accounted for 28.0% of household members versus 20.6% for poor female-headed households. Table A.34: Dependency Ratios and Household Size by Sex of Head of Household

Retired

Household Size Incapacitated

In Education (15 and over)

Unemployed

Adult

Overall

Household Status

Children (under 15)

Dependency Ratios*

Poor Female Headed 74.8 25.3 49.5 17.3 6.3 1.5 19.1 4.1 Poor Male Headed 68.6 15.1 53.5 16.8 4.4 3.1 24.9 3.2 Non-poor Female Headed 48.0 11.8 36.1 8.9 4.9 1.5 17.6 2.8 Non-poor Male Headed 43.8 9.4 34.4 5.4 3.8 1.1 20.1 2.7 Total 49.9 12.2 37.7 8.6 4.5 1.4 19.3 2.9 *Overall Dependency is calculated as number of non-earners in the household divided by the total number of persons in the household. The same process is used for each sub-group. A dependency ratio for those â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Keeping Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was not included here.

Given that household poverty is defined quantitatively in the SLC as low levels of income/expenditure per capita, as opposed to more qualitative definitions utilised in PPA, any means to address this would seek to increase these levels per capita by first identifying the main causes of the low levels of income/expenditure per capita. This exercise is summarised below.

Correlates and Causes of Poverty Reviewing the characteristics of poor households from the SLC, two main correlates were identified. In relation to the labour market, poor households experienced higher levels of unemployment and employment in low-paying job (underemployment). For household structure, poor households demonstrated high Dependency Ratios where earners were outnumbered by non-earners in the household. These high levels of dependency not only lead to lower per capita income and expenditure, they also increase the burden of care which further affects participation in the labour market. This is especially the case for female-headed households which have a greater number of children as opposed to adult non-earners.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

While these issues are strongly interrelated, with unemployment affecting dependency and hence a greater burden of care and perhaps underemployment, there are other issues for consideration given that the unemployed only comprise approximately 17% of household members. Due to the other components of household dependency, children, those in education, retirees and the incapacitated, it is necessary that these issues are considered separately, although their link is noted. Given this, the causes of the main issues are outlined below. 1. Causes of Unemployment: 1.1. High reservation wages and available employment considered unsuitable 1.2. Lack of qualifications/skills 1.3. Lack of opportunities in the labour market 1.4. Lack of awareness of opportunities in the labour market 1.5. Lack of desire to work 1.6. Stigma and Discrimination (age, sex, area of residence, religion, disability, sexuality, migrant status, HIV status) 1.7. Burden of care, especially for single-parent households, which prevents participation in the labour market 2. Causes of Employment in Low-paying Jobs: 2.1. Lack of qualifications/skills 2.2. High levels of unemployment driving down wages/keeping wages low due to availability of labour 2.3. Burden of care, especially for single parent households, preventing full exploitation of opportunities in the labour market 3. Causes of High Dependency Ratios: 3.1. Larger number of school-age children and persons still in education 3.2. Adult dependents lack resources to leave the household (due to unemployment/old age/disability/stigma and discrimination) From this list of proposed causes, four (4) main elements emerge, namely: a lack of desire to work; a lack of qualification/skills; a lack of opportunities in the labour market; and the burden of care. These elements and main related issues are explored in the following section.

Main Causes Identified and Related Issues Lack of Desire to Work The lack of desire to work is a worrying result to emerge from the SLC, especially for the youth. The data demonstrated that of the voluntary unemployed, 21% did not want to work and 8% were discouraged with the labour market. For the youth that were voluntarily unemployed, 38% did not want to work. Some of the reasons proffered for this occurrence are examined below. In relation to the issue of high reservation wages/available employment considered unsuitable, the disinclination to enter employment is partially linked with high levels of unemployment driving down wages (or keeping wages low). Potential entrants are disinclined to enter employment as the wages are not attractive enough or they consider the type of work available to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;below themâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This issue of high reservation wages may also be linked to certification where, for those certified in some way, they expect a certain level of remuneration. In addition, if available employment opportunities are below the level of certification of the individual, they may be disinclined to enter employment. The results of the PPA give further insight into the lack of desire to work with the reasons given for not participating in the labour market being a preference for freedom and leisure. The specific comments arising from the PPA in relation to not wanting to work were: 24

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

“get up when you want to” “you don’t have the stress of going to work” “pick up your children [from school] and spend time with them” “more time to lime, time to enjoy your freedom” “feeling good, like you on vacation” These results suggest that freedom, freedom from stress, and preference for leisure were among some of the reasons for not wanting to work.

Lack of Qualifications/Skills The lack of qualifications amongst the lowest expenditure groups is despite the high proportion of Government expenditure on education; approximately 20%. From the SLC, 56% of those in the lowest quintile had no qualifications. The question of quantity versus quality of education needs to be questioned in this light, as well as the reasons for not completing qualifications. The results of the SLC, in reviewing reasons for not completing technical/vocational training courses, suggest that this was related to financial problems, other work, home duties and simply ‘not worth attending’ (a quality/relevance issue). This suggests that there are other pressures on the individual (burden of care) which is precluding the attainment of qualifications and skills and leaving school early. The effects of a lack of qualifications/skills are unemployment, larger households (as dependents lack the resources to leave the household), and employment in low-paying sectors due to limited skill-sets.

Lack of Opportunities in the Labour Market While the lack of opportunities in the labour market can be attributable to general economic conditions and the industrial organisation of the country, there are other issues related to either a perceived or real lack of opportunities in the labour market: Lack of knowledge of available opportunities: While 9.8% of the voluntary unemployed indicated that they did not want to work because they knew of no vacancies, the related figure for the youth was 13.8%. In addition, in seeking jobs, information sources are predominantly newspapers (50.7%) or word of mouth (36.3%). There is limited utilisation of the National Employment Bureau (5.9%). While newspapers may provide a valid formal source of dissemination about available jobs, the reliance on word of mouth is inefficient as it will be related to a person’s social network which may be unable to provide the scope of opportunities persons consider suitable to their remuneration needs or qualification level. Lack of utilisation of self-employment as a career option: There are a number of issues affecting the uptake of self-employment including societal stigmatisation, lack of awareness and a lack of capital (human, physical, financial and social). While the level of stigmatisation of self-employment in Barbados has notably decreased in recent years in tandem with public sector support for self-employment (FundAccess and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme), the lack of awareness is still a barrier which needs to be addressed through the education system from the primary level. This approach is noted as useful as it not only raises awareness of self-employment as a career option, but also increases the understanding of business among future employees to the benefit of their employer. The issue of lack of capital is however a more difficult issue to address as it does not simply relate to the provision of finance, but also to the generation of human and social capital (qualifications, experience, and building of networks).

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In addition to these constraints at the individual level, there is also the external barrier to access due to stigma and discrimination because of age, sex, area of residence, religion, disability, sexuality, migrant status or HIV status. This discrimination in the labour force constrains the opportunities available to the unemployed.

Burden of care The issue of high dependency ratios in poor households, especially female headed households, is a matter of concern beyond the constraint it presents in terms of being able to exploit opportunities in the labour market. Even though persons in households with duty to care for children and the elderly are unable to enter the labour market or fully exploit the opportunities in the labour market beyond part-time or menial labour, there is also the issue of constraining educational opportunities. These occurrences subsequently lead to a cycle of persistent poverty as they are unable to achieve certification to obtain better paying employment or any employment, and break the cycle of poverty.

Potential Policy Measures to Address Main Issues Identified The main issues identified from the above which will need to be addressed through the development of appropriate policies related to: 1. Lack of desire to work because of low wages (high reservation wages), low status jobs, and a preference for leisure over employment. 2. Lack of qualifications due to the quality of the instruction supplied (content, relevance and mode of delivery) as well as domestic (burden of care) and work-related pressures that result in noncompletion. 3. Lack of opportunities in the labour market due to a lack of economic growth and diversification, lack of knowledge of opportunities, lack of utilization of self-employment as an income generating medium, stigma and discrimination, 4. Inability to exploit opportunities due to the burden of care. This suggests five (5) groups that require attention in the development of any policies to reduce poverty in Barbados. These groups are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Those who do not want to work Those working in low-paying jobs Those not working or underemployed because of lack of opportunities Those denied work due to stigma and discrimination Those without the ability to fully exploit opportunities due to the burden of care

There are a variety of mediums through which policy can address these issues, directly or indirectly. These mediums include the provision of employment, increases in real income (reduction of costs faced by poor households, increases in wages through transfers, or increased qualifications to obtain higher paying employment), provision of assets (physical, natural, social, human and financial) and access to social and developmental goods and services. Given these mediums for the alleviation of poverty in Barbados, the issues identified require a number of interventions at the personal and institutional level. In considering the development of these interventions, specific sub-groups that will require special consideration during any policy formulation will be females, the youth and the disabled. In terms of policy development, Table A.35 outlines recommendations for the implementation of general interventions to reduce poverty in Barbados drawn from the SLC as well as the other components of the Barbados CALC. Specific interventions are outlined in the main report.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table A.35: Policy Effects and Goals Policy Effect

Policy Goal

Increase the desire to enter the labour market

Reduction in reservation wages/increases in real wages and the instillation of an industrious culture over a preference for leisure Increase the status of jobs available

Increase the ability to enter and fully exploit opportunities in the labour market (skill development, dissemination of information on vacancies and other opportunities, increased employment opportunities through economic growth and reduced stigmatisation)

Increase the ease of access to educational opportunities through reducing the burden of care and work-related pressures

Enhance the relevance, effectiveness and quality of education

Increase investment, especially in agriculture and manufacturing, science and technology Increase dissemination of employment opportunities

Enhance the status of self-employment as a career option and improve access to resources for enterprise development

Reduce stigma and discrimination utilizing a participatory approach and sensitisation campaigns and training

Reduce the burden of care experienced by poor households, especially female-headed households through the provision of support services and transfers.

Next Steps Further steps to be undertaken in constructing the development of these policy goals by the Government of Barbados and relevant agencies, given that the main issues have been identified, general policy recommendations made and beneficiaries identified, are as follows: ď&#x201A;ˇ ď&#x201A;ˇ

Clarification of policy goals (direct impacts) and indicate time period for the achievement of goals (short, medium, long term) Indicate implementing institutions for the various policies recommended

Of primary importance in the development of policy in this area is the implementation of systems for Monitoring and Evaluation. This is especially as it relates to specific indicators be put in place to ensure that on-going monitoring of all initiatives, activities, programmes and projects intended to improve living conditions and to alleviate poverty, are being implemented in ways that will ensure that their objectives can be achieved. The current lack of Monitoring and Evaluation by support institutions was identified as a major shortcoming in the current social safety net framework by the Institutional Assessment component of the Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions (CALC) and in seeking to implement effective policy interventions, monitoring and evaluation should be at the core.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions (CALC) 2010: Results of the Survey of Living Conditions (SLC)

MAIN REPORT

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Conditions (CALC) 2010: Results of the Survey of Living Conditions (SLC)

Introduction

1.1.

Background

Surveys of living conditions (SLCs) and household budget surveys (HBSs) are the traditionally accepted methods for gathering data on poverty. Although modern poverty assessments have adopted qualitative techniques in gathering data, Surveys of Living Conditions/Household Budget Surveys (SLC/HBS 4) still play an integral role in providing data for the construction of poverty estimates, food baskets, and the spatial distribution of poverty. In incorporating qualitative methods in Country Assessments of Living Conditions (CALC), the SLC also provides supplementary information for the analysis of participatory poverty assessments. The current SLC follows this trend. The purpose of the SLC is to provide primary data for the construction of poverty estimates as it relates to the annual minimum cost food basket (MCFB), an indigence line, a poverty line, and a variety of indicators to enable regional and international comparisons, including the headcount ratio, the poverty gap index, the squared poverty gap and the Gini coefficient for the country. In addition, the data is utilised to provide representations of the spatial distribution of poverty in a country. The SLC forms the main quantitative element of the Barbados CALC. The main objective of the SLC was to gather statistically representative household and individual data on basic demographics (age, sex, employment status, occupation, marital status, and education/training), income and income sources, expenditure, household size and composition, dwelling type and resident status, asset ownership, and quality of amenities. The surveys also sought to determine detailed expenditure and earnings in terms of food and drink, housing and related supplies, clothing, transportation, health, education and training, and recreation and leisure, with the objective of the HBS to update the national consumer basket. The collection of this quantitative data allowed for the construction of poverty estimates as it relates to the minimum cost food basket (with information from the National Nutrition Centre), the indigence line (the MCFB), the poverty line (the MCFB plus the minimum cost non-food basket (MCNFB)), and the level of indigence, poverty and vulnerability in Barbados. The main purpose of the SLC was to address, or contribute to, specific element of the TOR, as outlined in Table 1.1. Table 1.1: Elements of the TOR addressed by the Survey of Living Conditions/Household Budget Survey Objectives as Specified in TOR a. Measure the indigent and poverty lines for Barbados and determine the characteristics, extent, geographic concentration, severity and causes of poverty (by age and sex); b. Analyse the different types of poverty manifested i.e. chronically, new, transitory poor etc. and identify structural disadvantages faced by each group; e. Identify and analyse the dynamic links between poverty and the following: i. Employment, unemployment, and conditions in the formal and informal sectors and poverty (e.g. size, composition and changes in the structure of employment, sectoral distribution, the relative position of men,

The Household Budget Survey was conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service and the results are presented separately.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Objectives as Specified in TOR women, and youth and their earnings/incomes) ix. Social and economic inequality; f. Undertake a comparative analysis of poverty, social and economic conditions in relation to results of previous CPAs or other poverty assessments; g. Analyse the level of social vulnerability including the construction of an index and characteristics of vulnerable households; m. Identify current and propose additional priority civil society and public actions required to assist in moving households out of poverty; and n. Develop a draft programme of action (PoA) which sets out strategic options for addressing critical issues emerging from the research and proposals for improving existing social development programmes, or changes to social and economic policy, as well as investment projects to strengthen or enhance the effectiveness of Government, NGO and CBO efforts to sustainably reduce poverty.

Given these parameters, the main issues covered in the SLC report relate to living conditions in Barbados, not just poverty, and relate to levels and/or access to:     

Income and expenditure Productive resources Education, health, transport and other services Housing Safe environments

In addition, special consideration is given to vulnerable groups; namely single parents, the elderly, the youth, the unemployed and persons with disabilities. The following sections detail the main results of the SLC. Details of the sampling methodology, survey instrument construction and issues encountered in the processing of the data are included as Appendix 1. A synopsis of the sampling methodology and the construction of poverty estimates are outlined in the next two sections, followed by the main result of the SLC for both households and individuals.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

2. Sampling Methodology, Survey Instrument Construction and Response Rates 2.1.

Strata Determination

In the initial stages of the development of the SLC methodology, and in keeping with the TOR commitment of analysing the geographical distribution of poverty in Barbados, it was evident that two (2) main issues needed to be addressed. Firstly, it was necessary to establish whether there was a spatial element to poverty in Barbados. Secondly, if a spatial dimension was identified, the form of the segmentation of the country would need to be established. In the first instance, to establish whether there was a spatial dimension to poverty in Barbados, analysis of data from the 2000 Census of Housing and Population (BSS, 2001) and more recent data from the Welfare Department was undertaken. Utilising this data, it was identified that there was a spatial dimension to poverty. The analysis process is shown in Appendix 1. This information was then utilised to segment the country into six (6) separate strata for the application of the sampling methodology. This process is also shown in Appendix 1. Figure 3: Geographical Representation of Strata

A description of the six (6) strata utilised for the SLC are shown below: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

5. West: majority comprised of St. James and adjacent areas of St. Peter and St. Michael 6. North and East: majority comprised of St. Lucy, St. Andrew, St. John and St. Joseph with adjacent areas from St. Peter and St. Philip.

2.2.

Sampling Size Selection and Design

Following the identification of the appropriate number of strata, various options for the proportion of the population to sample were considered. A final targeted sample size of 2.5% of households was established, accounting for approximately 2476 households and 5469 individuals. To account for potential non-response, oversampling was undertaken and the ultimate target sample was 3000 households and approximately 6,600 individuals. In order to achieve this sample size, at the strata level, a sample of 20 enumeration districts (EDs) were selected and 25 households from each ED. Households were selected using systematic sampling with a random start.

2.3.

Survey Instruments Construction

In keeping with other such assessments in the region, the Survey of Living Conditions for Barbados utilised two research instruments, a household questionnaire to be completed by the head of household coving items related to the characteristics of the household, and including information on persons in the household under the age of 15, and an individual questionnaire to be completed by all persons 15 years of age and over. An initial starting point in the construction of the survey instruments were those used previously and approved by the project sponsor. However, some of these issues thought relevant to the current conceptualisation of living conditions were not covered in these templates. In order to ensure that these issues were included, various indicators of living conditions were included in the final instruments as outlined below. 1. Lack of/Inadequate Income: Income measured via the Household and Individual survey instruments and compared against the calculated poverty line. 2. Limited/Lack of Access to Productive Resources: In this instance productive resources relate to savings and investments. Measured via Household and Individual survey instruments. 3. Limited/Lack of Access to education and other basic services: Relates to access to education, healthcare and other support services. Measured in terms of recent use, transport to/from etc.. As the Government of Barbados provides free transport for schoolchildren via the Transport Board, use of this initiative is measured. Also of interest was the amount of time taken in reaching destinations. This has implications for such issues as zoning for school allocations. This was measured for children via the household questionnaire and for adults via the individual questionnaire. 4. Increased morbidity/mortality from illness: Elements of health measured via the individual questionnaire. 5. Inadequate Housing: Dealt with via the Household questionnaire. 6. Unsafe Environments: Additional elements were included in the Household and Individual survey instruments outlined below. Other issues related to personal/household security and the immediate surrounding environment, i.e. feelings of safety in going outside at night etc., were also included. 7. Social Discrimination and exclusion: Potential vulnerable persons/groups can be identified via the Household questionnaire for further investigation alongside the PPA. These groups include: a. Women who head households and their families b. The elderly c. Young children d. Unemployed youth e. Persons with disabilities f. Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) 32

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

g. Immigrants

2.3.1 Main Elements of the Questionnaires: The templates utilised as a starting point for the construction of the final instruments included those supplied by the Caribbean Development Bank (CBD) and the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS). In order to accommodate the specific conceptualisation of poverty outlined above, several additions were required. The overall structure of the instruments are outlined below. Household Questionnaire Structure 1. Background: Enumeration District Number, Household Number, Enumerator and Supervisor Number, Record of Visits. 2. Listing of Household Members: Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Relation to Head of HH, Main Economic Activity, Employment Status, and Working Status. 3. Housing: Type of Dwelling, Characteristics, Number of Rooms. 4. Head of Household Background: change in standard of living from household grew up in, highest grade completed by father and mother. 5. Information on HH members that have left in last five (5) years. 6. Information on those under the age of 15. Individual Questionnaire Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

2.4.

Demographics: sex, age, ethnicity, religion, etc. Migration Health Education Employment Marital Status Crime Expenditure Income

Response Rates

In total, 2,426 household instruments and 5,688 individual instruments were received and processed. Initial review of the data indicated duplicate entries for the individual database, resulting in the removal of 70 entries and a final individual database size of 5618 individuals. A more detailed review of response rates is shown in Section 5: Main Survey Results. A detailed outline of the above procedures and data utilised are shown in Appendix 1.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Construction of Poverty Indicators and Poverty Estimates

The estimation of poverty levels requires the estimation of three (3) main thresholds: 4. The Indigence Line. This is equivalent to the annual minimum cost food basket (MCFB) which is the minimum monetary requirement to meet basic nutritional needs for different demographic groups. 5. The Poverty Line. This is the MCFB plus the minimum monetary requirement to meet non-food costs for the basic needs of an individual. 6. The Vulnerability Line. This is an arbitrary amount used to indicate the level of vulnerability to poverty. It is usually expressed as 125% of the Poverty Line. In this case the Non-Poor are those above the vulnerability line. In relation to households, these thresholds are applied to the total required consumption of the household (using an appropriate consumption indicator of either actual expenditure or income) to categorise a household as either indigent (if below the indigence line), poor (if below the poverty line but above the indigence line), vulnerable (if below the vulnerability line, but above the poverty line), or non-poor (if above the vulnerability line). For each categorisation, the total number of persons in each category are allocated the same status as the household in which they reside. This technique is used to provide individual poverty estimates from household poverty estimates. Once these thresholds are applied to the results of the SLC, there are four (4) main poverty indicators that provide measures of the level and character of poverty and inequality: 5. The Headcount Ratio. Percentage of households or persons categorised as poor (indigent and nonindigent poor). 6. The Poverty Gap Index. The average distance below the poverty line measured as the difference between actual consumption and the poverty line as a percentage of the poverty line. If average consumption was zero, the index would be 100. 7. The Poverty Gap Squared. The same approach as the poverty gap but places greater emphasis on the poorest households by utilising the square of the difference between the poverty line and actual consumption. 8. The Gini Coefficient5. A measure of inequality of consumption. For the sake of clarity, throughout the report, categories are referred to as the indigent poor (those living below the indigence line), the non-indigent poor (those living above the indigence line but below the poverty line), the vulnerable (those living at or above the poverty line, but at or below the vulnerability line) and the non-poor (those living above the vulnerability line). In reference to poverty, the term poor is used to refer to the sum of the indigent poor and the non-indigent poor. The manner in which the thresholds were calculated, and the estimates of poverty in Barbados, are presented below.

3.1.

Construction of Poverty Thresholds

In reviewing the definitions of the main thresholds, there are two necessary empirical data requirements to calculate the values of these indicators: 1) the MCFB; and 2) the non-food costs required to meet basic needs. For the Barbados CALC, the MCFB was supplied by the National Nutrition Centre for eight (8) demographic categories; male and female by four (4) age groups (0 to 5 years, 6 to 14 years, 15 to 59 years, 60 years and older). The MCFB was based on the minimum weekly expenditure on food required to meet basic nutritional requirements, as outlined in Table 3.1. This was the same approach as utilised in the 1997 Poverty Study for Barbados conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). 5

Gini coefficient measures the distribution of income or consumption in an economy and the extent to which it deviates from an equal distribution. A Gini coefficient of 0.0 represents perfect equality, while a coefficient of 1.0 indicates perfect inequality.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 3.1: Weekly Minimum Cost Food Basket6 (MCFB) by age and sex (Source: Barbados National Nutrition Centre) Age Group Pre-School (0-5) Pre-School (0-5) School age (6-14) School age (6-14) Adult (15-59) Adult (15-59) Elderly (60 & high) Elderly (60 & high)

Sex Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Energy (Kcal) 1295 1390 2065 2450 2200 2870 1835 2295

Protein 15 16 45 45 45 53 45 53

Average Cost Per Week (BDS$) 41.29 42.28 86.65 90.52 88.85 90.83 82.91 87.44

Based on these weekly figures the annual indigence line for Barbados can be calculated by multiplying the average cost per week by 52. Table 3.2 outlines the annual indigence line for Barbados for each age and sex category. Table 3.2: The Annual Indigence Line for Barbados by age and sex category Age Category Pre-School (0-5) Pre-School (0-5) School age (6-14) School age (6-14) Adult (15-59) Adult (15-59) Elderly (60 and over) Elderly (60 and over) AVERAGE

Sex Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Indigence Line (BDS$) 2147.08 2198.39 4505.80 4707.21 4620.37 4723.16 4311.32 4546.88 3970.03

While the calculation of the MCFB/indigence line is clear, there are a variety of options for calculating the non-food costs for a household (utilities, accommodation, communications, transport etc.), which involve the estimation of the food share of consumption from survey data. Essentially this estimation seeks to provide a minimum cost non-food basket (MCNFB) to add to the MCFB (indigence line) to establish a poverty line by the calculation of the share of non-food expenditure. The approach to this estimation involves the calculation of the food share of consumption as a percentage of total consumption for lower consumption deciles; those households at lower consumption levels. The rationale behind this approach is that as total consumption increases, the food share of expenditure will fall as more discretionary expenditure is undertaken. In this approach, lower consumption deciles are expected to reveal a truer proportion of the minimum amount of consumption attributed to food expenditure as a proportion of total expenditure. Ideally, those households at the margin of poverty would be utilised to provide this estimation. However, given that this is an unknown at the initial stages of the calculation of the poverty line, estimates are usually provided from those at lower consumption levels. For the calculation of the poverty line for Barbados for the 2012 SLC, and given the rationale of using those at the margins poverty to indicate the required food share of expenditure, the actual food share of expenditure per decile was analysed to enable the appropriate break-point to be identified in relation to falling levels of the food share as consumption increased. The break-point for the data was the second decile, the same decile as used for the 1997 Barbados Poverty Study (IADB, 1998). The 1997 Barbados Poverty Study (IADB, 1998), in the calculation of the food share of expenditure utilised the second consumption level decile to provide the estimate of the food share of consumption; id est the bottom 20% households based on consumption levels. IADB (1998) estimated food expenditure as a 6

The actual food basket utilised is included as Appendix 2.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

percentage of total expenditure as 52%. In calculating the poverty line, the authors used the MCFB for each demographic and a multiplier of 1.92 (the reciprocal of 0.52) (i.e. the poverty line was 1.92 times the cost of the MCFB or the MCFB was 52% of total expenditure). The per capita average annual poverty line was BDS$5503 in 1997. Using inflation data for the period 1997 to 2010, this would suggest an average per capita annual poverty line in 2010 of BDS$8228. Applying the a similar approach to the 2010 SLC results for the calculation of the food share of consumption, using the second decile, provided an estimate of 50.5% or a multiplier of 1.98. This multiplier results in a per capita average annual poverty line of BDS$7861; this figure is 4.5% less than the inflated poverty line from 1997 of BDS$8228 for 2010. In seeking international comparisons for the food multiplier, De Iloyos and Lessem (2008) provide data for the developing world in relation to food shares of consumption. The reciprocals of this data are shown in Table 3.3 to enable comparison with the multiplier utilised for the SLC. Table 3.3: Food Share Multipliers for the Developing World (adapted from De Iloyos and Lessem, 20087) Region/Country Barbados East Asia and the Pacific Eastern Europe and Central Asia Latin America Middle East and North Africa South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Guyana Jamaica Developing World

Population Average 2.24 1.67 2.28 2.97 2.04 1.72 1.65 2.36 3.09 1.89

Moderate Poor Average 1.98 1.52 1.79 2.16 1.73 1.65 1.57 1.95 2.54 1.64

Recent country poverty assessments for the Caribbean demonstrate the importance of utilising national data for the construction of the food share multipliers as these vary widely across the region, as shown in Table 3.4. Table 3.4: Food Share Multipliers for Barbados (SLC, 2010) and various Caribbean Countries (Belize CPA, 2010) Country (year) St. Kitts and Nevis (2000) Dominica (2002) Belize (2010) Barbados (2010) Antigua and Barbuda (2007) Trinidad and Tobago (2005) St. Lucia (2005)

Food Share of Expenditure (%) 64.0 59.0 58.0 50.5 39.0 38.0 31.0

Utilising this food multiplier of 1.98 to establish the poverty line from the indigence line, and estimating the vulnerability line as 125% of the poverty line, the following results are seen for Barbados for age and sex groupings (see Table 3.5).

De Iloyos, R. and Lessem, R. (2008). Food Shares in Consumption: New Evidence Using Engel Curves for the Developing World, Working Paper, October 17, 2008. Available from URL: https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/rlessem/web/engel.pdf [Accessed 18th April 2011]

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 3.5: Annual Individual Poverty Thresholds for Barbados (BDS$) Age Category Pre-School (0-5) Pre-School (0-5) School age (6-14) School age (6-14) Adult (15-59) Adult (15-59) Elderly (60 & high) Elderly (60 & high) AVERAGE

Sex Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Indigence Line 2147.08 2198.39 4505.80 4707.21 4620.37 4723.16 4311.32 4546.88 3970.03

Poverty Line 4251.22 4352.81 8921.48 9320.28 9148.34 9351.86 8536.41 9002.82 7860.65

Vulnerability Line 5314.02 5441.01 11151.86 11650.35 11435.42 11689.82 10670.52 11253.53 9825.82

These figures were utilised to establish the threshold levels for indigence, poverty and vulnerability at the household level depending on the individual composition of the household, id est. individual requirements were summed to the household level. This threshold level was then compared against actual consumption levels to determine the poverty status of each household. The poverty status of the household applies to all members of the household. In order to provide for households that owned property without a mortgage, as their accommodation expenditure would be less than households that are required to expend on rent or mortgage payments, the same procedure as the calculation of the food share of expenditure was undertaken. In reviewing the expenditure data on households in the second decile, the difference in expenditure was 22.1%. Given this result, the poverty line for households owning their property without a mortgage was deflated by this amount to allow for this unrequired expenditure item. This procedure is the post facto equivalent of utilising imputed rents from household respondents and implies an average imputed per capita rent of BDS$145 per month. In seeking to establish the efficacy of this estimate, an analysis of rental prices in Barbados was undertaken utilising data published in the daily newspapers. The results revealed average per capita rental costs (based on a maximum of 2 persons per bedroom) of BDS$342 with a minimum of BDS$133. This suggests that the estimated minimum imputed per capita rent is a feasible estimate in this case.

3.2.

Poverty Estimates and Indicators

3.2.1 Headcount Ratio Following the allocation of threshold levels to households based on age and sex of household members, these levels were aggregated to give each household an indigence line, a poverty line and a vulnerability line. These levels were then differenced against total household expenditure to allow the assignment of poverty status for the household and resident individuals. The allocation by poverty status is shown in Table 3.6. Table 3.6: Poverty Status for Households and Individuals in Barbados Poverty Status Indigent Poor Non-Indigent Poor Vulnerable Non-Poor Total8

Household Frequency Household Percentage (%) 131 6.9 154 8.1 194 10.2 1429 74.9 1908 100

Individual Frequency 502 560 570 3873 5505

Individual Percentage (%) 9.1 10.2 10.4 70.4 100

The results demonstrate that approximately 15.0% of households in Barbados can be categorised as poor and 10.2% vulnerable. In terms of individuals, 19.3% were poor and 10.4% vulnerable. In providing estimates for the population, the complex standard error calculation at the 95% level indicates that the confidence 8

Some percentage totals do not sum to 100.0% due to rounding.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

interval for this estimate is +/-1.8% for households, i.e. household poverty in Barbados is between 13.2% and 16.8% of households. In terms of levels, the 15% estimate would represent 14,855 households, with a 95% confidence level that the true number of households in Barbados living in poverty is between 13,072 and 16,637 households from a total of 99,032 total households in Barbados. In terms of geographical distribution, Table 3.7 demonstrates that the Greater Bridgetown, Outer Urban and North and East stratums demonstrate above average household poverty levels of 18.4%, 17.6% and 16.9% respectively. These differential levels suggest an element of urban and rural poverty, with semi-urban strata (South East, Central and West) demonstrating lower proportions of poor households. While these relatively poorer strata are also exhibit higher than average vulnerability, the South East strata also exhibits above average vulnerability. Table 3.7: Strata by Poverty Status (%) Strata

Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East Average Number

Indigent Poor 8.7 7.6 5.6 6.5 5.3 8.1 6.9 131

Nonindigent Poor 9.7 10.0 7.5 5.5 7.0 8.8 8.1 154

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Reponses

13.0 11.2 11.4 8.6 5.9 11.4 10.2 194

68.6 71.1 75.6 79.4 81.8 71.7 74.9 1429

15.7 17.2 18.9 15.3 18.7 14.3 100.0 1908

While the poverty estimates are based on empirical data, the SLC sought the qualitative views of household in relation to their standard of living. Table 3.8 contrasts the quantitative poverty status of households to the qualitative views of households as regards their standard of living. The results reveal that while 38.8% of indigent poor households and 29.7% of non-indigent poor households categorise themselves as having a low or very low standard of living, only 13.8% of vulnerable households and 9.2% of non-poor households categorise themselves as falling into these categories. These results suggest a level of congruence between the quantitative and qualitative categorisations of households. Table 3.8: Rating of Household Standard of Living by Poverty Status (%) Rating Level

Very Low Low Medium High Very High Total Number

Indigent Poor 6.7 31.1 56.3 5.9 0.0 100 119

Nonindigent Poor 5.8 21.9 62.8 6.6 2.9 100 137

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Responses

2.8 11.0 75.7 8.3 2.2 100 181

1.4 7.8 73.9 14.3 2.6 100 1350

2.2 10.7 72.1 12.5 2.4 100 1,787

Expanding beyond the absolute poverty levels shown in Table 3.8, relative expenditure is shown in Table 3.9 as it relates to householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own rating of their standard of living. For households in the lowest expenditure quintile, 28.0% rate their standard of living as low or very low. The respective figure for the highest quintile is 6.0%, while 24.2% of those in the highest quintile rate their standard of living as high or very high. Overall, the majority of households rated their standard of living as medium, averaging 72.1% across quintiles, while 12.9% rate their standard of living as low. 38

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 3.9: Rating of Household Standard of Living by Expenditure Quintile9 (%) Rating Level Very Low Low Medium High Very High Total Number

II 5.2 22.8 64.6 5.8 1.7 100 347

III

1.7 8.7 77.8 10.4 1.4 100 356

1.7 10.8 73.0 12.8 1.7 100 352

1.6 7.1 75.0 13.6 2.7 100 368

1.1 4.9 69.8 19.8 4.4 100 364

Percentage of Responses 2.2 10.7 72.1 12.5 2.4 100 1,787

In seeking to determine the level of slippage into and out of poverty, the SLC sought qualitative responses as it related to householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; current economic situation versus the previous year (2009). Table 3.10 indicates that 44.9% of households rated themselves as worse off than the previous year with 49.2% of the indigent poor and 49.7% of non-indigent poor households rating themselves in this category. Only 43.4% of non-poor households rated themselves as being worse off than the previous year. These results suggest that there may be some degree of slippage as households that may have been categorised as vulnerable in a previous period are now worse off, and are now categorised as poor. Table 3.10: Rating of Economic Situation of Household versus Previous Year by Poverty Status (%) Rating Level

Indigent Poor

Much Worse Now A Little Worse Now Same A Little Better Now Much Better Now Total Number

19.4 29.8 34.7 13.7 2.4 100 124

Nonindigent Poor 16.6 33.1 37.2 9.7 3.4 100 145

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Responses

13.3 35.6 34.4 13.3 3.3 100 180

12.5 30.9 42.6 10.2 3.8 100 1353

13.4 31.5 40.8 10.7 3.6 100 1802

Reviewing this data by expenditure quintiles shows that nearly 49% of Quintile 1, which is comprised mostly of the poor, consider themselves worse off than the previous year. The related percentages for Quintiles 3 and 4 are 45% and 44% respectively. Table 3.11: Rating of Economic Situation of Household versus Previous Year by Expenditure Quintile (%) Rating Level Much Worse Now A Little Worse Now Same A Little Better Now Much Better Now Total Number

I 16.8 31.8 36.6 11.7 3.1 100 358

II 13.3 30.7 41.0 11.6 3.3 100 361

III 14.6 30.5 41.5 9.3 4.1 100 364

IV 12.5 31.3 39.9 11.6 4.7 100 361

V 9.8 33.0 45.3 9.2 2.8 100 358

Percentage of Responses 13.4 31.5 40.8 10.7 3.6 100 1802

Taking a longer time horizon, and seeking to establish the effect of the current global economic crisis, households were asked to indicate the change in their standard of living since 2007, previous to the accepted commencement of the current crisis. When viewed in relation to poverty status, it appears that those currently categorised as non-indigent poor or vulnerable have suffered the greatest with 38% and 30% respectively 9

Expenditure Quintiles refer to the following consumption ranges: I: less than BD$9202; II: BD$9202-BD$13891; III: BD$13892-BD$19928; IV: BD$19929-BD$32950; V: More than BD$32950

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

indicating that they were worse off since 2007. The related figure for the non-poor was 23%. Interestingly, only 24% of the indigent poor indicated that they were worse off than in 2007, suggesting a lower level of slippage into or within this group than for the non-indigent poor or the vulnerable. In contrasting this data with the change in living standards in the last year, it appears that some households are in the same situation as 2007, but worse off than the previous year. This suggests some increase in living standards in 2008, but a decline in 2009 as a proportion of households is indicating that they are either now in the same situation as 2007, but worse off than in 2009. For all households, 44.9% indicated that they were worse off than in 2009, while only 25.3% indicated this for 2007. Of concern here is that higher than average proportions of the non-indigent poor and the vulnerable indicated that they were worse off than 2007 with 38% of the non-indigent poor and 30% of the vulnerable indicating this. Table 3.12: Rating of Change in Living Standards since 2007 by Poverty Status (%) Rating Level

Indigent Poor

Much Worse Off Worse Off Same Better Off Much Better Off Total Number

Nonindigent Poor 4.8 33.3 46.3 12.9 2.7 100 147

6.5 17.1 52.8 19.5 4.1 100 123

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Responses

3.2 26.5 47.6 18.4 4.3 100 185

2.0 21.4 55.0 17.2 4.3 100 1388

2.7 22.6 53.4 17.1 4.2 100 1,843

Reviewing the household rating of change in living standards since 2007 by expenditure quintile shows a clearer trend than for poverty status. While 29.7% of Quintile 1 households consider themselves worse off than 2007, there is a steady decline to Quintiles 4 and 5 where only 19.7% and 20.7% of households consider themselves in this category. This is in contrast to households which rate themselves at the same level as 2007; 56.2% in Quintile 5 versus 49.7% in Quintile 1. Table 3.13: Rating of Change in Living Standards since 2007 by Expenditure Quintile (%) Rating Level Much Worse Off Worse Off Same Better Off Much Better Off Total Number

II 4.7 25.0 49.7 17.0 3.6 100 364

2.7 25.8 51.9 15.7 3.8 100 364

III 1.1 26.6 51.9 16.7 3.8 100 372

IV 3.0 16.7 57.4 18.9 4.0 100 371

V 1.9 18.8 56.2 17.5 5.6 100 372

Percentage of Responses 2.7 22.6 53.4 17.1 4.2 100 1,843

With respect to the issue of intergenerational poverty, head of households rated their current standard of living versus their childhood household. The results reveal that 14.1% of the indigent poor and 15.8% of the nonindigent poor consider themselves worse off. Although it cannot be determined whether they have now slipped into poverty or were living in poverty before, this does indicate that these heads are now at a lower standard than in their childhood home. What is concerning is that the remaining poor households consider themselves as the same or better off. For the heads of indigent poor and the non-indigent poor households, 85.9% and 84.2% are still residing in a household at the same level as their childhood household suggesting a high level of intergenerational poverty. In contrast, 73.3% of non-poor heads of household consider that they are better off than in their childhood household, a percentage of which would have moved out of poverty.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 3.14: Rating of Living Standard in Childhood Household of Head of Household by Poverty Status (%) Rating Level Much Better Off Better Off Same Worse Off Much Worse Off Total Number

Indigent Poor 18.0 45.3 22.7 12.5 1.6 100 128

Non-indigent Poor 19.9 43.8 20.5 13.7 2.1 100 146

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Responses

22.2 53.0 17.8 6.5 0.5 100 185

27.2 46.1 20.2 5.9 0.6 100 1399

25.5 46.6 20.2 7.1 0.8 100 1858

3.2.2 Poverty Gap, Severity of Poverty and the Gini Coefficient In looking at the other poverty indicators utilised for the SLC, Table 3.15 outlines the main results as it relates to household poverty levels, the poverty gap index and the poverty gap squared (poverty severity) by geographical strata. Table 3.15: Strata by Poverty Indicators Strata Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East

Total

Headcount: Household Poverty 18.4 17.6 13.1 12.0 12.3 16.9

Poverty Gap Index

Poverty Severity

7.9 7.0 5.1 4.9 4.7 6.5

4.6 3.7 2.6 2.7 2.5 3.4

15.0

6.0

3.2

The poverty gap index results (depth of poverty) in Table 3.15 reveal that on average the poor are existing at 6% of the poverty line below the poverty line. This is the equivalent of BDS$470 per person living in poverty. The distribution by strata shows that the depth of poverty is greatest (above average) in Greater Bridgetown and the Outer Urban area, and to some degree in the North and East. The degree of poverty severity (degree of inequality amongst the poor) was also calculated by strata, and while this averages 3.2 for the entire sample, the highest level of inequality amongst the poor was seen in Greater Bridgetown and to a lesser degree in the Outer Urban area and the North and East. In addition to these three main indicators, the Gini coefficient was also calculated utilising expenditure for the various population deciles, as outlined in Table 9.1 in the Appendices. The calculated Gini coefficient was 0.47 and indicates an increase in inequality over 1997 when the coefficient was 0.39. In terms of regional comparisons, the Gini coefficient for Dominica was 0.44 in 2010 and 0.42 in Belize in the same year. Other regional comparisons for the poverty indicators presented above are shown below.

3.3.

Summation

The analysis of poverty in Barbados from the results of the SLC reveal that approximately 15.0% of households and 19.3% of individuals are living below the poverty line. These levels are somewhat lower than for other countries in the region with the exception of Antigua and Barbuda which had a household poverty rate of 13.4% and individual rate of 18.3% in 2007, the period immediately preceding the current economic crisis. Other regional comparisons are shown in Table 3.16.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 3.16: Regional Poverty Indicators Country (year of data) Barbados (2010) Dominica (2010) St. Lucia (2007) Belize (2009) Grenada (2008) Antigua and Barbuda (2007) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2008) St. Kitts and Nevis (2009) -St. Kitts -Nevis

Household Poverty 15.0 22.8 21.4 31.0 na 13.4 -

Individual Poverty 19.3 28.8 28.8 42.0 37.7 18.3 33.1 21.8 23.7 15.9

Poverty Gap Index 6.0 8.9 9.0 11.4 10.1 6.6 7.5 6.4 2.7

Poverty Severity 3.2 4.0 4.1 5.0 4.0 3.8 3.0 2.6 0.8

Gini 0.47 0.44 0.42 0.42 0.37 0.48 0.40 0.40 -

The results above indicate that, with the exception of Nevis, the Poverty Gap Index in Barbados is relatively low in comparison to other countries in the region. The same can also be said for the degree of inequality amongst the poor (poverty severity), where Barbados has the third lowest level after St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, in terms of inequality in consumption, as measured by the Gini coefficient, Barbados demonstrates the second highest level of inequality after Antigua and Barbuda. The lowest level of inequality in consumption was seen in Grenada with a Gini coefficient of 0.37. The rest of the report reviews the main results of the SLC. The analysis of the results of the SLC utilize four (4) main variables to differentiate the results: sex (male/female); expenditure quintiles per capita (normalized for adult male equivalence (AME)); age group (youth/over 24 years of age) and, where appropriate, poverty status (indigent poor, non-indigent poor, vulnerable and non-poor). Supplementary tabular results are shown in Appendix 3.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Main Survey Results

4.1.

Response Rates and Geographical Coverage

The sample targets for the SLC were 3000 households and 6,600 individuals (over the age of 14) spread across the six (6) strata. These were the oversampling targets in order to obtain at least a 2.5% sample of households which would include 2,476 households and 5,469 individuals (based on an estimate of 2.2 persons over 14 years per household). The actual numbers sampled were 2,426 households (98% of required target and 81% of oversampling target) and 5,618 individuals (103% of required target and 85% of oversampling target). These sample responses represent 2.4% of estimated households in Barbados and 2.6% of the adult population, with margins of error of +/-2.0% and +/-1.3% respectively. The responses by strata are shown in Table 4.1. Table 4.1: Household Response Rates by Strata Strata Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East Total

Frequency 391 401 451 361 447 375 2,426

Percent of Sample 16.1 16.5 18.6 14.9 18.4 15.5 100.0

As Table 4.1 shows, for households, the South East and West strata were over-sampled, while the other strata were under-sampled, the most severe being the Central stratum. In terms of individuals, the largest proportion was seen in the West with 19.7% of sample, while the Outer Urban and Central strata have the lowest with 14.9% of the sample (see Table 4.2). Given that the analysis at the strata level only refers to shares within the strata, and not across strata, this over- and under-sampling will not affect the analysis given that figures are as a percentage of the strata responses and not overall responses. Table 4.2 also indicates that in comparing the number of over 14s per household, this is highest in the North and East stratum (2.6); this is lowest in the Outer Urban strata (2.1). Table 4.2: Individual Response Rates by Strata Strata Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East Total

4.2.

Frequency

Percent

889 845 1,000 847 1,119 988 5,688

15.6 14.9 17.6 14.9 19.7 17.4 100.0

Average number of over 14s per Household 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.3

Household Size, Demographics and Housing

The SCL Household questionnaire sought to gather information on a variety of issues as covered in other similar surveys, both domestically and regionally. This not only enabled comparison, it also assisted in confirming the robustness of the sampling procedure. The main results to emerge are discussed below in comparison to previous Barbadian research, specifically the 2000 Census of Population and Housing (BSS, 2001) and the 1997 Poverty Study undertaken by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB, 1998). The SLC 2010 collected data on a total of 6973 persons, including 1,355 persons under the age of 15 and 5,618 persons 15 years of age or older. The average number of under-15s per household (for households with 43

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

children) was 1.7. For those 15 years of age and over, the average number per household was 2.3. Overall, average household size was 2.9. The average household size from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing was 3.1. The sex distribution was 45.6% males and 54.4% females. The corresponding shares from the 2000 Census were 48.0% and 52.0%. For adults the distribution was 44.4% male and 55.6% female, while for children it was 50.7% males and 49.3% females. The population pyramid for the sample demonstrates elements of a contracting population with a low level of young persons and a middle-age bulge (mid-30s to mid-40s), as well as a level of peakiness in relation to the elderly. If representative of the general population, this has implications for future contraction of the population and lack of replacement in the work force. Figure 4: Sex and Age Distribution of Respondents with Normal Curve Overlay

The distribution of the population by age and sex as it relates to poverty status is shown in Table 4.3. The results demonstrate that persons under 15 years of age are overrepresented in poor households with 29.2% of the indigent poor and 29.8% of the non-indigent poor being in this age category. The related shares for vulnerable and non-poor households are 19.4% and 14.2% respectively. In addition, poor households have a lower share of males between the ages of 15 and 59 than non-poor households; 21.2% of individuals in indigent poor households and 30.9% in non-poor households are males between the ages of 15 and 59, as shown in Table 4.3. In looking specifically at the youth category (those 15 to 24 years of age), the poverty rate was 23.0% as compared to 15% for those over 24 years of age. It appears from the results of other elements of the SLC that the lower share of males in poor households and a higher share of youth in poor households may be due to labour market issues as it relates to the gender segmentation of the labour market and unemployment. In essence, females are overrepresented in lower-paying occupations and sectors than males, and the youth experienced higher levels of unemployment. Given this result, it would be expected that males are more likely to be non-poor, and for the youth to comprise a greater proportion of the poor. These and other relevant issues are examined in the summation of the report. 44

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.3: Sex/Age Categories by Poverty Status (%) Sex/Age Category

Indigent Poor

Male 0-5 Female 0-5 Male 6-14 Female 6-14 Male 15-59 Female 15-59 Male 60 and over Female 60 and over Total Number

4.0 4.6 10.6 10.0 21.2 32.3 7.2 10.2 100.0 501

NonIndigent Poor 5.2 5.2 9.7 9.7 20.8 33.6 6.3 9.5 100.0 557

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Total

2.7 2.5 7.1 7.1 27.5 33.6 8.0 11.5 100.0 563

2.9 2.8 4.3 4.2 30.9 35.4 8.4 11.0 100.0 3849

3.2 3.2 5.7 5.6 28.6 34.7 8.1 10.8 100.0 5470

As expected, average household size, average number of children and overcrowding (more than two persons per bedroom) varied considerably by poverty status. Table 4.4 shows than poor households had on average 3.7 persons per household, 2.3 children and approximately 11% were overcrowded. The related figures for non-poor households were 2.7, 1.5 and 3%. Table 4.4: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Poverty Status Poverty Status Indigent Poor Non-indigent Poor Vulnerable Non-poor Total Number

Average Household Size (number of persons) 3.8 3.6 2.9 2.7 2.89 1908

Average Number of Children 2.3 2.3 1.6 1.5 1.7 616

Overcrowded Households (%) 11.2 10.5 2.6 2.9 4.0 1871

This same trend is seen for expenditure quintiles where lower quintiles had larger households, more children and a greater prevalence of overcrowding; 8.8% for quintile 1 versus 1.3% for quintile 5. Table 4.5: Average Household Size and Overcrowding by Expenditure Quintile10 Expenditure Quintiles I II III IV V Total Number

Expenditure per Capita Range

Average Household Size (number of persons)

Less than BD$9202 BD$9202-BD$13891 BD$13892-BD$19928 BD$19929-BD$32950 More than BD$32950 -

3.5 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.3 2.9 1908

Average Number of Children 2.2 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.7 616

Overcrowded Households (%) 8.8 2.4 4.6 2.9 1.3 4.0 1871

Apart from household size, the SLC also looked at the structure of the household as regards relationship to the head of household. Table 4.6 demonstrates that 50% of males and 40% of females were heads, while the rest

Expenditure Quintile is based on the Expenditure per capita in the household normalised by Adult Male Equivalency (AME).

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

of the household residents were either the spouse or child of the head of household. Other relatives only comprised 8.6% of householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; members. Table 4.6: Relationship to Head of Household by Sex (%) Relationship to Head of Household Head Spouse/Partner Child Parent of Either Head or Spouse/Partner Other Relative Visitor/Friend Boarder Domestic Other Non-Relative Total Number

Male 49.8 8.7 28.4 1.3 9.2 0.9 0.4 0.1 1.1 100.0 1,878

Female 39.5 22.6 25.2 2.2 8.2 0.6 0.2 0.1 1.4 100.0 2,438

Total 44.0 16.6 26.6 1.8 8.6 0.7 0.3 0.1 1.3 100.0 4,316

Comparing the marital status of individuals from the SLC with the 2000 Census and the 1997 poverty study reveals a high degree of congruence considering that three (3) of the categories used in the SLC were not available in the other studies. Table 4.7: Marital Status of Individuals (%)- 1997 to 2010 Marital Status Single/Never Married Legally married Common Law Union Visiting Partner Married but Not in Union Legally Separated and Not in Union Widowed and Not in Union Divorced and Not in Union Not Stated Total Number

2010 SLC 52.3 29.2 6.1 1.7 1.5 0.7 5.0 3.6 100.0 5,553

2000 Census 57.6 30.0 1.6 5.4 4.1 1.3 100.0 101,236

1997 Poverty Study 43.1 37.4 2.1 11.6 5.5 0.3 100.0 1,600

Specifically considering the head of household by sex, the results demonstrate a significant difference between males and females with 53% of female heads being single as compared to 26% of males. In addition, while 51% of male heads were legally married, only 15% of female heads were legally married. This perhaps demonstrates gendered power relations where once in a legal union the male takes the status of head of household. In looking at the difference from the 1997 study, where 57% of heads were single, the SLC had a much lower share at 40%. This is perhaps accounted by the 1997 study not providing the options of common law union, visiting partner or married but not in a union.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.8: Marital Status of Head of Household by Sex (%) Marital Status of Head of Household

2010 SLC Males 25.8 50.7 9.7 1.2 1.7 1.2 4.7 5.0 100.0 929

Single/Never Married Legally married Common Law Union Visiting Partner Married but Not in Union Legally Separated and Not in Union Widowed and Not in Union Divorced and Not in Union Total Number

2010 SLC Females 53.3 14.9 4.3 1.8 2.9 1.7 13.4 7.7 100.0 956

2010 SLC Total 39.8 32.5 6.9 1.5 2.3 1.4 9.1 6.4 100.0 1,885

1997 Poverty Study 57.4 28.5 0.7 9.5 2.3 98.4 1,600

The sex distribution of head of household was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The mean age for males was 54 years and 56 years for females. In relation to poverty status, 11.5% of male headed households were categorised as poor while 19.4% of female headed households were poor. In terms of categorisation by expenditure quintile, 16% of male heads were in the lowest quintile while 26% of female heads were in the lowest quintile. This situation is mostly reversed for the highest quintile which account for 26% of males and 15% of females, as shown in Table 4.9. Table 4.9: Sex of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) Sex Male Female

II 15.5 25.5

III 18.8 21.3

IV 20.0 20.4

V 20.2 17.5

25.5 15.3

Total 100.0 100.0

In seeking to explore the issue of intergenerational poverty, household heads were asked to compare their current standard of living to their childhood household. Whilst this is addressed above in relation to poverty status, it is also useful to look at the wider picture as it relates to expenditure quintile. As of households considered they are currently better off than in the household in which they grew up. For the lowest quintile, this is 68.0%. This suggests a level of intergeneration poverty where even though these households currently exist in poverty, or at the margins of poverty, they are better off than in the household in which they grew up. Table 4.10 demonstrates, on average 72.1% of households considered they are currently better off than in the household in which they grew up. For the lowest quintile, this is 68.0%. This suggests a level of intergeneration poverty where even though these households currently exist in poverty, or at the margins of poverty, they are better off than in the household in which they grew up. Table 4.10: Rating of Living Standard versus Childhood Household of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) Rating Level Much Better Off Better Off Same Worse Off Much Worse Off Total Number

I 19.6 48.4 19.6 11.1 1.4 100.0 368

II 26.0 47.3 20.2 6.3 0.3 100.0 366

III 26.0 48.8 18.8 6.2 0.3 100.0 373

IV 25.7 45.0 22.3 6.2 0.8 100.0 373

V 29.9 43.4 20.1 5.6 1.1 100.0 378

Percentage of Responses 25.5 46.6 20.2 7.1 0.8 100.0 1858

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Other issues related to the head of household were educational levels of father and mother. As Table 4.11 and Table 4.12 demonstrate, 6.8% of heads’ fathers had technical/vocational training or university education, while the related percentage for heads in the highest expenditure quintile was 22.6%. Table 4.11: Education Level of Father of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) Education Level None Primary Secondary Technical/Vocational University Total Number

8.6 66.0 18.5 4.9 1.9 100.0 162

2.5 62.1 28.1 3.9 3.4 100.0 203

III 5.2 62.0 23.0 6.6 3.3 100.0 213

IV 1.6 47.5 30.7 13.9 6.1 100.0 244

V 1.6 44.7 31.1 10.5 12.1 100.0 257

Percentage of Responses 3.5 55.2 27.0 8.4 5.8 100.0 1079

For heads’ mothers, 4.0% had undertaken technical/vocational training or university education in the lowest quintile and 13.5% in the highest quintile. Table 4.12: Education Level of Mother of Head of Household by Expenditure Quintile (%) Education Level None Primary Secondary Technical/Vocational University Total Number

7.0 67.5 21.5 2.0 2.0 100.0 200

2.0 66.5 27.4 2.4 1.6 100.0 248

III 3.6 59.8 30.7 4.4 1.6 100.0 251

1.4 56.0 31.3 6.7 4.6 100.0 284

1.4 51.7 33.3 6.9 6.6 100.0 288

Percentage of Responses 3.6 60.5 27.9 4.4 3.6 100.0 1271

In relation to other household demographics, respondents’ ethnicity and religious affiliation are shown in Appendix 2.

4.2.1 Housing In relation to housing, the average age of dwelling units in the sample was 26 years with 50% over the age of 23 years. This indicates that 50% of units were build previous to 1987. In terms of rooms, the average house had 4 rooms (excluding bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, balconies, attics and corridors). On average, households had 3.7 bedrooms. In total, only 54 households (2.2%) rented out rooms. For these households the average number of rooms rented was 2.4, ranging from 1 (one) to 9 (nine). Additionally, 70 households (2.8%) used at least one room in their house for business purposes ranging from 1 (one) to 3 (three). Approximately one-third (33.1%) of households had vacant rooms, ranging from 1 (one) to 4 (four) with a mean of 1.5. The type of dwelling unit occupied has not changed significantly since the 2000 Census with 88% of respondents residing in a separate house and 10% in a flat or apartment.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.13: Type of Dwelling- 1997 to 2010 (%) Separate house Flat/Apartment Part Commercial Building Group Dwelling Other Total Number

2010 SLC 87.6 10.2 0.5 1.3 0.3 100.0 2,381

2000 Census 88.0 11.2 0.6 0.2 0.1 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 89.81 6.42 0.4 na3 na 96.64 1,6005

Sum of Separate House/Government Housing- Separate Sum of Private Flat/Apartment and Government Housing- Flats 3 Not included in survey options 4 Does not sum to 100 due to non-response 5 Estimated from sampling methodology. Final sample size was not reported. 2

Comparing dwelling type by expenditure demonstrated that lower quintile households were residing in houses to a greater degree than higher quintile households which were overrepresented in flats/apartments. In addition, approximately 3% of the lowest quintile households were residing in group dwellings as compared to 0.5% for the highest quintile. Table 4.14: Type of Dwelling by Expenditure Quintile Type of Dwelling Separate House Flat/Apartment Part of Commercial Building Group Dwelling Other Total Number

I 89.1 8.3 2.7 100.0 375

II 89.0 9.6 1.1 0.3 100.0 374

III 88.8 9.9 0.5 0.8 100.0 375

IV 84.2 12.7 0.8 1.6 0.8 100.0 379

V 84.0 14.7 0.5 0.5 0.3 100.0 375

TOTAL 87.0 11.0 0.4 1.3 0.3 100.0 1878

As regards tenure, 76.5% of households owned their dwelling either with or without a mortgage while 19.3% rented. These figures are mostly comparable to the 2000 Census and the 1997 poverty study. Table 4.15: Type of Tenure for Dwelling- 1997 to 2010 (%) Tenure Type for Dwelling Owned (With Mortgage) Owned (Without Mortgage) Rented-Furnished Rented-Unfurnished Squatting Leased Rent-Free Other Total Number

2010 SLC 26.5 50.0 3.8 15.5 0.2 0.6 2.4 0.9 100.0 2,386

2000 Census 74.6

1997 Poverty Study 74.3

22.0

19.6

na na 2.6 0.8 100.0 83,026

na na 4.0 na 97.9 1,600

Disaggregating these tenure types by poverty status however demonstrates some variation in ownership. While 44.8% of the poor own their dwelling without a mortgage, approximately 50% of the vulnerable and the non-poor own their dwelling without a mortgage. The other main variation seen in relation to tenure was for those living rent-free; while 7.8% of the indigent poor and 4.0% of the non-indigent poor lived rent-free, only 1.0% of the non-poor had similar status.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.16: Type of Tenure for Dwelling by Poverty Status Type of Tenure

Indigent Poor

Owned (with Mortgage) Owned (without Mortgage) Rented- Furnished Rented-Unfurnished Squatting Leased Rent-free Other Total Number

Nonindigent Poor

20.9 50.4 6.2 11.6 0.8 0.8 7.8 1.6 100.0 129

Vulnerable

27.3 40.0 2.0 21.3 2.7 4.0 2.7 100.0 150

Non-Poor

23.3 49.7 3.2 17.5 5.8 0.5 100.0 189

26.0 50.6 4.5 16.7 0.1 0.6 1.0 0.6 100.0 1414

TOTAL

25.5 49.6 4.3 16.8 0.1 0.7 2.2 0.9 100.0 1882

Information on the physical structure of dwelling units was also gathered during the execution of the SLC. While the materials of outer walls have remained fairly consistent over the period 1997 to 2010, there has been a slight decrease in the use of wood/timber and a slight increase in the use of concrete/concrete blocks. Table 4.17: Material of Outer Walls- 1997 to 2010 (%) Material of Outer Walls Wood/Timber Concrete/Concrete Blocks Mix of Wood and Concrete Stone Brick/Blocks Plywood Makeshift Other Total Number

2010 SLC 23.0 48.2 22.8 1.8 3.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 100.0 2,391

2000 Census 26.9 46.2 24.9 1.8 0.2 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 31.8 42.7 22.1 0.9 97.5 1,600

Examining these materials of outer walls by expenditure quintile demonstrates a wide differential between the lowest quintile and the highest quintile with wood/timber accounting for 34% in the lowest quintile and 12% in the highest quintile. Concrete/concrete blocks accounts for 34% of the lowest quintile and 65% of the highest quintile while a mixture of wood and concrete accounts for 27% in the lowest quintile and 16% in the highest quintile. Table 4.18: Material of Outer Walls by Expenditure Quintile (%) Tenure Type for Dwelling Wood/Timber Concrete/Concrete Blocks Mix of Wood and Concrete Stone Brick/Blocks Plywood Makeshift Total Number

I 33.8 33.8 27.1 1.1 3.7 0.3 0.3 100.0 376

II 18.8 48.7 26.7 2.9 2.6 0.3 100.0 378

III 20.9 52.1 22.8 1.3 2.6 0.3 100.0 378

IV 17.8 56.6 18.6 1.9 4.8 0.3 100.0 376

V 11.9 64.6 15.6 2.6 5.0 0.3 100.0 378

Percent 20.6 51.2 22.2 2.0 3.8 0.3 0.1 100.0 1886

For roofing materials, these are dominated by sheet metal (galvanised/permaclad) which accounts for 94% of households with limited variation by poverty status or expenditure quintile. In relation to utilities, 93.6% used 50

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

either bottled gas or piped natural gas for cooking. An interesting result in this regard is the movement from bottled gas to piped gas over the period 1997 to 2010. While only 79.6% of households in 1997 used bottled gas, this had fallen to 78.5% in 2000 and 72.9% in 2010 as households moved to piped natural gas. A similar trend is seen in relation to householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; main source of water with piped into dwelling accounting for 84% in 1997, 91% in 2000 and 95% in 2010. This upward trend was accompanied by a downward trend in water being piped into yard, falling from 10% in 1997 to 6% in 2000 and 2% in 2010. Overall, the average household had few water shortages with only 10% of households experiencing 2 or more days per week without water over the last year. This is perhaps the reason for the high rating of adequacy of water supply with only 7.3% of households rating this as less than adequate, as shown in Table 4.19. However, when these results are disaggregated by strata, there is a clear dissatisfaction seen in the Central, West and North and East stratums where 14%, 9% and 14% respectively rate their water supply as less than adequate. Table 4.19: Rating of adequacy of Water Supply by Strata (%) Rating of Water Supply

Greater Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;town

Outer Urban

South East

Central

West

1.8 81.8 16.3 100.0 380

2.9 75.5 21.6 100.0 379

2.8 77.0 20.2 100.0 426

14.4 74.0 11.6 100.0 354

9.0 70.4 20.6 100.0 422

Less than Adequate Adequate More than Adequate Total Number

North and East 14.1 71.2 14.7 100.0 361

Percentage of Cases 7.3 75.0 17.7 100.0 2,322

2010 SLC 42.7 51.8

2000 Census 81.8

1997 Poverty Study 1.9 72.2

16.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 100.0 83,026

22.0 0.4 0.6 2.9 100.0 1,600

0.9 3.8 0.5 0.3 100.0 2,398

However, although there has been a dramatic decrease in the amount of households using pit-latrines, the distribution indicates this is still an issue in the Greater Bridgetown and South East Strata with 50% of the households using pit latrines located in these areas; 26.1% of households using pit latrines are in Greater Bridgetown with 23.9% in the South East. The Outer Urban Strata only accounted for 3.3% of households with pit latrines.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In terms of lighting, the main source was electricity, accounting for 96.6% of households, up from 93.3% in 1997 and 96.5% in 2000. Other issues investigated via the SLC were sharing of facilities and places of shelter in a disaster. In relation to the former, only 4.2% of households indicated that they shared any household facilities and this was mainly electricity (2.0%) or water (1.9%). In terms of places of shelter in a disaster, the majority of respondents indicated their current dwelling as their place of shelter followed by hurricane shelters. Table 4.21: Places of Shelter in a Disaster (%) Shelter Type

This House Hurricane Shelter Relative Friend Other Total Number

Greater Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;town

Outer Urban

South East

Central

West

North and East

45.5 40.0 11.4 1.8 1.3 100.0 385

65.1 22.3 9.9 1.5 1.3 100.0 395

52.7 31.5 9.0 0.7 1.6 100.0 444

58.4 28.5 10.5 0.9 1.7 100.0 351

60.5 24.4 11.4 1.4 2.3 100.0 430

61.8 29.0 7.0 1.9 0.3 100.0 369

Percentage of Responses 58.1 29.2 9.9 1.3 1.4 100.0 2,374

The geographical distribution of responses shown in Table 4.21 demonstrates that households in the Greater Bridgetown strata and the South East strata are less likely to utilise their current residence for shelter.

4.2.2 Household Assets The possession of certain household assets or the number of these assets has been used as an indicator of income levels. The SLC addressed this issue by asking households to indicate the number of certain assets they possessed. Some interesting results emerged when compared to the 1997 poverty study, as shown in Table 4.22. Table 4.22: Percentage of Households Owning Assets- 1997 and 2010 Asset

2010 SLC Percentage of Households Owing Asset

Microwave Ovens Radio/Stereo/CD Players Washing Machines Computers (Laptop, Desktop) Satellite TVs

74.5 88.2 74.0 58.9 48.2

1997 Poverty Study Percentage of Households Owing Asset 19.2 23.1 35.4 10.5 1.2

Figure only for refrigerators Sum of Car owned by household member and Other vehicles

Table 4.22 demonstrates that the possession of microwave ovens, radios/stereos/CD players, washing machines, computers and satellite TV has increased significantly since 1997. A full account of all possessions in comparison to the 1997 poverty study is shown in Appendix 3. Reviewing the ownership of assets by poverty status reveals a number of areas where the poor are lacking, as shown in Table 4.23.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.23: Households Owning Assets by Poverty Status (%) Asset Telephones-Land Telephones-Cellular Televisions Videos/VCRs DVD Players Playstation/Other Gaming Systems Ipod/MP3 Music Players Electric/Gas Stoves Toaster Ovens Microwave Ovens Electric Irons Refrigerators/Freezers Radio/Stereo/CD Players Washing Machines Motor Vehicles Computers (Laptop, Desktop) Clothes Dryers Dish Washers Weed Eaters/Lawn Mowers Air Conditioners Solar Water Heaters Other Water Heaters Satellite TVs Number

Indigent Poor

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Total

70.3 68.8 95.3 49.2 60.9 16.4

Non-Indigent Poor 83.0 88.2 98.7 48.4 71.9 22.2

88.4 86.3 98.9 53.2 82.6 18.4

90.3 94.1 98.2 58.0 84.5 26.5

88.1 91.0 98.1 56.1 81.6 24.6

14.8

14.4

25.3

30.7

27.6

96.1 28.1 60.2 89.1 94.5 81.3

92.2 47.1 63.4 96.1 96.7 89.5

95.8 58.4 80.0 96.3 96.8 93.7

96.6 62.3 83.1 97.5 98.1 93.9

96.3 58.2 79.5 96.6 97.6 92.6

56.3 24.2 35.9

72.5 37.3 56.2

75.8 39.5 53.2

83.0 66.3 70.2

79.5 58.1 64.8

28.9 3.1 7.8

36.6 5.9 14.4

28.9 4. 17.9

38.0 7.5 29.2

36.3 6.8 25.3

1.6 10.2 18.0 26.6 128

3.3 21.6 20.3 39.2 153

7.4 31.1 22.1 39.5 190

13.7 48.2 20.4 59.2 1349

11.3 41.5 20.4 53.1 1820

While these results act to support the poverty status allocations, there are two main issues that appear to have wider consequences- the possession of computers and the types of water heaters utilised. In the latter case, the use of solar versus other types of water heaters, while there is a fixed cost in the acquisition of solar heaters, the lack of these has direct recurrent expenditure implications for those using electric heaters and hence reducing the householdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available resources for other types of consumption. In relation to the lack of computers in poor households, this has implications for the educational opportunities of children, putting them at a disadvantage in relation to children in non-poor households. In addition to these two items, the differential access to private motor vehicle transport also needs to be noted; only 34.6% of the poor and vulnerable own motor vehicles compared to 66.3% of the non-poor. This lack of access by the poor and vulnerable may have implications for access to employment and educational opportunities, especially in relation those in areas underserved by public transport, both geographically and at varying times of the day or week. This constraint of physical access due to lack of transport is also relevant in relation to virtual access. For internet access, the majority of respondents accessed from the home, with 18% accessing from work. Overall, 40% did not access the internet. However, when these results are dissected by expenditure quintile, the lack of access to the internet is more pronounced for the two lowest quintiles, 57% and 47% respectively. The lack 53

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

of access to computers for the poor, coupled with the lack of access to the internet, has implication for the education and development of those residing in these households. Table 4.24: Locations of Internet Access by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Internet Access Point

Home Work School/University/College Internet Cafe Cell Phone Family/Friend Community Center Other Do Not Access The Internet Total Number

4.3.

34.6 6.7 5.2 0.7 3.4 5.9 1.1 1.4 57.2 116.2 937

III

43.2 12.9 5.2 0.6 5.0 7.5 0.3 0.4 47.1 122.2 936

55.6 17.2 6.0 0.4 8.2 6.8 0.2 0.4 38.7 133.5 907

62.0 25.5 7.7 1.4 11.2 7.9 0.7 0.6 30.4 147.4 858

68.9 29.7 7.2 1.9 16.1 8.2 0.5 1.1 23.9 157.5 753

Percent of Cases 52.0 17.8 6.2 1.0 8.4 7.2 0.6 0.8 40.3 134.3 4391

Children

The following subsection draws on the results of the household survey instrument for persons under 15 years of age. One of the main matters of concern to emerge from this element of the data was the differential between the presence of mothers and fathers in the household. While 86% of mothers were present, only 40% of fathers were present, as shown in Table 4.25. Only 36% of children had both parents in the household. Table 4.25: Crosstabulation of Presence of Mother and Father in the Household (%)

Mother Lives in Household Yes No Not Stated Total

Yes 35.7 4.2 0.1 39.9

Father Lives in Household No Not Stated 49.4 1.0 4.7 0.3 0.3 1.4 54.4 5.7

Total 86.1 9.1 4.8 100.0

In total, 32.3% of respondents indicated that monetary support was received for children from outside of the household. For the most part this support was in the form of maintenance or alimony (72.8%) with 5.5% receiving Government grants and 13.7% receiving other types of external support.

4.3.1 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health On average, children in the sample visited a medical facility 2.7 times a year with 90% having 5 or less visits per year. In terms of medical facility most visited, 56% visited a private doctor while 44% visited a government facility. This however differs widely by expenditure where only 39% in the lowest quintile visited a private doctor as opposed to 74% for the highest quintile. Table 4.26: Type of Medical Facility Visited Most Often by Expenditure Quintile (%) Medical Facility Private Doctor Government Facility Total Number

II 38.6 61.4 100.0 298

58.0 42.0 100.0 176

III 62.4 37.6 100.0 149

IV 70.6 29.4 100.0 153

V 74.2 25.8 100.0 89

Percent 56.0 44.0 100.0 865

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

While there was a difference in facility visited between the highest and lowest quintile, the main differences seen in relation to medical conditions were in the central quintiles, particularly quintiles II and III. As shown in Table 4.27, a greater proportion of children in these two quintiles suffered from asthma or some other medical condition. Table 4.27: Medical Conditions of Child by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Medical Condition

Asthma Diabetes Heart Condition Cancer Other condition No Medical Condition Total Number

II 14.8 1.2 4.9 80.0 100.9 345

III

21.5 1.6 7.0 72.0 102.1 186

19.0 0.7 0.7 9.5 70.7 100.6 147

16.5 0.6 6.3 76.6 100.0 158

14.1 1.0 5.1 79.8 100.0 99

Percent of Cases 17.0 0.1 1.0 0.1 6.7 77.1 102.0 935

For diagnosed disabilities, these were seen to a higher degree in quintiles IV and V in relation to sight and speech. However, it needs to be noted that those in higher quintiles are more likely to be assessed and diagnosed and hence the higher proportions observed there and the lower proportion of children in the lowest quintile that had a diagnosed disability (6.1% versus 14.1%). Table 4.28: Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disabilities by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Diagnosed Disability Sight Physical Learning/Intellectual Speech Other None of the Above Total Number

I 0.6 0.6 1.2 1.7 2.6 93.9 100.6 346

II 0.5 1.6 1.1 1.1 2.7 93.4 100.4 182

III 0.6 0.0 1.3 0.6 4.4 93.8 100.7 160

IV 2.5 0.0 1.2 1.9 3.7 90.7 100.0 162

V 3.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 7.1 85.9 100.0 99

Percent of Cases 1.2 0.5 1.2 1.6 3.6 92.4 100.5 949

4.3.2 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Education and Literacy Approximately 75% of children had the ability to read and 77% the ability to write. However, these figures include all children, including infants. In looking specifically at those children that had ever attended school (81%), 89.6% had the ability to read, and 92.4% the ability to write11. In total, 97.6% were currently enrolled in an educational institution, the majority of which was full-time (99.9%). Approximately two-thirds (65.8%) were enrolled in primary school and 32.1% in secondary school, the majority of which were public institutions (89.7%). In terms of activities outside of the formal education system, 28.2% of students attended private lessons, while 44.3% participated in some form of extracurricular activities of which sport was the most popular (61.3%), as shown in Table 4.29. There were no significant differences in activities undertaken in relation to poverty status or expenditure quintile.

These figures should be treated with caution given that the level of competency was not tested.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.29: Extracurricular Activities of Children (% of Cases) Extracurricular Activities Sports Social Clubs Cultural (Dance, Craft, Etc.) Other Total Number

Percent of Cases 61.3 20.5 21.5 14.3 117.7 706

The number of days missed in the last school year was on average 3.5, while 90% missed 7 or fewer days in the last year. The most often cited reason for missing school was illness, cited by 79.6% of respondents. Examination by expenditure showed no major variations with the exception of 4.4% of those in the lowest quintile citing financial problems. Concentrating on this quintile and looking at poverty status revealed that 9.1% of children that missed school in indigent households cited financial problems and 2.6% cited expulsion/suspension. For poor households the main reasons for missing school (apart from illness) were transport problems (2.5%) and truancy (2.5%). Time taken to get to school was on average 26.6 minutes with 90% taking less than 1 hour with the three (3) main modes of transport being private car/motorcycle (39.1%), Transport Board Bus (31.0%) and walking (21.9%). These results by Expenditure Quintile are shown in Table 4.30. Table 4.30: Mode of Transport to School by Expenditure Quintile (%) Mode of Transport to School Walking Cycling Taxi Transport Board Bus PSV Private Car/Motorcycle Other Total Number

I 28.1 0.4 45.0 7.7 18.5 0.4 100.0 260

II 21.8 3.4 28.6 4.8 40.8 0.7 100.0 147

III 13.0 1.6 26.0 8.1 51.2 100.0 123

IV 22.7 0.8 15.1 2.5 58.0 0.8 100.0 119

V 13.4 1.5 19.4 6.0 59.7 100.0 67

Percent 21.9 0.1 1.3 31.0 6.1 39.1 0.4 100.0 716

Examining the results by quintile demonstrate that use of Transport Board buses is most prevalent amongst the lowest quintile (45.0%), while private car/motorcycle is most prevalent amongst the highest quintile (59.7%). While walking is seen in 21.9% of all cases, 28.1% in the lowest quintile walk to school. Of interest in this case is the spatial distribution of transport mode used to get to school. As Table 4.31 outlines, walking is most prevalent in Greater Bridgetown while the use of Transport Board buses is most prevalent for those in the North and East; private car/motorcycle is most prevalent in the Central Strata (46.4%). Average travel times for the different modes also varies widely with Transport Board buses having the longest travel time of 38 minutes, due mostly to their greater use by the rural areas in the North and East.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.31: Mode of Transportation to School (%) and Travel Time by Strata (Minutes) Mode of Transport Walking Cycling Taxi Transport Board Bus Private Sector Vehicle Private Car / Motorcycle Other Total Number Average Travel Time

Greater Bridgetown 32.6 1.1 32.6 9.6 23.6 0.6 100.0 178 22.5

Outer Urban 23.5 1.7 1.7 28.6 4.2 39.5 0.8 100.0 119 26.2

South East 20.6 1.3 33.8 5.6 38.1 0.6 100.0 160 29.0

Central

West

14.3 26.3 0.6 1.5 35.7 28.9 3.0 7.7 46.4 35.1 0.5 100.0 100.0 168 194 28.5 24.2

North and East 17.3 0.8 37.0 5.5 39.4 100.0 127 31.1

Total 22.8 0.2 1.2 32.7 6.1 36.6 0.4 100.0 946 -

Average Travel Time 12.3 7.5 24.9 38.1 33.9 24.1 13.8 941 26.6

Average travel times by strata however demonstrates less variation with times ranging from 22 minutes for those residing in Greater Bridgetown to 31 minutes for those in the North and East. Other issues related to childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education explored in the course of the SLC related to presence and use of the school meals service, and issues related to textbooks. For the primary school students, 85.3% indicated there was a school feeding program at their school, while 21.3% at secondary schools indicated the same. As regards students utilizing these services, primary school students made up the majority (92.0%). There was no significant difference in use of this service either by expenditure or poverty status. However, when the possession of textbooks was explored there appeared some difference based on expenditure with 4.1% of children in the lowest quintile only having some of the required books and only 90.7% having all books for their exclusive use. The related percentage for children in the highest quintile was 95.1% having all books for exclusive use while no children in this quintile only had some books. Table 4.32: Textbooks possessed by Children by Expenditure Quintile (%) Textbooks possessed Child has all books for exclusive use Child has all books but shares with other family members Child has only some books Child has no books Total Number

I 90.7 3.3 4.1 1.9 100.0 270

II 95.9 1.4 2.7 0.0 100.0 146

III 97.5 0.8 1.7 0.0 100.0 119

IV 93.0 2.6 0.9 3.5 100.0 114

V 95.1 3.3 0.0 1.6 100.0 61

Percent 93.7 2.4 2.5 1.4 100.0 710

Reviewing the reasons for not having some or all of the books shows that the main reason was the unavailability of books (43.5%) or that they could not be afforded. Given the small number of responses this result could not be further interrogated statistically. Table 4.33: Reasons for Child not having some/all Textbooks (% of cases) Reason for child not having some/all books: Books not available Could not afford Books available in school library Books were lost or destroyed To be purchased Other Total Number

Percent of Cases 43.5 25.8 8.1 3.2 12.9 12.9 106.5 66

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In looking at the multiple sources of children’s textbooks, the majority of these were purchased new (68.7%) or received through the Government’s book loan scheme (22.7%). Whilst there is a high level of uniformity by expenditure, Table 4.34 demonstrates that those in quintile IV are more likely to purchase new (81.6%) or second hand (3.9%) than those in any other quintile. Table 4.34: Source of Child’s Textbooks (% of Cases) Source of Textbooks Borrowed for use during year Received from relatives or friends Purchased new Purchased second hand Bought some/got some on loan or free Government book loan Other Total Number of Responses

I 4.2 5.0 65.0 1.5 0.8 25.4 2.7 104.6 260

III

4.1 5.4 66.9 1.4 3.4 24.3 4.7 110.2 148

6.1 7.0 71.3 2.6 1.7 22.6 3.5 114.8 115

2.9 7.8 81.6 3.9 0.0 13.6 2.9 112.7 103

V 8.2 4.9 62.3 3.3 4.9 23.0 3.3 109.9 61

Percent of Cases 4.7 5.8 68.7 2.2 1.7 22.7 3.3 687

As a matter of completeness, the educational achievements of children were requested in keeping with the process undertaken for individuals. However, given that 65.8% of those at school were at the primary level, the majority of children would not have undertaken any exams. For the secondary students the only exam sat was the Barbados Common Entrance Exam (BCEE), also known as the 11-plus exam.

4.4.

Individuals’ Health

The results of the health module of individuals’ survey instrument appear to indicate that females are suffering from more medical conditions than males, particularly as it relates to high blood pressure and arthritis. Results demonstrate that 55% of females suffer from no medical conditions while the corresponding percentage for males is 64.7%. Table 4.35: Medical Conditions Suffered (% of Cases) (multiple response) Medical Condition Diabetes High Blood Pressure Heart Condition Cancer Asthma Other condition Arthritis No medical condition Total Number

Male 9.7 14.7 2.6 .7 6.9 3.8 6.8 64.7 10990.0% 2500

Female 10.2 25.2 3.5 .8 8.2 5.5 12.2 55.3 12090.0% 3137

Total 10.0 20.5 3.1 0.7 7.6 4.7 9.8 59.5 115.9 5637

Investigating these conditions at the expenditure level reveals that diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer is most prevalent in the lowest and highest quintiles, whilst heart conditions are most prevalent in the highest quintile.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.36: Medical Conditions Suffered by Expenditure Quintile (% of Cases) (multiple response) Medical Condition Diabetes High Blood Pressure Heart Condition Cancer Asthma Other condition Arthritis No medical condition Total Number

I 10.5 21.9 2.9 1.2 8.5 4.2 11.7 58.3 119.2 954

II 10.7 20.7 2.6 0.7 7.0 5.4 9.5 59.8 116.4 940

III 8.5 16.4 3.0 0.5 7.8 4.4 9.9 61.9 112.4 922

7.9 21.7 2.9 0.6 9.4 4.6 8.3 59.1 114.5 868

11.5 22.4 5.2 1.0 6.8 3.4 9.6 57.8 117.7 763

Total 9.8 20.6 3.3 0.8 7.9 4.5 9.8 59.4 116.1 4447

In relation to disabilities, there is limited differentiation amongst the sample, with the marginal exception of sight where 4.6% of females and 3.7% of males having this disability. Table 4.37: Disabilities (% of Cases) (multiple response) Respondent Disability Speech Sight Hearing Physical Other None Total Number of Cases

Male 0.4 3.7 0.9 1.9 0.8 93.6 101.3 2478

Female 0.4 4.6 1.2 1.9 1.2 91.7 101.0 3104

Percent of Cases 0.4 4.2 1.1 1.9 1.0 92.5 101.1 5582

In total, only 2.0% of the sample, or 23.3% of the disabled, revealed that they received any public assistance for any of their illnesses or disabilities. For illnesses and injuries in the last 30 days, a very small proportion of respondents (5.4%) indicated that they had suffered such. In the main the cause was accident followed by cold/flu. Table 4.38: Types of Illness/Injuries Suffered in Last 30 Days (%) Illness/Injury in last 30 days Other Accident/Injury Cold/Flu Headache/Migraine Gastroenteritis Asthma Related Broken Bone Arthritis Related Diabetes Related Sinus Related High Blood Pressure Related Pregnancy Other Total Number of Cases

Percent 19.5 9.6 6.6 6.3 4.0 3.6 3.6 2.6 2.3 2.0 1.6 38.3 100.0 303

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

On average, for respondents that suffered an injury/illness in the last 30 days, they were unable to carry out their usual activities for 11 days during the last month because of illness or injury, and for the employed segment of these respondents, 10 days were missed without pay. Despite the lack of injuries or illnesses suffered in the last 30 days, approximately 32% of the sample had visited a health practitioner in the last 30 days. Table 4.39 outlines the type of practitioner visited. Table 4.39: Health Practitioner Visited in last 30 Days (% of Cases) Person visited for Illness/Injury in last 30 days Doctor Nurse Pharmacist Healer Spiritual Healer Midwife Other Health Practitioner Did Not Visit Health Practitioner Total Number of Cases

Percent of Cases 29.1 0.8 4.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.2 68.0 104.1 5,386

In terms of visits to health practitioners, these average 3 visits in the last year, 2 in the last 6 months and 1 in the last 30 days. Average time spent waiting at last visit was 61 minutes, with 50% waiting 30 minutes or less. On average, of the 329 persons that were hospitalized in the last year, 10 nights were spent while 50% spent 3 or less nights. For the majority of respondents, regardless of time since their last visit, the last medical facility visited is shown in Table 4.40. Table 4.40: Last Medical Facility Visited (%) Medical Facility Public Hospital Polyclinic Private Clinic/Hospital Private Doctor/Dentist Abroad Private Doctor/Dentist Traditional Healer Alternative Medicine Clinic Hospital Abroad Pharmacy/Chemist Total Number

Valid Percent 8.5 21.8 10.5 10.3 48.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.4 100.0 3,808

The most interesting results to emerge from this element of the research related to the issue of waiting time and satisfaction with service quality. Table 4.41 indicates that average waiting time was in excess of 2 hours at a public hospital and over 1.5 hours at a polyclinic. These waiting times fall steadily in relation to private medical facilities, with the next longest waiting time being at a pharmacy.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.41: Average Waiting Time by Last Medical Facility Visited (minutes) Medical Facility Public Hospital Polyclinic Private Clinic/Hospital Private Doctor/Dentist Abroad Private Doctor/Dentist Traditional Healer Alternative Medicine Clinic Hospital Abroad Pharmacy/Chemist Total Number

Average Waiting Time (minutes) 127.90 104.41 42.90 37.84 37.49 5.00 26.88 5.00 53.21 60.55 3,546

Given these waiting times it is not surprising that this was one of the main areas of dissatisfaction among respondents with 74% citing this as one of their main areas of dissatisfaction, followed by attitude of staff (see Table 4.42). This result suggests that although Barbados is highly rated in terms of having above minimum requirements for the provision of primary healthcare by the World Health Organisation, as noted in the MSEA report, it is lacking in the quality of customer service. Table 4.42: Reason for Dissatisfaction with Last Visit (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Reason for dissatisfaction on last visit to health practitioner Drugs Not Available Drugs Not Affordable Attitude of Staff Long Waiting Time Equipment Not Available/Operational No Doctor/Trained Staff Available Too Many revisits Other Total Number of Cases

Percent of Cases 2.6 1.7 23.0 74.3 3.0 3.5 3.0 12.2 123.5 230

Exploring these reasons for dissatisfaction by medical facility, Table 4.43 reveals some interesting results as it relates to service quality expectations and experience, two main elements used in measuring service quality, even though some of the sample sizes are relatively small. The main areas of dissatisfaction (attitude of staff and waiting times) appear to be prevalent for all facilities with the exception of private local doctors, and most severe for private local clinics with a 90% level of dissatisfaction; this is despite waiting times averaging approximately a third of that for a public hospital (43 minutes versus 128 minutes). This result suggests that there is a higher level of expectation when visiting a private local clinic than a Government-run facility, and even though waiting times are less, there is a higher level of dissatisfaction. Perhaps the same applies to attitude of staff.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.43: Reason for Dissatisfaction with Last Visit to Health Practitioner by Type of Facility Visited (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Reason for dissatisfaction on last visit to health practitioner

Public Hospital

Polyclinic

Private Local Clinic

Average

0.0 10.0 30.0 90.0 10.0

Private Doctor Local 0.0 6.9 24.1 34.5 6.9

Drugs Not Available Drugs Not Affordable Attitude of Staff Long Waiting Time Equipment Not Available/Operational No Doctor/Trained Staff Available Too Many revisits Other Total Number of Cases

3.4 0.0 23.7 81.4 5.1

3.3 0.8 22.8 80.5 0.8

1.7 0.0 6.8 122.1 59

4.9 4.1 8.9 126.1 123

0.0 10.0 0.0 150 10

0.0 3.4 37.9 113.7 29

3.2 3.2 11.8 124.5 221

2.7 1.8 23.5 75.1 3.2

In terms of health expenditures, approximately 21.4% purchased medicine for themselves in the last 30 days, with an average expenditure of $104, with 50% spending less than $55. While 73.9% obtained these medicines from a public pharmacy, and 19.3% from a private pharmacy, 6.8% utilized both. Overall, 26.3% were covered by health insurance.

4.5.

Individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Education

Overall 99.2% of respondents had attended a formal education institution, on average starting their education at 4 years of age. In total, 14.3% were currently enrolled; 75.9% of which were at a public institution and 24.1% in a private institution. In terms of current status, 55.3% were full-time and 44.7% part-time. The distribution by institution type is shown in Table 4.44. Table 4.44: Type of Educational Institution Currently Attending (%) Institution Type Secondary School Technical Vocational Tertiary On Site Tertiary Off Site Total Number

Males 30.1 17.5 46.9 5.5 100.0 292

Females 19.5 10.5 62.0 8.0 100.0 487

Percent 23.5 13.1 56.4 7.1 100.0 779

For those attending secondary school, 10.4% received meals from a school feeding programme. In relation to the possession of textbooks, nearly three-quarters had all required books, ranging from 68% in quintile 1 to 82% in quintile 2. Table 4.45: Textbooks Possess by those in Education (%) Textbooks Possessed Has All Books Has All Books But Share With Other Family Member Has All Books But Share With Other Non-Family Member Has Only Some Books Has No Books Total Number

I 67.7 1.5 0.8 25.6 4.5 100.0 133

II 82.5 1.5 0.7 11.7 3.6 100.0 137

III 76.7 0.0 2.3 15.0 6.0 100.0 133

IV 73.0 0.7 4.3 18.4 3.5 100.0 141

V 68.9 1.9 0.9 19.8 8.5 100.0 106

Percent 74.0 1.1 1.8 18.0 5.1 100.0 650

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

The main reasons for not possessing all of the required textbooks were due to the availability otherwise at the institution/library (33.3%), were about to be purchased (33.3%) or they were not available for purchase (19.0%). Only 14.3% of those without all of the required textbooks could not afford them. As it related to the manner in which textbooks were obtained, the majority were purchased new, while 25% borrowed for use during the year. Table 4.46: Manner in which Textbooks Obtained (% of Cases) Manner textbooks books obtained Borrowed for Use During Year Received From relatives of Friends Purchased New Purchased Second Hand Bought Some/Got Some Free Received From NGO Government Book Loan From School at No Cost Other Total Number

Percent of Cases 25.0 15.9 63.3 15.9 4.7 0.1 13.3 6.0 2.2 146.6 728

On average, only 3 days of the last term/semester were missed, with 90% missing 7 days or less. The main reasons for missing instruction are shown in Table 4.47, with illness being the most prevalent reason. The other most prevalent reasons for missing school were ‘working’ and ‘home duties’. In reviewing these results in relation to expenditure levels, financial problems were most prevalent in the quintiles 1 and 4, whilst ‘working’ was most prevalent in quintiles 4 and 5 and ‘home duties in quintiles 1, 4 and 5. Table 4.47: Main Reasons for Missing Instruction in the Last Term/Semester Reason for Missing Instruction Illness Financial Problems Transportation Problems Working Home Duties Not Worth Going Truant/Delinquent Pregnant/Young Mother Baby Sitting’ Menstrual Problems Other Total Number

I 54.0 7.9 1.6 9.5 9.5 3.2 3.2 1.6 0.0 4.8 4.8 100.0 63

II 59.3 1.9 1.9 7.4 5.6 7.4 5.6 0.0 1.9 3.7 5.6 100.0 54

III 64.6 6.3 0.0 8.3 4.2 4.2 2.1 2.1 0.0 4.2 4.2 100.0 48

IV 42.4 1.7 3.4 13.6 8.5 3.4 5.1 3.4 0.0 8.5 10.2 100.0 59

V 42.1 2.6 5.3 15.8 10.5 5.3 5.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.2 100.0 38

Percent 52.7 4.2 2.3 10.7 7.6 4.6 4.2 1.5 0.4 4.6 7.3 100.0 262

In addition to formal education, approximately 12.6% attended private/extra lessons, while the majority did not participate in formal extracurricular activities (58.2%), as shown in Table 4.48. There were not significant differences in relation to poverty status or expenditure quintile.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.48: Formal Extracurricular Activities Undertaken (%) Extracurricular Activity Sports Social Clubs Cultural Activities Other None Total Number

Percent 23.3 8.4 7.2 3.0 58.1 100.0 773

As with children in school, adults in education were asked to indicate their travel times to the educational institution. Table 4.49 outlines that the travel times varied from 16 minutes when travelling by foot and 52 minutes when travelling by Transport Board Bus. Travel by PSV was next highest at 41 minutes. While the most popular mode of transport was private car/motorcycle (45%), this varied widely from 25% in expenditure quintile 1 to 62% in quintile 5. The other significant variation was seen with Transport Board Bus which was the mode of travel by 50% in the lowest quintile and 13% in the highest quintile. Table 4.49: Mode of Transportation to Educational Institution by Expenditure Quintile (%) and Average Travel Time (minutes) Mode of Transport

Walking Taxi Transport Board Bus Private Sector Vehicle (PSV) Private Car / Motorcycle Other Total Number Average Travel Time

5.4 0.0 50.0 18.5 25.4 0.8 100.0 130 44.6

6.1 0.0 34.8 18.2 37.9 3.0 100.0 132 40.5

III

Total

3.1 0.0 29.8 19.1 45.8 2.3 100.0 131 38.6

4.5 0.0 17.9 16.4 58.2 3.0 100.0 134 31.1

4.9 1.0 12.7 12.7 61.8 6.9 100.0 102 32.2

4.8 0.2 29.7 17.2 45.2 3.0 100.0 629 37.6

Average Travel Time 15.6 20.0 51.7 41.3 29.2 38.6 38.3 739

Reviewing the data on transport mode and strata, the use of Transport Board Bus varies from a low of 24% in the Outer Urban strata to a high of 46% in the North and East. The use of PSVs is also varied where only 8% in the North and East use this mode, with a high of 24% in Greater Bridgetown. In terms of the use of private car/motorcycle, this is highest in the South East (47%) and lowest in Greater Bridgetown (33%). In relation to travel times to educational institution, this varies from 32 minutes for the West to 50 minutes for the North and East. Table 4.50: Mode of Transportation to Educational Institution (%) and Travel Time by Strata (Minutes) Mode of Transport Walking Taxi Transport Board Bus Private Sector Vehicle Private Car / Motorcycle Other Number Average Travel Time

Greater Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;town 6.7 0.0 31.9 24.4 32.8 4.2 119 36.7

Outer South East Urban 10.2 0.8 0.0 0.8 24.5 33.9 18.4 13.6 44.9 46.6 2.0 4.2 98 118 31.3 46.7

Central 3.1 0.0 26.0 15.0 53.5 2.4 127 33.5

West 5.3 0.0 29.6 24.3 38.2 2.6 152 31.5

North and East 0.7 0.0 46.2 8.3 41.4 3.4 145 49.9

Total 4.2 0.1 32.5 17.3 42.7 3.2 759 38.5

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In looking at educational attainment, results were disaggregated by those currently enrolled and those not currently enrolled. The results for those currently enrolled demonstrate that 19% of males and 12% of females currently had not passed any examinations to date. The highest examination passed was ‘O’ Level/CXC General, passed by 43% of males and 34% of females. The next highest level seen was for Associate Degrees which had been passed by 11% of males and 18% of females. Table 4.51: Highest Examination Passed- Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) Highest Examination Passed None BSSC -School Leaving O' Level/CXC General A-Level/CAPE Certificate Diploma Associate Degree Degree Post-Graduate Degree Professional Qualification Others Total Number

Male 19.0 3.1 42.6 6.2 4.2 3.1 10.7 6.6 2.4 1.4 0.7 100.0 289

Female 12.0 1.2 34.4 8.5 5.2 6.0 18.0 10.1 2.1 1.2 1.2 100.0 483

Percent 14.6 1.9 37.4 7.6 4.8 4.9 15.3 8.8 2.2 1.3 1.0 100.0 772

Dissecting these results by expenditure shows that the lowest level of certification was seen in the lowest quintile with 25% of this cohort not having passed any examination to date. This was as opposed to 7.3% in the highest quintile. What the results demonstrate is that for those currently enrolled the higher expenditure quintiles have complete higher level qualifications. As an example, while 23% of those in the highest quintile had completed a degree, only 3% of those in the lowest quintile had achieved this level. In looking at the hierarchy of examination levels, only 25% of those in the lowest quintile have exceeded the ‘O’ Level/CXC General level as opposed to 68% of those in the highest quintile. Table 4.52: Highest Examination Passed- Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) Highest Examination Passed None BSSC -School Leaving O' Level/CXC General A-Level/CAPE Certificate Diploma Associate Degree Degree Post-Graduate Degree Professional Qualification Others Total Number

I 25.2 0.8 48.9 4.6 2.3 0.8 13.0 3.1 0.8 0.8 0.0 100.0 131

II 14.8 3.0 39.3 7.4 8.9 4.4 10.4 6.7 1.5 1.5 2.2 100.0 135

III 12.3 1.5 40.0 8.5 4.6 4.6 18.5 6.2 0.8 1.5 1.5 100.0 130

IV 6.6 1.5 29.4 8.8 5.1 9.6 17.6 13.2 4.4 2.2 1.5 100.0 136

V 7.3 0.9 23.9 11.9 5.5 6.4 14.7 22.9 5.5 0.9 0.0 100.0 109

Percent 13.4 1.6 36.7 8.1 5.3 5.1 14.8 10.0 2.5 1.4 1.1 100.0 641

Turning to those not currently enrolled, the majority had at least completed secondary education (71%) while approximately 26% had gone on to get higher qualifications (9% technical/vocational and 16% tertiary). The division by sex shows that past the secondary school level, males were more likely to enter a 65

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

technical/vocational college and females more likely to enter tertiary institutions, although the differential is small. Table 4.53: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) Highest Level of Education None Completed Primary Incomplete Primary Elementary/Composite Completed Secondary Incomplete Secondary Technical/Vocational College Tertiary Other Total Number

Males 1.7 9.1 1.0 6.2 44.4 10.2 10.8 15.4 1.0 100.0 2,116

Females 1.6 12.0 1.4 6.4 44.4 8.8 6.8 17.4 1.1 100.0 2,503

Percent 1.7 10.7 1.2 6.3 44.4 9.5 8.7 16.5 1.0 100.0 4,619

For main economic activity in the last month, the majority of the employed had completed at least a secondary education (82.6%). For the unemployed, although a majority had completed at least this level (72.1%), the proportion was less than the employed. Overall, 27.7% of the unemployed had not completed secondary education. These results are shown in Table 4.54. Table 4.54: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Economic Activity in Last Month (%) Highest Level of Education None Completed Primary Incomplete Primary Elementary/Composite Incomplete Secondary Completed Secondary Technical/Vocational College Tertiary Other Total Number

Employed 0.8 4.6 0.4 2.8 8.0 48.4 11.3 22.9 0.8 100.0 2,309

Main Economic Activity in Last Month Unemployed Retired 2.1 3.4 8.2 27.6 0.7 3.1 3.7 17.8 13.0 10.3 53.8 21.5 8.0 3.4 10.3 11.5 0.2 1.3 100.0 100.0 437 706

Keeping House 2.6 18.4 0.9 4.4 10.5 46.5 7.9 7.9 0.9 100.0 114

As the results demonstrate, there are employed persons with no certification in relation to having not completed secondary education (16.6%). Of this group, 55.1% were males. Of interest was the median age of this group of 49 years, suggesting that 50% of those persons that are employed without certification were born after 1961, some 6 years after the introduction of fee education in Barbados in 1955, and would therefore have had access to free education. Dissecting the information on highest level of education by expenditure shows significant differentials at the higher and lower levels as shown in Figure 5. As the results indicate, for those currently enrolled, those in the lowest quintile have lower qualifications while those in the two highest quintiles have higher levels of qualifications.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Figure 5: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those currently enrolled

In addition, 15% of those in the lowest quintile either having no formal education or only primary education while the percentage for the highest quintile is 7%, as shown in Table 4.55. At higher levels of education, while 14% of the lowest quintile have completed technical/vocational college or tertiary, 45% of those in the highest quintile have achieved the same. Table 4.55: Highest Level of Education- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) Highest Level of Education None Completed Primary Incomplete Primary Elementary/Composite Completed Secondary Incomplete Secondary Technical/Vocational College Tertiary Other Total Number

I 3.1 12.2 1.4 9.6 45.0 13.4 7.1 7.1 1.1 100.0 785

II 3.0 12.9 1.4 5.9 45.9 10.9 7.2 12.3 0.5 100.0 791

III 1.3 9.3 0.9 6.6 47.1 8.2 9.4 16.2 0.9 100.0 754

IV 0.3 8.9 0.8 4.1 40.0 8.5 11.7 25.2 0.6 100.0 710

V 0.2 6.7 0.5 3.4 38.7 3.8 11.0 34.4 1.4 100.0 639

Percent 1.7 10.2 1.0 6.1 43.5 9.2 9.2 18.3 0.9 100.0 3679

In looking at the highest examination passed in these institutions, there was little deviation by sex (see Appendix 2 for supplementary tabular results). However, when reviewed by expenditure quintile, the results are quite revealing. 67

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Figure 6: Highest Examination Passed by Expenditure Quintile for those not currently enrolled

Figure 6 demonstrates that as qualification levels rise, the proportion of those in the lower quintiles with such qualifications decreases. In addition, Table 4.56 demonstrates a steady decrease in the share of those with no qualifications as expenditure increases, from 56% to 18%. At higher certification levels the opposite holds with 4% of those in the lowest quintile with a degree or higher and 29% in the highest quintile. Table 4.56: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Expenditure Quintile (%) Highest Examination Passed None BSSC -School Leaving O' Level/CXC General A-Level/CAPE Certificate Diploma Associate Degree Degree Post-Graduate Degree Professional Qualification Others Total Number

I 55.9 5.9 22.8 0.4 6.5 2.3 1.6 2.3 0.7 0.5 1.1 100.0 749

II 42.8 7.9 23.1 1.9 9.1 4.6 2.6 4.2 1.2 1.9 0.7 100.0 736

III 34.4 8.3 23.8 0.6 12.0 5.4 5.4 5.9 1.8 1.8 1.4 100.0 727

IV 28.4 5.8 20.2 2.0 13.0 7.9 4.1 8.4 3.6 3.6 1.3 100.0 687

V 18.4 5.9 19.4 2.4 11.9 7.8 4.8 13.5 7.8 7.8 1.1 100.0 630

Percent 36.7 6.8 22.0 1.4 10.4 5.5 3.6 6.6 2.9 3.0 1.1 100.0 3,529

For the area of technical/vocational training, 33.3% had undertaken this in the past with 93.1% completion. For those not completing their training, the main reasons were financial problems (21.6%) and work-related (21.6%) while 14.4% stated it was not worth attending. Only 5.2% did not complete their training because of 68

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

illness while 7.2% cited home duties. The low level of non-completion (only 97 individuals) does not allow for any further in-depth analysis of these results. The main areas trained in by sex are shown in Table 4.57. Table 4.57: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Sex (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Total Number

Males 2.9 69.4 2.9 0.1 3.1 4.8 0.5 7.8 8.6 100.0 770

Females 1.1 7.5 17.5 9.9 14.3 15.7 3.2 19.9 10.8 100.0 747

Percent 2.0 38.9 10.1 4.9 8.6 10.2 1.8 13.8 9.7 100.0 1,517

The variation in training undertaken by sex is quite stark and not surprising given the sexual division of labour in Barbados. As Table 4.57 demonstrates, the majority of males are undertaking training in the skilled trades (69%), while females are mostly undertaking business studies, upholstery/garments, hospitality and caring vocations (teaching, nursing, child care) (67%). Table 4.58: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Age Group (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Total Number

15 -24 years 2.0 47.7 3.3 10.5 3.3 13.1 1.3 11.1 7.8 100.0 153

25 to 65 years 1.6 39.0 9.1 4.8 8.3 10.2 2.2 15.1 9.7 100.0 1159

Over 65 years 4.4 31.7 20.5 1.5 14.6 7.8 0.5 8.3 10.7 100.0 205

Percent 2.0 38.9 10.1 4.9 8.6 10.2 1.8 13.8 9.7 100.0 1517

Analysing the results by age group reveals that the youth (15 to 24 years of age) undertook training in skilled trades, hospitality and business studies. While skilled trades dominate for all groups, the proportion of the over 65s is much lower in this area and higher in upholstery/garments and teaching/nursing/childcare. In addition to the division of training by sex and age-group, there is also a division seen in relation to expenditure levels where the lower quintiles dominate in skilled trades and upholstery/garments and the higher quintiles dominating in business studies and to a lesser degree hairdressing/cosmetology and the caring vocations.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.59: Types of Vocational Training Undertaken by Expenditure Quintile (%) Type of Vocational Training Agriculture Skilled Trade Upholstery/Garments Hairdressing/Cosmetology Teaching/Nursing/Child Care Hospitality Cultural Skills Business Studies Other Total Number

I 2.9 44.0 12.9 3.3 4.8 12.0 2.4 9.1 8.6 100.0 209

III

2.5 40.5 9.9 5.0 11.2 9.1 2.1 12.0 7.9 100.0 242

1.5 43.0 9.2 5.1 8.5 10.7 1.1 12.9 8.1 100.0 272

IV 1.5 35.6 8.4 5.1 11.3 10.2 0.4 16.7 10.9 100.0 275

V 1.2 37.1 4.8 5.6 7.3 10.1 2.8 20.2 10.9 100.0 248

Percent 1.9 38.9 10.1 5.0 8.6 10.2 1.8 14.0 9.5 100.0 1,246

An overview of these results in relation to vocational training should be a matter of concern in relation to the development of the economy of Barbados given the importance placed on the development of agriculture in relation to the development of linkages with the manufacturing and tourism sectors, and consequentially the earning and saving of foreign exchange. The results demonstrate that there is limited attraction to agriculture with only 2.0% undertaking training in this area. Also of concern is a lack of uptake of training in cultural skills, a core need in the further development of the cultural industries, a strategic sector for the development of Barbados. The results of the analysis of education of individuals, and related issues, reveals a stark contrast between the higher and lower consumption indicators (expenditure quintiles) with lower levels of qualifications seen in the lower quintiles, suggesting a strong link between education and consumption ability.

4.6.

Economic Activity

One of the main components of the SLC was to review the economic activity of respondents. As Table 4.60 outlines, 63% of males and 55% of females were currently working while overall 17% were retired and 13% were unemployed. Table 4.60: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Total Number

Males 62.9 11.6 0.2 6.6 16.5 1.4 0.8 100.0 2,460

Females 54.7 14.3 4.5 6.7 17.5 1.4 0.9 100.0 3,073

Percent 58.4 13.1 2.6 6.7 17.0 1.4 0.9 100.0 5,533

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.61: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) Economic Activity

Youth (15 to 24 years) 41.2 22.5 0.6 33.7 2.0 100.0 996

Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Other Total Number

Over 24s

Percent

62.1 11.0 3.0 0.7 23.1 100.0 4,537

58.4 13.1 2.6 6.7 19.3 100.0 5,533

Reviewing economic activity by expenditure quintile shows that while 43% of those in the lowest quintile were currently working, the equivalent percentage for the highest quintile was 69%. While 5% in the highest quintile were unemployed, the unemployed accounted for 23% of the lowest quintile. Table 4.62: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Total Number

II 43.3 23.2 3.0 7.8 20.0 1.7 1.1 100.0 946

III

58.1 12.2 3.5 7.1 17.2 1.3 0.5 100.0 934

65.1 9.2 2.3 6.6 15.0 1.4 0.3 100.0 911

67.2 7.2 2.0 6.5 15.1 1.2 0.9 100.0 866

V 69.2 5.0 2.2 4.9 16.9 1.2 0.7 100.0 759

Percent 60.1 11.7 2.6 6.6 16.9 1.4 0.7 100.0 4,416

In seeking to dissect the lower quintiles, Table 4.63 outlines main economic activity by poverty status. Table 4.63 demonstrates that 37% of the indigent poor and 46% of the non-indigent poor were currently working. For the non-poor this was 65%. Table 4.63: Main Economic Activity in the Last 30 Days by Poverty Status (%) Economic Activity Working Unemployed Keeping House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Total Number

Indigent Poor 37.4 30.9 1.5 7.6 20.0 1.8 0.9 100.0 340

Non-Indigent Poor 45.5 21.4 3.6 9.0 16.8 2.1 1.6 100.0 387

Vulnerable

Non-Poor

Percent

55.7 14.8 2.9 7.2 18.1 1.1 0.2 100.0 447

64.8 8.1 2.6 6.2 16.4 1.3 0.6 100.0 3242

60.1 11.7 2.6 6.6 16.9 1.4 0.7 100.0 4,416

In relation to the other types of activity, 31% of the indigent poor and 21% of the non-indigent poor were unemployed while only 8% of the non-poor were unemployed. Of note for the analysis is that 20% of the indigent poor were retired.

working and 249 were actively seeking work. An over 25s labour force of 3,068 suggests an unemployment rate of 8.1% and an overall unemployment rate of 11.1%.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

4.6.1 The Employed Looking specifically at employed respondents, 89% of those working were employed full-time while 8% were part-time. The remaining 3% were undertaking seasonal or occasional employment. There was limited deviation by sex with marginally more females working part-time and males working in occasional/odd jobs. Table 4.64: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Sex (%) Working Status Full Time Part Time Seasonal Occasional/Odd Jobs Total Number

Male 89.2 7.0 1.7 2.1 100.0 1,517

Female 88.0 9.7 1.5 0.9 100.0 1,645

Percent 88.6 8.4 1.6 1.5 100.0 3,162

While there is limited deviation by sex, there is some level of deviation by age group where the youth are less likely to be employed full time with 14% employed on a part time basis as opposed to 7.4% for the 25 to 65 year age group. Table 4.65: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Age Group (%) Working Status Full Time Part Time Seasonal Occasional/Odd Jobs Total Number

15 -24 years 82.8 14.2 2.0 1.0 100.0 401

25 to 65 years 89.4 7.4 1.5 1.6 100.0 2,716

Over 65 years 86.7 13.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 45

Percent 88.6 8.4 1.6 1.5 100.0 3162

Examining the data on working status by expenditure shows that those in the higher quintiles were more likely to be working full time while those in the lowest quintile were working part time or in seasonal/occasional jobs. Table 4.66: Working Status in the Last 30 Days by Expenditure Quintile (%) Working Status Full Time Part Time Seasonal Occasional/Odd Jobs Total Number

II 82.8 10.0 2.7 4.5 100.0 401

89.0 8.5 1.7 0.8 100.0 527

III 90.1 7.5 0.7 1.7 100.0 583

IV 91.8 6.1 1.7 0.3 100.0 576

V 92.0 7.0 0.6 0.4 100.0 512

Percent 89.5 7.7 1.4 1.4 100.0 2,599

For the employed, the majority had only one job (93.4%), while 5.9% had two jobs. By sex, 8.7% of males and 3.4% of females had two jobs. The employment status of the employed is shown in Table 4.67 by sex.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.67: Employment Status of those Employed by Sex (%) Employment Status Employer/Self Employed Government Employee Private Employee Unpaid Family Worker Apprenticeship Other Total Number

Males 20.2 21.3 57.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 100.0 1,533

Females 13.2 21.7 64.3 0.1 0.1 0.7 100.0 1,670

Percent 16.5 21.5 61.0 0.1 0.3 0.6 100.0 3,203

The results above reveal that males were more likely to work for themselves while females were more likely to be a private employee. Analysing the results by age group reveals that the youth are also more likely to work as private employees and less likely to be an employer or self-employed. In addition, they are also less likely to work for the Government with only 10% of the youth employed in Government as opposed to 24% for those between 25 and 65 years of age. Table 4.68: Employment Status of those Employed by Age Group (%) Employment Status Employer/Self Employed Government Employee Private Employee Unpaid Family Worker Apprenticeship Other Total Number

15 -24 years 5.2 9.6 83.7 0.2 1.0 0.2 100.0 406

25 to 65 years 17.9 23.6 57.7 0.0 0.2 0.5 100.0 2750

Over 65 years 36.2 2.1 57.4 0.0 0.0 4.3 100.0 47

Percent 16.5 21.5 61.0 0.1 0.3 0.6 100.0 3,203

Looking at the employment status results by expenditure shows that those in the highest expenditure quintiles were more likely to be work for themselves while they were less likely to work as a private employee. Table 4.69: Employment Status of those Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Employment Status Employer/Self Employed Government Employee Private Employee Unpaid Family Worker Apprenticeship Other Total Number

I 13.5 17.7 67.2 0.0 0.5 1.0 100.0 406

II 12.4 22.9 64.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 100.0 541

III 16.9 21.3 61.5 0.0 0.2 0.2 100.0 587

IV 16.0 23.6 58.9 0.3 0.2 1.0 100.0 576

V 22.8 21.8 55.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 100.0 522

Percent 16.4 21.7 61.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 100.0 2,632

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.70: Employed Occupations by Sex (%) Occupation Manager Professional Technician/Associate Professional Clerical Support Worker Service and Sales Worker Skilled Agricultural/Fishery Worker Craft and Related Trades Worker Plant and machine Operators/Assemblers Elementary Occupation Other Total Number

Males 9.5 9.6 8.1 3.9 15.0 5.4 10.3 5.1 2.7 30.6 100.0 1,267

Females 5.7 12.4 2.9 17.2 26.2 2.6 2.7 1.4 3.4 25.6 100.0 1,318

Percent 7.5 11.0 5.5 10.7 20.7 3.9 6.4 3.2 3.1 28.0 100.0 2,585

Considering that there is strong correlation between occupational level and income, and hence consumption, it is not surprising that reviewing the occupation data by expenditure level shows a high level of variation, as shown in Table 4.71. Table 4.71: Employed Occupations by Expenditure Quintile (%) Occupation Manager Professional Technician/Associate Professional Clerical Support Worker Service and Sales Worker Skilled Agricultural/Fishery Worker Craft and Related Trades Worker Plant and machine Operators/Assemblers Elementary Occupation Other Total Number

I 2.5 5.3 4.1 6.3 25.6 5.6 9.1 5.0 5.6 30.9 100.0 320

II 3.8 8.5 4.9 12.9 21.4 4.5 7.6 4.5 3.3 28.6 100.0 448

III 6.1 8.7 6.3 12.8 22.5 3.5 6.9 2.8 2.4 28.1 100.0 462

IV 8.8 16.1 7.5 10.8 20.7 2.6 4.0 3.3 2.9 23.3 100.0 454

V 17.6 20.5 5.9 9.4 16.2 1.2 4.2 1.6 1.6 21.6 100.0 425

Percent 8.0 12.1 5.8 10.7 21.1 3.4 6.2 3.4 3.0 26.3 100.0 2,109

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.72: Industry of Employment by Sex (%) Industry Accommodation/Food Services Administration Agriculture/Fisheries Construction/Mining/Quarrying Education Electricity/Energy/Water Financial Services Health and Social Worker Information and Communication Manufacturing Professional/Technical Activities Transport Wholesale/Retail Trade Other Total Number

Males 8.5 4.8 5.6 19.1 2.6 4.4 4.4 2.9 3.5 4.2 7.1 7.5 9.2 16.4 100.0 1,332

Females 17.7 12.1 3.4 1.5 7.2 0.9 10.1 8.5 2.3 4.0 3.1 2.1 11.6 15.5 100.0 1,468

Percent 13.3 8.6 4.4 9.9 5.0 2.6 7.4 5.8 2.9 4.1 5.0 4.7 10.4 15.9 100.0 2,800

Unlike occupation, industry of employment did not demonstrate differentials as stark as it related to expenditure. The areas where the largest disparities were seen with those in the highest quintile being overrepresented in administration, financial services and professional/technical activities, while those in the lowest quintile were overrepresented in accommodation/food services, agriculture/fisheries and wholesale/retail. Table 4.73: Industry of Employment by Expenditure Quintile (%) Industry Accommodation/Food Services Administration Agriculture/Fisheries Construction/Mining/Quarrying Education Electricity/Energy/Water Financial Services Health and Social Worker Information and Communication Manufacturing Professional/Technical Activities Transport Wholesale/Retail Trade Other Total Number

I 17.9 5.7 7.4 9.8 2.4 1.8 2.7 3.9 1.5 6.0 1.5 4.5 17.3 17.9 100.0 336

II 12.4 9.1 4.8 10.9 4.0 2.9 5.9 7.2 2.1 5.7 2.7 4.0 11.8 16.4 100.0 475

III 13.5 9.1 3.8 11.2 5.3 3.4 8.5 6.3 2.5 4.4 3.4 4.0 9.5 15.2 100.0 527

IV 11.3 8.1 4.2 8.3 6.9 2.6 7.9 5.9 4.3 2.4 8.9 4.9 9.9 14.4 100.0 506

V 11.6 10.3 0.8 9.1 6.1 1.5 12.4 6.5 4.4 2.7 9.5 4.6 6.1 14.3 100.0 475

Percent 13.0 8.6 4.0 9.9 5.1 2.5 7.8 6.1 3.1 4.1 5.4 4.4 10.5 15.5 100.0 2,319

On average, employed persons had been employed for 11 of the previous 12 months, with 18% working less than 11 months, and they had been in their job for approximately 10.5 years. The employed mostly worked for 40 hours in the last week while 20% worked for 38 or less hours per week. The main reasons for working less than 40 hours per week are shown in Table 4.74.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.74: Reasons for Working Less than 40 hours by Sex (%) Reason for Working Less than 40 hours Own Illness/Injury Illness/Injury of Other Household Member Holiday/Vacation Only Part Time Work Personal/Family Responsibilities In School/Training Job ended in Reference Week Firm Not Getting Enough Work Only Times Allocated to Employer Could Not Find More Work Pregnancy Other Total Number

Males 8.5 1.2 12.0 16.7 14.0 1.9 2.7 11.2 13.2 7.4 0.0 11.2 100.0 258

Females 9.6 2.9 6.4 26.7 7.8 2.0 1.4 4.9 27.2 2.0 1.2 7.8 100.0 345

Percent 9.1 2.2 8.8 22.4 10.4 2.0 2.0 7.6 21.2 4.3 0.7 9.3 100.0 603

The main reason for working less than 40 hours per week was that the work was only part-time or that the times worked were the only times allocated by the employer which dominated as reasons for 54% of females and 30% of males. Reviewing these reasons by expenditure quintile revealed a similar trend with these reasons dominating, but at higher levels for the lowest quintile. Table 4.75: Reasons for Working Less than 40 hours by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason for Working Less than 40 hours Own Illness/Injury Illness/Injury of Other Household Member Holiday/Vacation Only Part Time Work Personal/Family Responsibilities In School/Training Job ended in Reference Week Firm Not Getting Enough Work Only Times Allocated to Employer Could Not Find More Work Pregnancy Other Total Number

9.6 1.1 5.3 31.9 4.3 2.1 1.1 9.6 21.3 7.4 1.1 5.3 100.0 94

6.7 2.2 13.3 16.7 3.3 2.2 3.3 6.7 31. 4.4 1.1 8.9 100.0 90

III 13.3 2.9 7.6 17.1 13.3 2.9 1.9 3.8 22.9 2.9 1.0 10.5 100.0 105

IV 7.8 1.9 11.7 16.5 17.5 2.9 3.9 11.7 15.5 1.9 0.0 8.7 100.0 103

V 7.7 3.3 12.1 16.5 18.7 2.2 2.2 8.8 15.4 4.4 1.1 7.7 100.0 91

Percent 9.1 2.3 9.9 19.7 11.6 2.5 2.5 8.1 21.1 4.1 0.8 8.3 100.0 483

For those currently employed, 15.9% were seeking extra work (16.9% of males and 15.1% of females), suggesting a level of underpayment in their current job. There was no significant difference in this regard between males and females.

4.6.2 The Self-Employed Of the 16.5% of respondents that were categorized as an employer or self-employed, 50.4% of their businesses were registered. In terms of sex, 58.5% of the self-employed were males. In terms of location of business operations, 47.0% operated from the home, 29.8% operated from a fixed location and 20.4% were mobile. The self-employed businesses employed on average 1.5 persons, with 90% employing 4 or less persons. The maximum amount of persons employed was 40. 76

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.76: Sex of Self-Employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Sex Male Female Total Number Percentage of Total

I 50.9 49.1 100.0 55 12.7

II 55.2 44.8 100.0 67 15.5

III 58.6 41.4 100.0 99 22.9

IV 63.0 37.0 100.0 92 21.3

V 60.5 39.5 100.0 119 27.6

Total 58.6 41.4 100.0 432 100.0

Table 4.76 demonstrates that the while self-employed males and females have equal shares at the lowest quintile level, males dominate at the higher level quintiles. This suggests that consumption is higher for selfemployed males than self-employed females. If consumption is considered as directly correlated with income, then it can be inferred that male are operating businesses in higher revenue generating areas than female businesses, as males are more prevalent in higher expenditure quintiles. This suggestion was confirmed by reviewing the data on sector of operation and income from the businesses. Table 4.77: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Sex (%) Industry Accommodation/Food Services Administration Agriculture/Fisheries Construction/Mining/Quarrying Education Electricity/Energy/Water Financial Services Health and Social Worker Information and Communication Manufacturing Professional/Technical Activities Transport Wholesale/Retail Trade Other Total Number

Males 5.5 2.7 7.5 24.3 0.0 2.0 2.7 0.4 2.7 3.9 10.6 7.8 9.4 20.4 100.0 255

Females 15.2 3.0 6.1 1.2 1.2 0.6 4.3 2.4 1.2 10.4 4.3 3.0 22.0 25.0 100.0 164

Percent 9.3 2.9 6.9 15.3 0.5 1.4 3.3 1.2 2.1 6.4 8.1 6.0 14.3 22.2 100.0 419

In terms of industry, there is a clear division in relation to sex with males operating in construction/mining/quarrying (24%) and professional/technical activities (11%) while females are operating in wholesale/retail (22%), manufacturing (10%) and accommodation/food services (15%). It appears from Table 4.78 and Table 4.79 that the better off of the self-employed are in accommodation/food services, financial services and professional/technical activities. This conclusion is based on these sectors comprising a larger share in the highest quintile than in the lowest. Using this reasoning, the least productive sectors would be agriculture/fisheries, health and social work and manufacturing.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.78: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Industry Accommodation/Food Services Administration Agriculture/Fisheries Construction/Mining/Quarrying Education Electricity/Energy/Water Financial Services Health and Social Worker Information and Communication Manufacturing Professional/Technical Activities Transport Wholesale/Retail Trade Other Total Number

2.4 2.4 12.2 17.1 0.0 2.4 0.0 4.9 2.4 9.8 7.3 4.9 14.6 19.5 100.0 41

6.0 2.0 2.0 16.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 8.0 10.0 8.0 16.0 24.0 100.0 50

III 13.2 1.3 6.6 17.1 1.3 2.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 7.9 3.9 2.6 15.8 23.7 100.0 76

IV 9.5 5.4 8.1 12.2 0.0 0.0 5.4 0.0 4.1 2.7 10.8 6.8 13.5 21.6 100.0 74

V 12.0 2.0 2.0 18.0 1.0 0.0 7.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 11.0 6.0 12.0 23.0 100.0 100

Percent 9.7 2.6 5.6 16.1 0.6 1.2 3.8 1.2 2.3 5.9 8.8 5.6 14.1 22.6 100.0 341

These results are confirmed in reviewing these results in more detail in relation to actual business income, as shown in Table 4.79. Table 4.79: Main Industry for the Self-employed by Previous Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Income (%) Industry

Accommodation/Food Services Administration Agriculture/Fisheries Construction/Mining/Quarrying Education Electricity/Energy/Water Financial Services Information and Communication Manufacturing Professional/Technical Activities Transport Wholesale/Retail Trade Other Number

Zero

0.0 0.0 0.0 4.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7 5.0 0.0 0.0 5.3 6.2 10

Previous Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Income Less $800 to $2000 $4000 than $1999 to to $800 $3999 $5200 20.0 16.0 28.0 24.0 0.0 16.7 33.3 16.7 16.7 5.6 33.3 33.3 4.7 7.0 27.9 25.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 25.0 0.0 25.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 8.3 33.3 16.7 0.0 0.0 33.3 15.0 0.0 35.0 35.0 3.4 13.8 55.2 6.9 20.0 13.3 20.0 33.3 18.4 7.9 34.2 21.1 23.1 6.2 27.7 27.7 48 70 76 27

Over $5200 12.0 33.3 11.1 30.2 50.0 25.0 58.3 33.3 10.0 20.7 13.3 13.2 9.2 52

Percent

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 283

In looking at actual income for the self-employed, 54% of respondents indicated that this was over $2000 in the last month while 24% indicated that it was less than $800. If this data is viewed by sex, 42% of females had income over $2000 per month and 35% less than $800 while the comparable figures for males were 61% and 17%. These results suggest that self-employed males are overrepresented in higher earning categories and females overrepresented in lower earning categories.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.80: Approximate Business Income in the Last Month (%) Income Group Zero Less Than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 Over $5200 Total Number

Males 3.3 13.4 22.0 30.5 8.1 22.8 100.0 246

Females 5.5 29.1 23.6 26.1 9.1 6.7 100.0 165

Percent 4.1 19.7 22.6 28.7 8.5 16.3 100.0 411

4.6.3 The Unemployed Of the unemployed, 405 were actively seeking work (57.2%). This suggests that the total number of persons in the labour force (sum of employed and unemployed persons who are seeking work) for the sample was 3,634, suggesting an unemployment rate of 11.1%. With reference to the Barbados Continuous Household Labour Force Survey for the period January to March 2010 (Barbados Statistical Service, 2010), the unemployment rate was quoted as 10.6%. The characteristics of the unemployed respondents in the sample is reviewed below. The unemployed that are in the labour force (seeking work) are comprised of 46% males and 54% females, with females demonstrating a longer period unemployed that males, as shown in Table 4.81. While 42.9% of males had been unemployed for 6 month or more, the equivalent percentage for females was 54%. Table 4.81: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Sex (%) Unemployed Periods Never Worked 1 >= 3 Months 3>= 6 Months 6 > 12 Months 1 Year and More Total Number

Males 11.0 28.0 18.1 17.6 25.3 100.0 182

Females 9.7 25.5 11.1 18.1 35.6 100.0 216

Percent 10.3 26.6 14.3 17.8 30.9 100.0 398

For the unemployed youth (15 to 24 years old) that are currently seeking employment, 24% have never worked as opposed to 1.7% of those in the 25 to 65 years old category. Considering that lack of employment will have implications for household income and hence expenditure, it is surprising that there is not a clearer cut trend by quintile for period unemployed, as shown in Table 4.82. Table 4.82: Period Unemployed for those seeking work by Expenditure Quintile (%) Unemployed Periods Never Worked 1 >= 3 Months 3>= 6 Months 6 > 12 Months 1 Year and More Total Number

II 10.6 29.3 8.9 19.5 31.7 100.0 123

6.7 30.0 16.7 20.0 26.7 100.0 60

III 9.1 18.2 13.6 34.1 25.0 100.0 44

IV 12.1 42.4 21.2 9.1 15.2 100.0 33

V 10.5 21.1 26.3 10.5 31.6 100.0 19

Percent 9.7 28.7 14.0 20.1 27.6 100.0 279

What Table 4.82 however does show is that 44% of the unemployed are in the lowest quintiles as opposed to 7% in the highest. However, what would be expected is that the longer the period of unemployment the lower 79

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

the household income and hence expenditure. Whilst this can be considered as partly the case with 51% of the unemployed in the lowest quintile having been unemployed for 6 months or more, the related figure for the highest quintile is 42%. A much larger deviation would have been expected. However, given that these are individuals and that the expenditure quintiles are attributed to the household, this effect may be somewhat tempered by intra-household transfers. In relation to the main reason respondents left their last job, Table 4.83 outlines that the main reasons was a lack of available work (retrenched/laid off/no work available) (48%). This was however more prevalent for males with 58% of males citing this as a reason and 41% of females. One of the other reasons females left their last job was because of home duties (6%). Table 4.83: Main Reason Left Last Job by Sex (%) Reason for Leaving Last Job Current Job is First Job New Job Fired Illness/Injury Retired To Return to Education Retrenched/Laid off Did Not Want Work No More Work Available Wages too Low Seasonal Job Home Duties Sexual Harassment Other Pregnancy Total Number

Males 0.9 0.9 4.8 8.7 2.2 2.6 33.3 1.3 25.1 5.2 7.4 0.9 0.0 6.9 0.0 100.0 231

Females 0.6 0.0 5.9 11.8 1.7 2.3 23.9 2.8 16.9 4.2 8.2 6.2 0.3 10.7 4.5 100.0 355

Percent 0.7 0.3 5.5 10.6 1.9 2.4 27.6 2.2 20.1 4.6 7.8 4.1 0.2 9.2 2.7 100.0 586

For those not seeking work (the voluntarily unemployed), a variety of reasons were given, as outlined below, and mainly related to long term illness, not wanting work or unavailable to work because of caring duties or pregnancy. Table 4.84: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Sex (%) Reason for Not Seeking Work Temporary Illness Long Term Illness Did Not Want Work Awaiting Results or Applications Knew of No Vacancy Discouraged Caring for Someone Pregnancy Other Total Number

Males 2.4 27.1 27.1 5.9 12.9 8.2 2.4 1.2 12.9 100.0 85

Females 5.0 19.8 18.8 2.5 8.4 7.9 15.3 5.4 16.8 100.0 202

Percent 4.2 22.0 21.3 3.5 9.8 8.0 11.5 4.2 15.7 100.0 287

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

As a matter of concern from the analysis by sex and age group for those not seeking work is that 27% of males and 38% of the youth cite that they did not want to work. The related percentages for females and those 25 to 65 years were 19% and 16% respectively. Table 4.85: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Age Group (%) Reason for Not Seeking Work Temporary Illness Long Term Illness Did Not Want Work Awaiting Results or Applications Knew of No Vacancy Discouraged Caring for Someone Pregnancy Other Total Number

15 -24 years 0.0 3.4 37.9 8.6 13.8 3.4 3.4 12.1 17.2 100.0 58

25 to 65 years 5.7 25.0 16.5 2.4 9.4 9.9 14.6 2.4 14.2 100.0 212

Over 65 years 0.0 47.1 23.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.4 100.0 17

Percent 4.2 22.0 21.3 3.5 9.8 8.0 11.5 4.2 15.7 100.0 287

In relation to the reason for not wanting to work, the PPA revealed a number of reasons that related to a preference for freedom and leisure. Comments included:     

These and other issues related to not participating in the labour market are discussion in the summation. Reviewing the coded reasons by expenditure reveals that long term illness was the main constraint for the lower quintiles while caring duties were the main constraint at higher quintiles. Overall, there was little deviation in the percentage of respondents that did not want to work. Table 4.86: Reasons for Not Seeking Work for the Voluntarily Unemployed by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason for Not Seeking Work Temporary Illness Long Term Illness Did Not Want Work Awaiting Results or Applications Knew of No Vacancy Discouraged Caring for Someone Pregnancy Other Total Number

7.1 27.1 24.7 3.5 8.2 8.2 7.1 3.5 10.6 100.0 85

6.4 23.4 12.8 8.5 6.4 4.3 10.6 6.4 21.3 100.0 47

III 2.9 22.9 25.7 5.7 14.3 2.9 14.3 2.9 8.6 100.0 35

IV 0.0 11.5 23.1 3.8 11.5 3.8 23.1 7.7 15.4 100.0 26

V 6.3 6.3 25.0 0.0 12.5 6.3 25.0 0.0 18.8 100.0 16

Percent 5.3 22.0 22.0 4.8 9.6 5.7 12.4 4.3 13.9 100.0 287

For those unemployed that were actively seeking work, the reasons for not working in the last month mainly related to the unavailability of work (77%) while the seasonality of activity was more of a constraint for males (8%) than females (3%).

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.87: Reasons for Not Working for Those Seeking Work by Sex (%) Reason not Working No Work Available Seasonal Activity Student Household/Family Duties Other Total Number

Males 78.7 7.5 2.3 1.1 10.3 100.0 174

Females 76.3 2.9 3.4 2.9 14.5 100.0 207

Percent 77.4 5.0 2.9 2.1 12.6 100.0 381

Examining these results by quintile demonstrate a somewhat greater variation in responses with the unavailability of work being of greater importance for quintiles 2 and 5 and seasonality being more important for the other quintiles. The largest differential seen was for education with 10% of those in the highest quintile citing this as a reason as opposed to 3% in the lowest quintile. Table 4.88: Reasons for Not Working for Those Seeking Work by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason not Working No Work Available Seasonal Activity Student Household/Family Duties Other Total Number

I 78.6 6.0 3.4 0.9

II 83.6 5.5 1.8 1.8

III 75.6 13.3 0.0 2.2

IV 71.9 3.1 3.1 3.1

V 84.2 0.0 10.5 0.0

Percent 78.7 6.3 3.0 1.5

11.1 100.0 117

7.3 100.0 55

8.9 100.0 45

18.8 100.0 32

5.3 100.0 19

10.4 100.0 268

In relation to the type of work being sought for the unemployed that are actively seeking work, the majority of males are seeking employment as service or sales workers (17%) or in the crafts and related trades (15%). The mains areas sought by females are as service and sales workers (31%) or as clerical support (15%). Table 4.89: Occupation Work being sought in (%) Occupation Manager Professional Technician/Associate Professional Clerical Support Worker Service and Sales Worker Skilled Agricultural/Fishery Worker Craft and Related Trades Worker Plant and machine Operators/Assemblers Elementary Occupation Other Total Number

Males 2.0 4.7 8.7 2.7 17.3 6.0 14.7 8.0 12.7 23.3 100.0 150

Females 1.6 8.7 3.3 15.2 31.0 1.6 1.1 0.0 9.2 28.3 100.0 184

Percent 1.8 6.9 5.7 9.6 24.9 3.6 7.2 3.6 10.8 26.0 100.0 334

The sources of information for these jobs are mostly sourced through newspapers or by word of mouth with only 8% of females and 4% of males utilising the National Employment Bureau.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.90: Source of Information for Employment Vacancies (%) Source of Information on Employment Vacancies National Employment Bureau Private Recruitment Agency Newspapers Internet Word of Mouth Other Total Number

4.7.

Males 3.5 1.2 42.4 0.6 48.8 3.5 100.0 172

Females 7.9 1.5 57.6 1.5 25.6 5.9 100.0 203

Percent 5.9 1.3 50.7 1.1 36.3 4.8 100.0 375

Income and Expenditure

The individual survey instrument for the SLC sought to gather information on changes and levels of income and expenditure. Table 4.91 outlines the main results as it relates to the change in key variables since mid2007, the period before the commencement of the global economic crisis. Table 4.91: Individuals Change in Key Economic Variables since mid-2007 (%) Variable Personal Income Hours Worked Overall Personal Expenditure Consumption of Food and Services Purchase of New Household Durables Spending on Education Spending on Transport

Increased 37.1 13.4 60.0 46.5 17.7 24.2 40.6

No Change 41.3 63.5 29.7 44.5 63.4 55.9 48.4

Decreased 21.6 23.1 10.3 9.0 18.9 19.9 11.0

Number 5282 4858 5294 5217 4925 4578 5117

In terms of income and employment, approximately 20% of respondents indicated that personal income and hours worked had decreased, while 37% indicated that personal income had increased and 13% that hours worked had increased. In relation to expenditure, despite only 37% indicating that income had increased, 60% of respondents indicated that overall personal expenditure had increased. The main expenditure increase was seen with food and services (46%). For all individuals reporting some form of income (employment and other sources), monthly income averaged $2,496, with 50% of the sample having a monthly income of $2000 or less. Female monthly income was $2,340 while the related income for males was $2,690. In total, 54.2% of the sample reported that they earned income from employment, with 90% of these reporting actual income levels. In terms of net monthly income from employment, this was $1,604 for females and $1,781 for males. The results in relation to income categories are shown in Table 4.92 and Table 4.93 by sex and by strata, with limited deviation seen between males and females; 74% of males and 78% of females earned less than $2000 in the last month. Table 4.92: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Sex (%) Net Income Category Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

Male 13.0 60.9 20.2 3.7 2.3 100.0 1232

Female 15.9 62.2 18.0 2.4 1.5 100.0 1507

Total 14.6 61.6 19.0 3.0 1.8 100.0 2739

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Analysing the results by age group reveal that while only 18% of the youth earned BDS$2000 or more in the last month, the related percentage for the 25 to 65 year old age group was 25%. Table 4.93: Net Income from Main Job in Last Month by Age Group (%) Net Income Category Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

15 -24 years 17.0 64.5 15.4 1.3 1.8 100.0 448

25 to 65 years 13.9 61.0 19.8 3.3 2.0 100.0 2130

Over 65 years 16.8 61.5 19.3 2.5 0.0 100.0 161

Total 14.6 61.6 19.0 3.0 1.8 100.0 2739

Net income by strata demonstrated a much higher level of deviation. While 80% of those in the West and South East strata earned less than $2000 in the last month, the related share for the Central Strata was 64%. In looking at monthly earnings over $4000, approximately 9% of the Central strata are in this category as opposed to 2% in the North and East Strata and 4% in Greater Bridgetown. Table 4.94: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Strata (%) Income Category

Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

Greater Bridgetown

Outer Urban

South East

Central

West

10.0 68.5 18.0 2.3 1.2 100.0 482

11.3 65.2 16.7 4.2 2.5 100.0 353

12.6 68.2 15.6 2.1 1.6 100.0 437

9.0 54.8 27.0 6.1 3.1 100.0 456

24.0 56.3 15.5 2.0 2.2 100.0 595

North and East 17.3 58.9 22.1 1.4 0.2 100.0 416

Total

14.6 61.6 19.0 3.0 1.8 100.0 2739

In demonstrating the link between individual income and household expenditure, Table 4.95 shows that as expenditure quintile increases they are comprised of a lower proportion of the lower income group. Those earning less than $2000 in the last month comprise 93% of the lowest quintile falling steadily to 60% in the highest quintile. Table 4.95: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Householdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Expenditure Quintile (%) Income Category Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

II 32.1 60.5 6.8 0.7 0.0 100.0 296

16.5 65.4 16.3 1.0 0.8 100.0 492

III 13.6 65.6 17.3 2.2 1.3 100.0 544

IV 8.5 56.3 29.7 4.3 1.2 100.0 515

V 8.4 51.2 26.2 8.2 6.1 100.0 477

Total 14.4 59.9 20.3 3.4 2.0 100.0 2324

This results is further confirmed when poverty status is considered. As Table 4.96 demonstrates, those earning less than $2000 in the last month comprise 94% of the indigent poor, 96% of the non-indigent poor, 86% of the vulnerable and 71% of the non-poor.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.96: Net Income from Main Job in the Last Month by Householdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Poverty Status (%) Income Category

Indigent Poor

Less than $800 $800 to $1999 $2000 to $3999 $4000 to $5200 More than $5200 Total Number

44.3 50.0 5.7 0.0 0.0 100.0 88

Non-Indigent Poor 33.1 62.7 4.2 0.0 0.0 100.0 118

Vulnerable

Non-Poor

Total

20.1 65.4 13.1 0.9 0.5 100.0 214

11.2 59.6 22.8 4.1 2.4 100.0 1904

14.4 59.9 20.3 3.4 2.0 100.0 2324

In terms of other sources of income, Table 4.97 outlines the percentage of the sample stating income from these sources by sex and by expenditure quintile. Table 4.97 and Table 4.98 demonstrate that apart from employment, which comprises approximately 72% of income, contributory pensions (10%), public service Government pension (6%), remittances from abroad (6%), child support (5%) and dividends from investment (5%). All other income sources accounted for less than 5% of income sources. Table 4.97: Main Sources of Income by Sex (%) Income Source Employment Contributory Pension from NIS Government Pension (Public Servant) Remittances from Abroad Child Support Dividends from Investment Rentals Deposit Interest Non-Contributory Pension from NIS Other Allowances Interest from Stocks/Shares Household Production: Agriculture Social Security Public Assistance Household Production: Manufacturing Pension from Other Employer Household Production: Construction Insurance Annuities Household Production: Tourism Allowances- Scholarships

Male 72.6 10.4 7.1 5.1 2.4 5.3 5.5 4.3 2.6 2.7 1.7 2.4 3.2 2.2 1.8 1.3 2.0 1.3 0.6 1.1 0.6

Female 71.4 9.1 5.6 7.3 7.6 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.5 3.8 3.8 2.3 1.4 2.1 1.8 1.9 1..2 1.0 1.2 0.7 0.5

Total 72.0 9.7 6.3 6.3 5.3 5.0 4.8 4.4 3.6 3.3 2.9 2.4 2.2 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.5

Number 4203 3917 3937 3903 3944 3849 3966 3835 3919 3873 3958 3903 3967 3927 3944 3953 3945 3961 3929 3946 3963

An analysis of income source by expenditure quintile demonstrates that while a lower proportion of those in the lowest quintile obtain income from employment than the other quintiles (58% versus an average of 72%), a larger proportion obtain income from a non-contributory pension (7% versus an average of 3%) and public assistance (4% versus 1%). In addition, it appears that those in the lowest quintile have limited investments with only 2% obtaining dividends from investments, 2% receiving deposit interest and less than 1% receiving interest from stocks or shares. The averages for the full sample were 6%, 5% and 3% while for the highest quintile these were 11%, 9% and 6%.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.98: Main Sources of Income by Expenditure Quintile (%) Income Source Employment Rentals Government Pension (Public Servant) Pension from Other Employer Contributory Pension from NIS Non-Contributory Pension from NIS Social Security Public Assistance Child Support Allowances Remittances from Abroad Dividends from Investment Deposit Interest Insurance Annuities Allowances- Scholarships Interest from Stocks/Shares Other Household Production: Agriculture Household Production: Construction Household Production: Manufacturing Household Production: Tourism

4.8.

I 58.3 1.0 5.8 1.2 11.1 7.2 2.7 3.8 7.0 2.5 4.9 1.5 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.8 2.3 0.3 0.8 0.7

II 71.0 4.5 6.0 1.1 10.7 3.0 1.8 1.7 4.6 2.7 5.8 3.2 3.2 1.1 0.3 1.3 2.3 2.5 1.7 1.7 .04

III 76.6 4.3 5.9 1.5 7.1 3.1 2.4 1.7 4.6 2.4 6.5 5.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 1.8 2.4 2.4 0.4 1.1 0.4

IV 75.9 5.5 6.7 2.6 8.8 1.6 2.9 0.7 5.5 3.7 7.6 7.4 6.3 0.9 0.6 3.7 4.3 2.2 1.0 2.6 1.0

V 76.6 10.8 7.7 1.7 9.5 1.6 1.9 0.8 4.5 3.4 8.1 11.0 9.3 2.5 1.6 6.2 6.3 1.7 2.5 2.5 2.7

Total 72.1 5.2 6.4 1.6 9.4 3.2 2.3 1.7 5.2 2.9 6.6 5.7 5.1 1.0 0.6 2.7 3.6 2.2 1.2 1.8 1.0

Number 3574 3378 3359 3364 3352 3340 3347 3365 3366 3372 3324 3283 3267 3353 3383 3325 3302 3378 3374 3369 3363

Crime and Security

Approximately 4.5% of individuals were victims of crime in the last 12 months. While the majority of crimes were experienced at the home (55.0%), 17.7% were experienced in the community and 27.3% elsewhere. In terms of the types of crimes experienced, these are shown in Table 4.99 with the most often experienced crimes being robbery and burglary. Table 4.99: Crimes Experienced in Last Year (%) Crime Theft of Vehicle Theft from Vehicle Burglary Attempted Burglary Robbery Assault Sexual Offence Other

Individuals Experiencing Crime (%) 0.1 0.4 1.2 0.4 1.4 0.6 0.2 0.2

For those experiencing a crime in the last year, 75.5% reported the crime to the police. In terms of the multiple reasons for not reporting a crime, these are shown in Table 4.100 and relate mainly to the crime not being serious enough to report (40.4%) or a lack of confidence in the overall system (36.9%).

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.100: Reasons for Not Reporting a Crime to the Police (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Reason for Not Reporting Crime No Confidence in Justice System No Confidence in Police Force Afraid of Perpetrator Perpetrator Household Member/Relative Not Serious Enough Other Total Number of Cases

Percent of Cases 15.8 21.1 5.3 1.8 40.4 19.3 103.7 57

For those that did report the crime to the police, 17.8% stated that the crime had been solved while 13.2% did not know. The overall satisfaction with the official handling of the matter is shown in Table 4.101 with 45% indicating some level of satisfaction and 29% being neutral in their response. Table 4.101: Level of Satisfaction with official handling of the Crime (%) Satisfaction Level Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Total Number

Percent 15.0 30.1 28.9 0.0 26.0 100.0 173

In total, 141 individuals experienced monetary losses from crime, approximately 2.5% of the total sample, or 56.1% of those experiencing crime. The average loss was $2764, with 50% losing $1000 or less. For days without pay lost because of crime, only 37 respondents (14.6% of those experiencing crime) cited any loss in this regard with an average loss of 19 days and 50% losing 6 or less days. In terms of household security, nearly 60% of households had none of the items listed below as protection against crime or fire. Table 4.102: Security Items Possessed (% of Cases) Security Items Possessed Security Lighting Perimeter Fencing Security Bars on All Windows Security Bars on Some Windows Home Alarm Smoke Detectors None Number of Responses

Percentage of Cases 12.9 20.4 12.8 14.8 3.4 4.5 59.3 3052

Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23.8%) indicated that they were more fearful of crime than 2 years previous (27.6% of females and 19.0% of males). Due to this fear, a number of security measures have been employed, as shown in Table 4.103.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.103: Type of Security Obtained due to fear of crime (% of Cases) (multiple responses) Type of Security obtained due to fear of crime Guard Dogs Private Security Car Alarm House Alarm Burglar Bars Other None Not Stated Total Number of Cases

Percent 3.1 0.6 1.5 1.2 5.3 1.0 79.9 10.8 103.4 5618

The estimated expenditure on these items in the last two (2) years was $789, with 70% spending $500 or less.

4.9.

Migration

4.9.1 Departing Household Members In total, 12.6% of households indicated that at least one household member had moved out in the last 5 years; this ranged from one to five individuals and information was collected on a total of 393 individuals. There was a fairly even distribution by sex with males accounting for 51.1% of persons leaving. The majority of those leaving were children of the head of household which accounted for 40.1%, followed by son/daughter in-law (15.4%) and spouse/partner (11.0%). The detailed results are shown in Table 4.104. The average age of leaving the household was 31 years of age with 75% departing before the age of 38. Table 4.104: Relationship to Head of Household (%) Relationship to Head of Household Spouse/Partner Child Son/daughter-in-law Grandchild Parent/Parent-in-law Grandparent Other Relative Brother/Sister Non-relative Not stated Total Number

Percent 11.0 40.1 15.4 4.2 2.6 .3 8.9 7.1 6.3 4.2 100.0 382

In reviewing the level of education of the departing person by expenditure quintile, there appears to be limited deviation of consequence although 25% of persons departing the lowest quartile households had a tertiary education and this has implications for the householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future earning capacity, although it does reduce the consumption burden.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.105: Level of Education Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) Level of Education None Complete Primary Incomplete Primary Complete Secondary Incomplete Secondary Tertiary Other Not Stated Don't Know Total Number

III

8.3 4.2 43.1 2.8 25.0 8.3 8.3 100.0 72

5.0 8.3 6.7 41.7 5.0 23.3 3.3 5.0 1.7 100.0 60

5.9 39.2 13.7 33.3 5.9 2.0 100.0 51

7.9 2.6 28.9 2.6 34.2 5.3 15.8 2.6 100.0 38

1.2 1.2 44.2 4.7 40.7 2.3 3.5 2.3 100.0 86

Percent 1.0 5.9 2.9 40.7 5.5 31.6 2.0 6.8 3.6 100.0 307

In terms of the economic activity of the person departing the lowest quartile, they were either working or looking for work (79.5%), again detrimentally affecting the householdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; earning capacity while reducing the consumption burden. Table 4.106: Economic Activity Prior to Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) Economic Activity Working Looking for Work Kept House At School Retired Incapacitated Other Not Stated Don't Know Total Number

I 69.9 9.6 1.4 2.7 5.5 1.4 1.4 6.8 1.4 100.0 73

II 63.3 6.7 1.7 11.7 3.3 1.7 11.7 100.0 60

III 60.4 3.8 1.9 18.9 5.7 7.5 1.9 100.0 53

IV 61.5 5.1 2.6 10.3 5.1 15.4 100.0 39

V 66.7 2.3 2.3 12.6 1.1 1.1 8.0 5.7 100.0 87

Percent 65.1 5.4 1.9 10.9 2.9 1.6 4.2 7.7 0.3 100.0 312

The reasons for departure were varied with the dominant reasons being independence and marriage. However, in terms of the distribution by expenditure quintile, study was a reason for 14% of those departing the highest quintile with only 1.4% departing the lowest quintile households for this reason. Table 4.107: Main Reason for Departure by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason More Income Work Study Marriage Medical Other family reason To gain independence Other Don't Know Not stated Total Number

III

4.2 1.4 20.8 5.6 13.9 30.6 5.6 8.3 9.7 100.0 72

6.7 1.7 1.7 18.3 16.7 38.3 1.7 3.3 11.7 100.0 60

2.0 14.0 12.0 22.0 34.0 16.0 100.0 50

2.6 10.3 12.8 17.9 15.4 10.3 7.7 7.7 15.4 100.0 39

1.2 14.0 19.8 15.1 25.6 15.1 2.3 7.0 100.0 86

Percent 1.6 3.3 8.5 18.2 1.3 16.3 28.7 9.4 4.2 8.5 100.0 307

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

There were also deviations by quintile seen in relation to the area moved to, as shown below. Table 4.108: Area Person Moved to (%) Area Within the immediate community Another part of the country outside the immediate community Caribbean UK USA Canada Other part of the world Don't know Not stated Total Number

I 22.2 61.1 5.6 2.8 1.4 6.9 100.0 72

II 16.9 62.7

III 18.0 46.0

IV 10.5 47.4

V 11.6 55.8

Percent 16.1 55.7

1.7 3.4 3.4 1.7 10.2 100.0 59

8.0 2.0 14.0 8.0 2.0 2.0 100.0 50

7.9 2.6 10.5 2.6 2.6 15.8 100.0 38

4.7 4.7 9.3 4.7 2.3 7.0 100.0 86

5.2 2.6 7.5 3.3 0.7 1.0 7.9 100.0 305

While 22% of persons moved within the immediate community in the lowest quintile, this was half the amount for the highest two quintiles. In relation to moving out of the country, 8% in the lowest quintile were in this category as opposed to 23% in the highest decile. The majority of persons leaving the household still continue to contribute (70.7%), with an annual median contribution of $1000. For the most part the persons departing the household do not leave children behind as this only occurred in 46 cases (11.7%) and on average 2 children were left behind.

4.9.2 Individuals’ Nationality and Migration Patterns For individual respondents, a number of migration and nationality issues were addressed. Overall, 92.2% of respondents were Barbadian while 89.5% of respondent’s mothers were born in Barbados. Less than half of respondents still lived in the community in which their mother was living when they were born (43.6%) while 23.0% had lived abroad at some point in their life. On average, for those having lived abroad, they have been residing in Barbados on a continuous basis for 24 years and returned to Barbados at an average age of 29. The main reasons for living abroad are shown in Table 4.109. Table 4.109: Main Reasons for Living Abroad by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason for Living Abroad Born Abroad Study/Education Family Reasons Better Living Conditions Employment To Start a Business Health Other Total Number

I 45.7 5.7 21.4 7.9 17.9 0.7 0.7 100.0 140

II 31.5 11.7 17.9 10.5 25.9 0.6 1.9 100.0 162

III 39.2 9.7 20.3 4.6 24.9 0.5 0.9 100.0 217

IV 37.6 19.9 15.9 6.2 19.5 0.9 100.0 226

V 36.8 25.2 14.7 4.7 16.3 0.4 1.9 100.0 258

Percent 37.9 15.8 17.6 6.4 20.6 0.2 0.2 1.3 100.0 1003

The starkest difference between males’ and females’ reasons for living abroad and returning was seen with employment. While 29.3% of males lived abroad because of employment, and 18.1% returned for employment, the corresponding percentages for females were 14.8% and 11.0%.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 4.110: Main Reasons for Returning to Barbados by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason for Return Regard as Home/Homesick Family is Here Marriage Deported Retired To Start a Business The Weather To Obtain Employment Health Reasons Return From Study Other Total Number

I 16.3 39.8 10.6 0.8 1.6 0.8 13.8 3.3 2.4 10.6 100.0 140

II 16.1 34.2 6.5 0.6 12.3 1.3 1.3 10.3 1.3 6.5 9.7 100.0 162

III 14.1 33.7 9.3 7.3 2.9 2.0 15.6 2.4 4.9 7.8 100.0 217

IV 20.7 26.7 11.1 0.5 4.6 2.3 0.5 14.7 0.9 9.2 8.8 100.0 226

V 11.7 25.8 11.7 5.6 3.6 0.4 17.7 1.6 12.5 9.3 100.0 258

Percent 15.6 30.9 10.0 0.3 6.3 2.3 0.9 14.9 1.8 7.8 9.1 100.0 1,003

In relation to the main reason for returning to Barbados, family and being home were the two main reasons followed by obtaining employment. However the starkest difference was that 12% in the highest decile were returning from study as compared to 2% in the lowest decile.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

An Overview of Poverty and Living Conditions in Barbados

The SLC/HBS, with supplementary information from the National Nutrition Centre (NNC), was able to estimate the level of absolute poverty in Barbados at 15.0% of households and 19.3% of individuals. With the utilisation of expenditure levels to indicate relative poverty across households and individuals, the report provided an analysis of the reality of poverty as it related to housing, health, education, employment and crime. The results of the analysis in relation to the terms of reference (TOR) are shown in Table 5.1. Measure the indigent and poverty lines for Barbados and determine the characteristics, extent, geographic concentration, severity and causes of poverty (by age and sex); The average per capita indigence and poverty lines for Barbados were estimated as BDS$3970 and BDS$7861 respectively. In total 6.9% of households and 9.1% of individuals were categorised as indigent poor while 8.1% of households and 10.2% of individuals were categorised as non-indigent poor. In terms of geographical distribution, the Greater Bridgetown, Outer Urban and North and East strata had an above average population that was poor. Table 5.1: Strata by Poverty Status (%) Strata

Greater Bridgetown Outer Urban South East Central West North and East Average Number

Indigent Poor 8.7 7.6 5.6 6.5 5.3 8.1 6.9 131

Nonindigent Poor 9.7 10.0 7.5 5.5 7.0 8.8 8.1 154

Vulnerable

Non-poor

Percentage of Reponses

13.0 11.2 11.4 8.6 5.9 11.4 10.2 194

68.6 71.1 75.6 79.4 81.8 71.7 74.9 1429

15.7 17.2 18.9 15.3 18.7 14.3 100.0 1908

In terms of the depth and severity of poverty, the Poverty Gap Index and Squared Poverty Gap for Barbados were estimated at 6.0 and 3.2 respectively while the Gini coefficient was 0.47. Table 5.2: Regional Poverty Indicators Country (year of data) Barbados (2010) Dominica (2010) St. Lucia (2007) Belize (2009) Grenada (2008) Antigua and Barbuda (2007) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2008) St. Kitts and Nevis (2009) -St. Kitts -Nevis

Household Poverty 15.0 22.8 21.4 31.0 na 13.4 -

Individual Poverty 19.3 28.8 28.8 42.0 37.7 18.3 33.1 21.8 23.7 15.9

Poverty Gap Index 6.0 8.9 9.0 11.4 10.1 6.6 7.5 6.4 2.7

Poverty Severity 3.2 4.0 4.1 5.0 4.0 3.8 3.0 2.6 0.8

Gini 0.47 0.44 0.42 0.42 0.37 0.48 0.40 0.40 -

In terms of a regional comparison, the results above indicate that, with the exception of Nevis, the Poverty Gap Index in Barbados is relatively low in comparison to other countries in the region. The same can also be said for the degree of inequality amongst the poor (poverty severity), where Barbados has the third lowest level after St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, in terms of inequality in consumption, as measured by the Gini coefficient, Barbados demonstrates the second highest level of 92

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

inequality after Antigua and Barbuda. The lowest level of inequality in consumption was seen in Grenada with a Gini coefficient of 0.37. Overall, in terms of the causes and correlates of poverty, poor households were characterised as being larger (3.7 persons versus 2.7 for the non-poor), comprising a greater amount of children (2.3 children versus 1.5 for the non-poor), experiencing more overcrowding (11% of poor households were overcrowded versus 3% for the non-poor), having members with lower levels of education in lower skilled jobs, and employed in lower paying sectors. Analyse the different types of poverty manifested i.e. chronically, new, transitory poor etc. and identify structural disadvantages faced by each group; There was a large percentage of intergenerational poverty with approximately 85% of heads of poor households indicating they were at the same level or better off than in the household they grew up in. Despite a proportion of them being better off, 85% of poor heads of households are still living in poverty. Identify and analyse the dynamic links between poverty and the following: Employment, unemployment, and conditions in the formal and informal sectors and poverty (e.g. size, composition and changes in the structure of employment, sectoral distribution, the relative position of men, women, and youth and their earnings/incomes); Social and economic inequality. Overall, 37% of the indigent poor, 46% of the non-indigent poor and 56% of the vulnerable were currently employed. The related percentage for the non-poor was 65%. In terms of unemployment, for those unemployed and seeking work, the rate for the poor was 26.5% as opposed to 11.4% for the vulnerable and 6.3% for the non-poor. For the employed poor, 80% were working full-time as opposed to 87% for the vulnerable and 91% of the non-poor. These results suggest a strong link between employment and poverty status with the poor less likely to be employed, and for the employed poor, they are less likely to be employed full-time. In terms of occupation, the majority of the poor are in lower level jobs (service/sales/assembly) (38.6%) and 11.1% employed as managers/professionals/associate professionals. The related percentages for the non-poor were 25.1% and 29.7% respectively. Industry of employment for the poor also showed differences from the non-poor. The poor were overrepresented in Wholesale/Retail, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Fisheries and Accommodation and Food Services with 52% employed in these sectors as opposed to 28% for the non-poor. The poor were also underrepresented in Financial Services and Professional/Technical Activities with 4% of the poor employed in these sectors as opposed to 15% of the non-poor. It is considered that one of the main reasons for these differentials in the labour market is directly related to the level of qualifications of the poor. While 56.8% of the poor that were not enrolled in an educational institution had no qualifications, this was only 30.7% for the non-poor. Reviewing the labour market and educational data by sex and age indicates that the unemployment rate for males was 10.7% and 11.5% for females. The unemployment rate for the youth (15 to 24 years) was 27.6% as opposed to 8.1% for those over 24 years of age. Other notable differences in relation to sex and age and the labour market were that males were more likely to work for themselves (20% versus 13%) and females were more likely to be a private employee (64% versus 58%). The youth were more likely to work as a private employee (84% versus 58%) and less likely to be self-employed (5% versus 18%). Industry of employment also varied by sex with Accommodation and Food Services, Administration and Financial Services accounting for 40.5% of female employment and Construction/Mining/Quarrying, Professional/Technical Activities and Transport accounting for 33.7% of male employment. 93

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Undertake a comparative analysis of poverty, social and economic conditions in relation to results of previous CPAs or other poverty assessments The only previous study of poverty in Barbados was undertaken in 1997 by the IADB. At that time the poverty rate was 8.7% of households and 13.9% of individuals. The Gini coefficient was 0.39 while the Poverty Gap Index and the Squared Poverty Gap were 2.3 and 1.0 respectively. Although not strictly comparable, Table 5.3 compares the results from the 1997 study conducted by the IADB and the 2010 SLC. Table 5.3: Comparison of Main Results of Poverty Surveys in Barbados: 1997 and 2010 Variable Poverty Line Vulnerability Line Household Poverty Rate Individual Poverty Rate Poverty Gap Poverty Severity Gini Coefficient Poor Household Size Non-Poor Household Size Poor Households Headed by Females (% of Poor Households) Non-poor Households Headed by Females (% Non-Poor Households) Poverty Rate for Female Headed Households Poverty Rate for Male Headed Households Overcrowding in Poor Households Overcrowding in Non-Poor Households Unemployment Rate in Poor Households Unemployment Rate in Non-Poor Households

IADB 1997 BDS$5,503.00 BDS$6,878.75 8.7% 13.9% 2.3 1.0 0.39 5.0 2.9 58.5% 42.6% 11.5% 6.5% 17.6% 3.3% 30.8% 12.4%

SLC 2010 BDS$7,860.65 BDS$9,825.82 15.0% 19.3% 6.0 3.2 0.47 3.7 2.7 62.2% 47.0% 19.4% 11.5% 11.0% 3.0% 25.9% 8.9%

As indicated previously, the poverty line increased in line with inflation, while the household poverty rate increased from 8.7% to 15.0%, and individual poverty rate increased from 13.9% to 19.3%. It should however be noted that while poverty levels would have been expected to rise given the current economic challenges being experienced globally, the two surveys cannot be directly compared due to different methodological approaches. The SLC of 2010 utilised the approach currently being utilised across the region and supported by the Caribbean Development Bank. The other data in Table 5.3 indicates that while overcrowding and unemployment in poor households has fallen, the proportion of poor households that were headed by females has increased. Analyse the level of social vulnerability including the construction of an index and characteristics of vulnerable households Vulnerable households were those within 125% of the poverty line. This was established as an average BDS$9826 per capita per annum. In total 10.2% of households and 10.4% of individuals were categorised as vulnerable. The characteristics of these households are identified throughout the text of the main report.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Summary: Addressing the Causes and Correlates of Poverty

The Barbados Survey of Living Conditions (SLC) investigated a range of issues from a robust sample of households in the country including information on the characteristics of the households (number of members, assets possessed, access to utilities, type of dwelling and tenure), and the characteristics of household members (health, education, employment, unemployment, income and expenditure). The results of the analysis of this data revealed a number of interconnected issues as it related specifically to poverty and vulnerability. In seeking to investigate the relationships between issues, the following subsections take an iterative approach to identifying the causes and correlates of poverty at different levels to inform the development of policy to address the root issues identified.

6.1.

Poverty, the Labour Market and Household Dependency

The SLC component of the Barbados CALC identified a number of characteristics of poor households relating to these households being larger, having more children, and experiencing more overcrowding. In addition, household members suffered from lower levels of education and qualification and were in low skilled jobs in low paying sectors. In addition, female headed households were more likely to be poor than male-headed households with poverty rates of 19.4% and 11.5% respectively. As shown in Table 6.1, females that headed poor households also experienced larger household sizes and higher dependency (74.8% of household members were non-earners), with the main components of dependency being children under 15 years and persons over-15 years in education (31.6%). In addition to these non-earners, poor female-headed households also had a large proportion of unemployed persons (17.3%), although this was not significantly different from poor male-headed households (16.8%). While the main component of dependency in poor female-headed households was children under 15 years of age, the main components for poor male-headed households were the retired and the incapacitated, which accounted for 28.0% of household members versus 20.6% for poor female-headed households. Table 6.1: Dependency Ratios and Household Size by Sex of Head of Household

Retired

Household Size Incapacitated

In Education (15 and over)

Unemployed

Adult

Overall

Household Status

Children (under 15)

Dependency Ratios*

Given that household poverty is defined quantitatively in the SLC as low levels of income/expenditure per capita, with more qualitative definitions utilised in the PPA, any means to address this would seek to increase these levels per capita by first identifying the main causes of the low levels of income/expenditure per capita. This exercise is undertaken in the following subsections. 95

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

6.1.1 Correlates and Causes of Poverty Reviewing the characteristics of poor households from the SLC, two main correlates were identified. In relation to the labour market, poor households experienced higher levels of unemployment and employment in low-paying job (underemployment). For household structure, poor households demonstrated high Dependency Ratios where earners were outnumbered by non-earners in the household. These high levels of dependency not only led to lower per capita income and expenditure, they also increased the burden of care on earners, which can further curtail participation in the labour market. This is especially the case for femaleheaded households which have a greater number of children as opposed to adult non-earners, especially with the burden of care for children traditionally allocated to the female. While these issues are strongly interrelated, with unemployment affecting dependency and hence a greater burden of care and perhaps underemployment, there are other issues for consideration given that the unemployed only comprise approximately 17% of household members. Due to the other components of household dependency, children (including children not in education), those in education, retirees and the incapacitated, it is necessary that these issues are considered separately, although their link is noted. Given this, the causes of the main issues are outlined below. 1. Causes of Unemployment: 1.1. High reservation wages and available employment considered unsuitable 1.2. Lack of qualifications/skills 1.3. Lack of opportunities in the labour market 1.4. Lack of awareness of opportunities in the labour market 1.5. Lack of desire to work 1.6. Stigma and Discrimination (age, sex, area of residence, religion, disability, sexuality, migrant status, HIV status) 1.7. Burden of care, especially for single-parent households, which curtails participation in the labour market 2. Causes of Employment in Low-paying Jobs: 2.1. Lack of qualifications/skills 2.2. High levels of unemployment driving down wages/keeping wages low due to an available pool of labour 2.3. Burden of care, especially for single parent households, curtailing full exploitation of opportunities in the labour market 3. Causes of High Dependency Ratios: 3.1. Larger number of school-age children and persons still in education 3.2. Adult dependents lacking resources to leave the household (due to unemployment/old age/disability/stigma and discrimination) From this list of proposed causes, four (4) main elements emerge, namely: a lack of desire to work; a lack of qualification/skills; a lack of opportunities in the labour market; and the burden of care. These elements and main related issues are explored in the following section.

6.2.

Main Causes Identified and Related Issues

6.2.1 Lack of Desire to Work The lack of desire to work is a worrying result to emerge from the SLC, especially for the youth. The data demonstrated that of the voluntarily unemployed, 21% did not want to work and 8% were discouraged with the labour market. For the youth that were voluntarily unemployed, 38% did not want to work. Some of the reasons proffered for this occurrence are examined below. 96

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

In relation to the issue of high reservation wages/available employment considered unsuitable, the disinclination to enter employment is partially linked with high levels of unemployment driving down wages (or keeping wages low). Potential entrants are disinclined to enter employment as the wages are not attractive enough or they consider the type of work available to be ‘below them’. This issue of high reservation wages may also be linked to certification where, for those certified in some way, they expect a certain level of remuneration. In addition, if available employment opportunities are below the level of certification of the individual, they may be disinclined to enter employment. The results of the PPA give further insight into this lack of desire to work with the reasons given for not participating in the labour market being a preference for freedom and leisure. The specific comments arising from the PPA in relation to not wanting to work were: “get up when you want to” “you don’t have the stress of going to work” “pick up your children [from school] and spend time with them” “more time to lime, time to enjoy your freedom” “feeling good, like you on vacation” These results suggest that freedom, freedom from stress, and preference for leisure were among some of the reasons for not wanting to work.

6.2.2 Lack of Qualifications/Skills The lack of qualifications amongst the lowest expenditure groups is despite the high proportion of Government expenditure on education; approximately 20%. From the SLC, 56% of those in the lowest quintile had no qualifications. The question of quantity versus quality of education needs to be questioned in this light, as well as the reasons for not completing qualifications. The results of the SLC, in reviewing reasons for not completing technical/vocational training courses, suggest that this was related to financial problems, other work, home duties and simply ‘not worth attending’ (a quality/relevance issue). This suggests that there are other pressures on the individual (burden of care) which is precluding the attainment of qualifications and skills and leaving school early. The effects of a lack of qualifications/skills are unemployment, larger households (as dependents lack the resources to leave the household), and employment in low-paying sectors due to limited skill-sets.

6.2.3 Lack of Opportunities in the Labour Market While the lack of opportunities in the labour market can be attributable to general economic conditions and the industrial organisation of the country, there are other issues related to either a perceived or real lack of opportunities in the labour market: Lack of knowledge of available opportunities: While 9.8% of the voluntary unemployed indicated that they did not want to work because they knew of no vacancies, the related figure for the youth was 13.8%. In addition, in seeking jobs, information sources are predominantly newspapers (50.7%) or word of mouth (36.3%). There is limited utilisation of the National Employment Bureau (5.9%). While newspapers may provide a valid formal source of dissemination about available jobs, the reliance on word of mouth is inefficient as it will be related to a person’s social network which may be unable to provide the scope of opportunities persons consider suitable to their remuneration needs or qualification level.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Lack of utilisation of self-employment as a career option: There are a number of issues affecting the uptake of self-employment including societal stigmatisation, lack of awareness and a lack of capital (human, physical, financial and social). While the level of stigmatisation of self-employment in Barbados has notably decreased in recent years in tandem with public sector support for self-employment (FundAccess and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme), the lack of awareness is still a barrier which needs to be addressed through the education system from the primary level. This approach is noted as useful as it not only raises awareness of self-employment as a career option, but also increases the understanding of business among future employees to the benefit of their employer. The issue of lack of capital is however a more difficult issue to address as it does not simply relate to the provision of finance, but also to the generation of human and social capital (qualifications, experience, and building of networks). In addition to these constraints at the individual level, there is also the external barrier to access due to stigma and discrimination because of age, sex, area of residence, religion, disability, sexuality, migrant status or HIV status. This discrimination in the labour force constrains the opportunities available to the unemployed.

6.2.4 Burden of care The issue of high dependency ratios in poor households, especially female-headed households, is a matter of concern beyond the constraint it presents in terms of being able to exploit opportunities in the labour market. Even though persons in households with duty to care for children and the elderly are unable to enter the labour market or fully exploit the opportunities in the labour market beyond menial labour or part-time labour which is usually menial, there is also the issue of constraining educational opportunities. These occurrences subsequently lead to a cycle of persistent poverty as they are unable to achieve certification to obtain better paying employment, or any employment, and break the cycle of poverty. Figure 7 provides an overview of these main issues and their interrelationships.

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

Figure 7: Poverty, the Labour Market and Household Dependency

Poverty (low levels of income/expenditure per capita)

Household Issues Labour Market Issues

Unemployment Underemployment

High Levels Dependency and

Adult Non-earners Children and those in Education Lack of desire to work

Preference for Freedom and Leisure

Lack of Opportunities in the Labour Market

High Reservation wages

Lack of qualifications or skills

Lack of time to work (Burden of Care)

Unemployed

Retirees/Infirm

Lack of Suitable Opportunities

Lack of Knowledge of Opportunities

Lack of Utilisation of Self-employment

Stigma and Discrimination

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

6.3.

Potential Policy Measures to Address Main Issues Identified

The main issues identified from the above which will need to be addressed through the development of appropriate policies related to: 1. Lack of desire to work because of low wages (high reservation wages), low status jobs, and a preference for leisure over employment. 2. Lack of qualifications due to the quality of the instruction supplied (content, relevance and mode of delivery) as well as domestic (burden of care) and work-related pressures that result in non-completion. 3. Lack of opportunities in the labour market due to a lack of economic growth and diversification, lack of knowledge of opportunities, lack of utilization of self-employment as an income generating medium, stigma and discrimination, 4. Inability to exploit opportunities due to the burden of care. This suggests five (5) groups that require attention in the development of any policies to reduce poverty in Barbados. These groups are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

There are a variety of mediums through which policy can address these issues, directly or indirectly. These mediums include the provision of employment, increases in real income (reduction of costs faced by poor households, increases in wages through transfers, or increased qualifications to obtain higher paying employment), provision of assets (physical, natural, social, human and financial) and access to social and developmental goods and services. Given these mediums for the alleviation of poverty in Barbados, the issues identified require a number of interventions at the personal and institutional level. In considering the development of these interventions, specific sub-groups that will require special consideration during any policy formulation will be females, the youth and persons with disablities. In terms of specific policy development, Table 6.2 below outlines recommendations for the implementation of targeted interventions to reduce poverty in Barbados drawn from the SLC as well as the other components of the Barbados CALC.

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 6.2: Policy Targets and Interventions Policy Effect

Policy Goal

Recommended Interventions

Increase the desire to enter the labour market

Reduction in reservation wages/increases in real wages and the instillation of an industrious culture over a preference for leisure

Change the incentives in terms of taxes and transfers to encourage greater participation in the labour market More stringent penalties for those able to work but remaining unemployed and claiming transfers from Government Promotion of self-employment as a wealth generator

Increase the status of jobs available

Industrial restructuring to increase quality of jobs available through diversification and the development of high-skilled/high-status employment to spur economic growth such as the creative industries and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greeningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initiatives Reduce negative perceptions of certain jobs

Increase the ease of access to educational opportunities through reducing the burden of care and work-related pressures

Use of NVQs and their link to on-the-job experience with qualifications Provision of care services for students experiencing burden of care issues Greater utilisation of web-based learning to allow for greater flexibility in scheduling learning times Implementation of flexi-work hours to allow employees time to complete studies while maintaining income levels.

Enhance the relevance, effectiveness and quality of education

Linking of education to industrial policy. The development of a HR development strategy to complement initiatives in the productive sectors Utilisation of new pedagogic methodologies to increase interest and learning Measures to ensure regular school attendance Teacher training to build sensitivity and facilitate early intervention when family and educational needs identified, and enhance access to education for persons with disabilities Enhanced rehabilitation programs (counselling and skills-training) for prisoners- pre- and post-release.

Increase investment, especially in agriculture and manufacturing, science and technology

Develop a focussed industrial policy Targeted government expenditure to sectors with growth potential

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Policy Effect

Policy Goal

Recommended Interventions

Increase dissemination of employment opportunities

Increase utilization of the National Employment Bureau through greater dissemination of information at the community-level, and through alliances with social agencies Proactive, rather than reactive support to the unemployed to locate suitable vacancies through linkages with other relevant support agencies (National Insurance Scheme, Welfare Department, Rural and Urban Development etc.)

Enhance the status of self-employment as a career option and improve access to resources for enterprise development

Increase opportunities for human, social, physical and financial capital accumulation through:    

Encouraging the building of networks and experience through volunteerism, apprenticeships, mentoring, and membership of organizations Development and adoption of new methodologies for the provision of finance for enterprise development. This will also assist in physical capital accumulation Increase the ease of doing business in general, especially starting a business Expand provision of support services for business development

Education and training curricula that promotes self-employment and understanding of business Utilisation of champions to promote/demonstrate self-employment as a career option. Reduce stigma and discrimination utilizing a participatory approach and sensitisation campaigns and training

Community programs Anti-discrimination legislation Service staff training and attitude change in the public service Build a culture of volunteerism

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Policy Effect

Policy Goal

Recommended Interventions

Reduce the burden of care experienced by poor households, especially female-headed households through the provision of support services and transfers.

Day care/activity programs for children and the elderly at the community level, business level and educational institution level. Special attention to be focused on those with special needs, those with disabilities, and the infirm elderly Parental education in effective coping strategies within a broader adult education program in communities. The IA noted lack of care and counselling for personal development as a priority gap to be filled. Building of community relations to foster the development of community-based support networks Transfers to the individual, care-givers and family Payment of utilities for households with persons with disabilities Long term support to children with disabilities to ease transition into adulthood including employment opportunities, sexuality education and housing subsidies to reduce dependence on the household and increase personal independence. Linking of old age pensions and welfare support to inflation Housing assistance for households with elderly and persons with disabilities Greater support from the Welfare Department and general attitudinal change amongst support providers to promote a greater acceptance of available support. The provision of home-based services is also recommended. Greater proactive behaviour in the public and NGO sectors in addressing households in difficulty. Comprehensive gender training programmes implemented for different groups of citizens including policy makers and programme planners as well as ordinary citizens.

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6.4.

Next Steps

Further steps to be undertaken in constructing the development of these policy goals by the Government of Barbados and relevant agencies, given that the main issues have been identified, general policy recommendations made and beneficiaries identified, are as follows: ď&#x201A;ˇ ď&#x201A;ˇ

Clarification of policy goals (direct impacts) and indicate time period for the achievement of goals (short, medium, long term) Indicate implementing institutions for the various policies recommended

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APPENDICES

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

7. Appendix 1: Sampling Methodology: The Spatial Dimension of Poverty in Barbados One of the main elements of the TOR for the SLC was to analyse the geographic distribution of poverty in Barbados. In keeping with the Barbados Continuous Household Labour Force Survey (CHLFS) undertaken by the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS), it was considered appropriate to partition the country into several strata. The current approach by the CHLFS utilises 4 strata. It was considered during consultation that this number should be expanded to provide a more detailed understanding of the spatial dimension of poverty in Barbados. In order to determine the number of strata to utilise for the SLC, the issue of whether there is a spatial dimension to poverty in Barbados needed to be addressed. The following analysis, although dated, suggests that there is a spatial dimension of poverty in Barbados, giving a rationale for the segmentation of the country into strata. Utilising information mainly from the Census of Housing and Population from 2000, a number of potential sources of information were identified as potential proxies for identifying relative poverty in the country by parish. Parish is this regard was utilised as a starting point in the formulation. However, it was not considered that the arbitrary parish boundaries were appropriate as strata and the analysis sought to determine the appropriate number of strata based on causal geographic boundaries. The sources informing the determination included: 1. Overcrowding: Private Households by Parish, Size of Household and Number of Bedrooms. The basic assumption here is that overcrowding is an indicator of poverty, and overcrowding is represented by more than 2 persons per bedroom. 2. Building Materials: Dwelling Units by Parish, Occupancy Status and Materials of Outer Walls and Dwelling Units by Parish, Occupancy Status and Materials of Roof. In this instance, no relationship was discernable for roofing materials. In terms of Materials of Outer Walls, it was considered that wooden housing represented a relatively greater indication of poverty (income) than concrete block houses. 3. Welfare Department National Assistance Grants by Parish: more recent data on National Assistance Grants by Parish were also utilised to act as an indicator of the level of poverty. This is discussed further below.

Overcrowding In order to calculate the percentage of overcrowded households by parish, overcrowded households were identified as those with more than two (2) persons per bedroom. As all of the houses had at least one (1) bedroom, households with one (1) or two (2) persons were excluded. The resultant data shows that St. Lucy, St. Andrew and St. John had the greatest proportion of overcrowded households in Barbados when measured against the total number of households in the parish. Overcrowding in St. Lucy was over twice that of the least overcrowded parish, St. James, where only 6.6% of households were overcrowded. Following the most overcrowded parishes is St. Michael, with nearly 10% of households categorised as overcrowded. The proportions for St. Michael are similar to those for St. Joseph and St. George. Parishes with similar percentages include Christ Church, St. Philip and St. Thomas, all with percentages between 8.3% and 8.5%.

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 7.1: Overcrowded Households by Parish Parish

Overcrowded Households

Total Number of Households

451 201 284 2768 208 528 1454 635 335 271 525 7660

3070 1617 2727 27883 2132 5562 17025 7522 4016 3507 7965 83026

St. Lucy St. Andrew St. John St. Michael St. Joseph St. George Christ Church St. Philip St. Thomas St. Peter St. James Total

Percentage of Overcrowded Households 14.7 12.4 10.4 9.9 9.8 9.5 8.5 8.4 8.3 7.7 6.6 9.2

Building Materials Materials of outer walls and roofing materials can be consider as outward indicators of income levels. In terms of outer walls, the materials utilised in the 2000 Census were: wood, concrete block, wood and concrete block, stone, concrete, wood and concrete and other. Table 7.2 outlines the Material of Outer Walls by Occupied Houses by Parish as a percentage of the total number of households in the parish. Table 7.2: Material of Outer Walls of Occupied Houses by Parish (%) Material of Outer Walls (%) Parish

Wood

Concrete Block

Stone

Concrete

Wood and Concrete

Other

Total (%)

22.3 29.2 32.6 33.0 36.7 36.5 42.1 37.9 51.0 58.4 56.4

Wood and Concrete Block 36.9 31.0 27.0 29.4 26.7 22.2 25.6 27.5 16.6 14.0 17.3

St. Andrew St. Joseph St. John St. Lucy St. Peter St. Thomas St. George St. Michael St. Philip Christ Church St. James

39.5 37.9 35.8 32.4 31.7 31.7 29.6 28.8 28.6 20.0 16.6

0.6 0.9 2.2 2.0 1.2 1.1 1.4 1.5 1.1 3.5 1.3

0.2 0.6 1.4 1.7 2.5 2.7 0.5 2.3 1.3 1.9 1.8

0.1 0.0 0.7 1.3 1.1 5.7 0.4 1.8 1.2 2.0 6.5

0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Average

26.9

44.3

22.7

1.8

1.9

2.2

0.2

100.0

As Table 7.2 indicates, St. Andrew had the highest proportion of wooden houses while St. James had the lowest. In terms of concrete block houses, Christ Church and St. James had the highest proportions with over 50%, with St. Andrew having the lowest with 22.3%. In terms of a mixture of wood and concrete, results were less varied, with St. Andrew having the highest proportion, and Christ Church having the lowest. In seeking to discern some form of poverty proxy, it was assumed that parishes with a higher proportion of wooden houses would exhibit higher levels of poverty, as with parishes with a lower proportion of concrete block houses. If the percentages for wooden and concrete block houses are 107

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

ranked according to percentage, with lower ranks for a higher proportion of wooden houses, and lower ranks for a lower proportion of concrete block houses, the following results are seen. Table 7.3: Rankings and Differences of Wooden and Concrete Block Houses by Parish Parish

St. Andrew St. Joseph St. John St. Lucy St. Peter St. Thomas St. George St. Michael St. Philip Christ Church St. James

Wooden Houses Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Concrete Block Houses Rank 1 2 3 4 6 5 8 7 9 11

Absolute Difference in Rank

Difference in Percentage (Wood % minus Concrete Block %)

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1

17.3 8.7 3.3 -0.6 -5.0 -4.8 -12.5 -9.2 -22.4 -38.4

-39.8

As Table 7.3 demonstrates, there is little difference between the two rankings. In looking at the percentage differences, where positive values indicate a greater proportion of wooden houses and negative values indicating a greater proportion of concrete block houses, the distribution is similar to that of the rankings shown. This however gives an indication of the size of the differences between the ranks. In terms of roofing materials by parish, no discernable differences were seen and are therefore not presented here.

Welfare Assistance Grants Table 7.4 outlines the number of National Assistance Grants disbursed by the Welfare Department in 2006/2007, contrasted against parish population from the 2000 Census. Table 7.4: National Assistance Grants by Parish Parish St. Michael St. Andrew St. Peter St. John St. George St. Joseph St. Thomas St. Philip St. Lucy Christ Church St. James Total

Number of Grants (2006/2007) 3495 205 400 315 530 189 330 555 195 775 350 7339

Parish Population (2000) 83684 5254 10699 8873 17868 6805 12397 22864 9328 49497 22741 250010

Grants as a Percentage of Parish Population 4.18 3.90 3.74 3.55 2.97 2.78 2.66 2.43 2.09 1.57 1.54 2.85

Table 7.4 demonstrates a different ranking to that seen previously and perhaps indicates an issue of lack of access to support. Although St. Lucy has lower ranks in terms of material of outer walls, and

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demonstrates a high degree of overcrowding, it ranks alongside Christ Church and St. James in terms of having a low proportion of the parish population utilising assistance grants.

Overall Rankings and Determination of Strata Number Table 7.5outlines the main ranking calculated above to assist in the determination of the number of strata to utilise in the Country Assessment of Living Conditions in Barbados. Table 7.5: Comparison of Rankings by Parish Parish St. Andrew St. Lucy St. John St. Joseph St. Michael St. Thomas St. George St. Peter St. Philip Christ Church St. James

Overcrowding

Wooden Houses

2 1 3 5 4 9 6 10 8 7 11

1 4 3 2 8 6 7 5 9 10 11

Concrete Block Houses 1 4 3 2 7 5 8 6 9 11 10

Average 1.3 3.0 3.0 3.0 6.3 6.7 7.0 7.0 8.7 9.3 10.7

Welfare Disbursements 2 9 4 6 1 7 5 3 8 10 11

There are several constraints/requirements governing the determination of the strata to be utilised for the Barbados CALC. Firstly, the utilisation of the four (4) strata currently being utilised by the Barbados Statistical Service is not considered adequate to be able to map poverty in Barbados. Secondly, strata, if covering more than one parish, are to be comprised of parishes which are geographically adjacent. In terms of St. Michael, it is considered that the diversity between the greater Bridgetown area and other areas of the parish will require at a minimum two (2) strata in St. Michael alone. This is based mostly on subjective judgement, observation and discussion. Lastly, in the selection of strata, the population per strata must be approximately the same. This involved the allocation of some areas of a parish to be combined with adjacent parishes to form a single stratum. In selecting the strata, the allocation was based on grouping areas which are as similar as possible. From Table 7.5, the results suggest that St. Andrew, St. Lucy, St. John and St. Joseph demonstrate similar characteristics and are geographically adjacent. St. Thomas and St. George also demonstrate similar characteristics, as do St. Philip and Christ Church, suggesting that these two areas should also comprise two strata. The parish of St. James is however quite dissimilar from the parishes immediately surrounding it, and the actual strata boundaries used in this area were wider than the actual parish boundaries to include areas of similar character. This is where St. Peter was accommodated in the formation of the strata as it also demonstrated differential characteristics to the parishes surrounding it. The information suggests that the most suitable number of strata would be six (6). The basic allocations are shown in Table 7.6.

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 7.6: General Outline of Parishes and Strata Allocation Parish

Average of Poverty Proxy Rank 1.3 3.0 3.0 3.0

St. Andrew St. Lucy St. John St. Joseph St. Michael (Greater Bridgetown) St. Michael Other St. Thomas St. George St. Philip Christ Church St. James

Strata North and East

Greater Bridgetown 6.3 Outer Urban Central

6.7 7.0 8.7 9.3 10.7

South East West

Note: St. Peter not included in this list as it does not demonstrate characteristics similar to adjacent parishes. To accommodate this, St. Peter was included in other strata where appropriate.

The strict allocation of these parishes to certain strata is constrained by the number of enumeration districts (EDs) required for each strata to meet the equal population per stratum requirement. There are 540 EDs in Barbados, suggesting 90 EDs per stratum. In order to address this constraint, where the allocated parishes had insufficient EDs, and utilising the parish boundary as a starting point, the closest EDs in the most similar adjacent parish were selected and included in the strata. Note that an ED could only be allocated to one strata. The process of strata boundary delimitation was iterative, informed from local judgement as to physical boundaries (topography, main transport arteries/boundaries) and graphical information supplied by the BSS in relation to ED level data as it related to overcrowding. The potential samples sizes considered and related confidence intervals for the six (6) strata utilised are shown in Table 7.7. Options with a confidence interval greater than 5% were considered unsuitable, suggesting the most viable option, given time and resource constraints, was a 2.5% sample of households. Table 7.7: Confidence Intervals and Number of Questionnaires for Selected Sample Sizes Percentage of Households 1% 2% 2.5% 3% 3.5% 4% 5%

Sample Size (HH) 990 1981 2476 2971 3466 3961 4952

Sample Size (Individuals) 2187 4376 5469 6563 7656 8750 10939

HH Confidence Interval 3.11 2.20 1.97 1.80 1.66 1.56 1.39

Individual Confidence Level 2.10 1.48 1.33 1.21 1.12 1.05 0.94

Total Questionnaires 3177 6357 7945 9534 11122 12711 15891

In summation, utilising the data to emerge, the most suitable number of strata were identified as six (6), with 90 EDs per strata. Taking into account constraints related to total number of questionnaires to be completed, the recommended sample size was 2.5% of households (2,476 households), representing 5,469 individuals over the age of 14. This is on the assumption of 2.2 persons per household over the age of 14. The relevant confidence intervals at the national level for households and individuals are approximately +/-1.97 and +/-1.33 respectively, and +/-4.82 and +/-3.25 at the strata level.

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Figure 8: Geographical Representation of Strata

Sample Design In order to obtain the required sample size for the SLC, the following sample design was implemented utilising oversampling in an effort to meet the target sample size of 2476 households. The sampling utilised for the SLC was a modified form of that used for the CHLFS, the main difference being the number of strata utilised; four (4) for the CHLFS and six (6) for the SLC. Following the demarcation of the various strata, a sample of 20 Enumeration Districts (EDs) were selected from each stratum. At the second stage, 25 households were selected from each ED using systematic sampling with a random start. In total, 120 EDs were selected, providing a total expected 111

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

sample size of 3,000 households. The overall sample had a self-weighting design given that the selection of units was based on probability proportionate to population size. The following is an adapted extract from the BSS Household Budget Survey 2009-2010 Draft Methodology (p.4) that explains the process: Owing to the variation in the size of Enumeration Districts, it was determined that they would be selected using a Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) methodology. This allowed for EDs with larger sizes to have a greater probability of being selected. Example The cumulative population in each stratum is calculated (represented by the letter P). The number of EDs to be selected in each stratum is known (represented by the letter n). The Interval (I) for sample selection is then calculated and the first Random number (i.e. random start, R) is generated: I = P/n R = a Random Number between 1 and I The random numbers are then used to select the EDs in each stratum â&#x20AC;&#x201C; i.e. R, R + I, R + 2I, â&#x20AC;Ś , R + (n-1)I. The random number is matched with the cumulative populations. The bigger the population, the higher is the chance of that ED being selected. Second Stage - Selection of Households The sampling frame for the selection of households at the second stage of sampling was generated in the field by listing all households in the selected EDs on a listing schedule. A sample of twenty five (25) households is selected systematically from each selected ED, from a random start. This allows for self-weighting. The procedure is as follows. An interval (I), which is an integer number for each ED, is given using the formula: I =

Pop. in ED selected

No. of EDs

Total Non-Institutional Pop.

Selected in Barbados

of Barbados (or of Stratum)

(or in Stratum)

where Raising Factor =

Raising

Factor

Total No. of HH in Barbados ________ No. of HH to be Surveyed x No. of EDs Selected

Survey Instrument Construction In keeping with other such assessments in the region, the Survey of Living Conditions for Barbados utilised two research instruments, a household questionnaire to be completed by the head of household coving items related to the characteristics of the household and including information on persons in the household under the age of 15; and an individual questionnaire to be completed by all persons 15 years of age and over. An initial starting point in the construction of the survey instruments were those used previously and approved by the project sponsor. However, some of these issues thought relevant to the current conceptualisation of living conditions were not covered in these templates. In order to ensure these issues were included, the following list outlines how the various indicators of living conditions were included. 1. Lack of/Inadequate Income: Income measured via the Household and Individual survey instruments and compared against the calculated poverty line. 112

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

2. Limited/Lack of Access to Productive Resources: In this instance productive resources relate to savings and investments. Measured via the survey instruments. 3. Limited/Lack of Access to education and other basic services: Relates to access to education, healthcare and other support services. Measured in terms of recent use, transport to/from etc.. As the Government of Barbados provides free transport for schoolchildren via the Transport Board, use of this initiative is measured. Also of interest was the amount of time taken in reaching destinations. This has implications for such issues as zoning for school allocations. This was measured for children via the household questionnaire and for adults via the individual questionnaire. 4. Increased morbidity/mortality from illness: Elements of health will be measured via the individual questionnaire. 5. Homelessness: As this element relates to individuals outside of the scope of the SLC instruments, it was addressed via the PPA in conjunction with institutions identified in the IA. 6. Inadequate Housing: Dealt with via the Household questionnaire. 7. Unsafe Environments: Additional elements were included in the Household and Individual survey instruments outlined below. Other issues related to personal/household security and the immediate surrounding environment, i.e. feelings of safety in going outside at night etc.. 8. Social Discrimination and exclusion: Potential vulnerable persons/groups can be identified via the Household questionnaire for further investigation alongside the PPA. These groups include: a. Women who head households and their families b. The elderly c. Young children d. Unemployed youth e. Persons with disabilities f. Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) g. Immigrants

Main Elements of the Questionnaires: The templates utilised as a starting point for the construction of the final instruments included those supplied by the Caribbean Development Bank (CBD) and the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS). In order to accommodate the specific conceptualisation of poverty outlined above, several additions were required. The overall structure of the instruments are outlined below. Household Questionnaire Structure 1. Background: Enumeration District Number, Household Number, Enumerator and Supervisor Number, Record of Visits. 2. Listing of Household Members: Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Relation to Head of HH, Main Economic Activity, Employment Status, and Working Status. 3. Housing: Type of Dwelling, Characteristics, Number of Rooms. 4. Head of Household Background: change of standard of living from HH grew up in, highest grade completed by father and mother. 5. Information on HH members that have left in last five (5) years. 6. Information on those under the age of 15. Individual Questionnaire Structure 1. Demographics: sex, age, ethnicity, religion, etc. 2. Migration 113

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Health Education Employment Marital Status Crime Expenditure Income

Execution of the Survey of Living Conditions: Training and Timeline Following the completion of the survey instruments, a pilot survey was undertaken. In terms of the training session for the pilot, this was undertaken on October 19 th 2009. Following concerns of enumerators and discussions in the training sessions, some alterations were made to the questionnaire for enumerators to enter the field for the pilot on the following day, 20 th October 2009. The pilot included two enumeration districts, one urban and one rural. The pilot was completed on 28th October 2009 and minor issues addressed. It was decided that due to the upcoming Christmas season, the SLC would commence in January 2010. Training for the full SLC took place on the 5 th and 6th January 2010. Following training, the enumerators entered the field. The final set of completed survey instruments were received at the end of April 2010. In total, three (3) training sessions were undertaken for SLC enumerators. The first was conducted on 19th October 2009 for the execution of the pilot, and the second and third were undertaken on the 5 th and 6th of January 2010 for the execution of the full SLC. All training sessions were identical, apart from the fact that the full SLC training utilised the final machine-readable questionnaire. In total, 10 enumerators and 5 supervisors were trained for the pilot, and 66 enumerators and 10 supervisors were trained for the full SLC. Training was ongoing throughout the process as the number of enumerators increased, and to accommodate for enumerator attrition. Each training session began with an introduction to the CALC, and specifically the role of the SLC. This was followed by: training on sampling and mapwork by the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS); an overview of the survey instruments (household and individual), and a detailed run-through of each instrument so that enumerators could raise any questions to the TOC representatives; and questionnaire completion role-play by CADRES. The sessions lasted from 9.30am to 3.30pm on each day.

Data Processing In total, 2,426 household instruments and 5,688 individual instruments were received and processed. Initial review of the data indicated duplicate entries for the individual database, resulting in the removal of 70 entries and a final individual database size of 5618 individuals. The final databases for the sample were received by the TOC on 22nd November 2010 and comprised of 5 separate files: Households; Children; Migration; Individuals; Expenditure; and Income. The data was provided in SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) format and all analysis undertaken utilising this software package, and Microsoft Excel for data presentation purposes. In constructing the databases, the BSS faced a number of challenges while processing the SLC, these included: ď&#x201A;ˇ The scanner was unable to effectively read some responses scored by the enumerators, due to the type of pencils used during enumeration. 114

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

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  

Some questionnaires having missing enumeration district (ED) or missing household numbers; consequently, individuals were unable to be matched to their respective households or households matched to their corresponding EDs. In some EDs, different households had the same household numbers. This will also lead to the inability to effectively match individuals to their respective households. Multiple answers were scored from some questions which required a single answer; therefore, verifiers had to randomly select a single answer to these questions. The malfunctioning of the scanner machine caused a line through scanned questionnaires; as a result, a number of questionnaires had to be rescanned.

Due to software problems, the original due date for the receipt of the databases by the TOC of 14 th July 2010 had to be delayed until the end of November 2010.

Issues in Editing and Cleaning the SLC Data For each dataset a number of processes were undertaken to prepare the data for analysis: 1. All variables were checked that they were correctly assigned as nominal, ordinal or scale and recoded where required 2. For selected variables, ‘not stated’ was recoded as missing under the assumption that the distribution of not stated would be normally distributed across valid responses 3. Several nominal and ordinal variable responses were not labelled and this was undertaken manually by the TOC 4. EDs were recoded to indicate the strata of origin 5. Multiple response questions were specified to enable further analysis Following these procedures and an initial run of frequencies, a number of issues arose that led the TOC to undertake further cleaning of the datasets. These issues included: Spurious Data. In reviewing the databases there were a number of items that need to be addressed in relation to variables such as number of rooms and number of household items. Although spurious values only accounted for between 0.5% and 2% of cases (for example, 0.5% of households have more than 8 TVs with a maximum of 94 with in-between values of similar magnitude, which was obviously an error), it was clear that these issues needed to be dealt with. Following an examination of number of persons in the household, extreme values were removed from the analysis by treating them as missing values. Expenditure Database. Although the expenditure information was collected from individuals, the file was already aggregated to the household level. This did not allow for a weighting of expenditure based on age and sex. In addition, in reviewing information on various expenditure items which are incurred for difference periods (weekly, monthly, annually) only aggregate expenditure was included and it was unclear as to the regularity of these payments. Income Database. Personal identification numbers were missing from the income database, without which the TOC could not aggregate on such variables as sex, occupation or education as it related to income. While it was possible to use aggregation to get information at the household level, there was still a need to look at the characteristics of individuals based on income, expenditure, age and sex. Another issue arising from the income database was missing values for either income levels or income categories from employment. Where data was provided for income levels, these were not all categorised and had to be done manually by the TOC. In seeking to provide a more complete income levels from employment variable, those respondents only providing categorical responses were 115

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recoded into levels utilising the distribution from those respondents that did provide income from employment levels. Children Database. In addition to the above issues, the database on children under 15 years of age did not contain age or sex of the child. Without these variables the TOC was unable to calculate the household poverty lines as the minimum cost food basket element of the calculation is based on age and sex of household members. Other minor issues were seen in some level variables but extreme cases were easily removed by treating as missing values. Following consultation with the Barbados Statistical Service, these issues were resolved to the satisfaction of the TOC for the further analysis of the results of the SLC.

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Appendix 2: Minimum Cost Food Basket

Table 8.1: Sample Menus for Calculation of Minimum Cost Food Basket from National Nutrition Centre SAMPLE MENUS FOR ONE (1) WEEK SUNDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Hamburger

Rice

Banana

Baked Sweet Potato

Mincedmeat

Pigeon Peas

Baked Chicken

Flour

Baked Chicken

Tossed Salad

Egg

Baked Sweet Potato

Cucumber

Onion

Tossed Salad

Lettuce

Whole Wheat Bun

Cucumber

Tomato

Lettuce

Cabbage

Tomato

Carrot

Milo/Peppermint

Cabbage

Cherry juice

Evaporated milk

Carrot

sugar

Sugar MONDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Bisucits

Chicken Sandwich

Peanut Butter

Beef Stew

Sardines

Baked Chicken

Biscuits

Mashed Potato

Evaporated Milk

Lettuce

Lemonade

Margarine

Tomato

Sugar

String Beans

Tea

Margarine

Carrots

Sugar

Bread

Onion

Ginger Beer Sugar TUESDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Whole Wheat Bun

Fish Cutter

Banana

Stew Food

Cheese

Flying Fish

Breafruit

Evaporated Milk

Whole Wheat Bun

Yam

Margarine

Onion

Sweet Potato

Milo

Tomato

Pumpkin

Sugar

Lettuce

Mackerel

Orange

String Beans lime

Tomato

Sugar

Onion Cherry Drink Sugar

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010

WEDNESDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Plantain

Soup

Mango

Chicken Pelau

Egg

Yam

Chicken Pelau

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Sweet Potato

Rice

Oil

Dumpling

Carrot

Evaporated Milk

Flour

Chinese Cabbage

Cocoa

Sugar

Sweet Pepper

Sugar

Essence

Onion

Banana

Cornmeal

Guava Drink

Pumpkin

Sugar

Cabbage Onion THURSDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Porridge

Rice & Bean Stew

Orange Juice

Breadfruit Coucou

Cornmeal

Red Bean

Steamed Dolphin

Evaporated Milk

Carrot

Cucumber

Tuna

String Bean

Tomato

Bread

Potato

Onion

Margarine

Tomato

Oil

Tea

Onion

Sugar

Rice

Mango

Spinach Coconut Water

FRIDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Oatflakes

Macaroni

Five Finger drink

Cream-of- Wheat

Milk

Mincedmeat

Biscuits

Milk

Sugar

Carrot

Sugar

Peanut Butter

String Beans

Whole Wheat Bun

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Onion

Tuna

Orange Juice

Five Fingers

Onion

Sugar

Sweet pepper

SATURDAY BREAKFAST

LUNCH

SNACK

SUPPER

Bakes

Coucou

Lemonade

Roast Breadfruit

Flour

Cornmeal

Sugar

Souse

Sugar

Okras

Pork

Evaporated milk

Flying Fish

Onion

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Margarine

Onion

Cucumber

Scrambled Eggs

Sweet Potato

Pepper

Tea

Cucumber

Lemonade

Evaporated milk

Tomato

Sugar

Sugar Banana

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Appendix 3: Supplementary Tabular Results

Table 9.1: Gini Coefficient Calculation Data- Consumption by Population Proportion Decile (i)

Percentage of Expenditure

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total13 Gini Coefficient (|1-(ď &#x201C;A*B)|)

Cumulative Percentage of Expenditure (Ei) 1.4 4.3 8.2 13.0 18.7 25.6 34.0 45.0 60.0 99.9

1.4 2.9 3.9 4.8 5.7 6.9 8.4 11.0 15.0 39.9 99.9

A (Ei+Ei-1)

Population Proportion (B)

A*B

1.4 5.7 12.5 21.2 31.7 44.3 59.6 79.0 105.0 169.9

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.0014 0.0057 0.0125 0.0212 0.0317 0.0443 0.0596 0.0790 0.1050 0.1699 0.5303 0.4697

Table 9.2: Marital Status of Individuals by Sex (%) (2010 SLC) Marital Status Single/Never Married Legally married Common Law Union Visiting Partner Married but Not in Union Legally Separated and Not in Union Widowed and Not in Union Divorced and Not in Union Total

Males 50.6 32.9 7.1 1.5 1.1 0.6 3.2 3.0 100.0

Females 53.6 26.3 5.2 1.9 1.8 0.8 6.5 4.0 100.0

Total 52.3 29.2 6.1 1.7 1.5 0.7 5.0 3.6 100.0

Table 9.3: Marital Status of Head by Expenditure Quintile Marital Status Single/Never Married Legally married Common Law Union Visiting Partner Married but Not in Union Legally Separated and Not in Union Widowed and Not in Union Divorced and Not in Union Total Number

1 45.4 26.3 5.6 1.6 3.3 1.3 12.5 3.9 100.0 304

Does not sum to 100.0% due to rounding.

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2 36.0 34.7 10.4 1.3 2.0 1.7 9.1 4.7 100.0 297

3 40.6 33.6 4.7 1.0 3.7 7.0 9.4 100.0 298

4 38.4 35.2 8.2 2.1 1.1 2.1 6.4 6.4 100.0 281

5 34.0 38.6 7.2 1.0 2.3 2.0 6.2 8.8 100.0 306

TOTAL 38.9 33.6 7.2 1.4 2.5 1.4 8.3 6.7 100.0 1486

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 9.4: Respondent Ethnicity (%)- 2000 and 2010 Ethnicity Black White East Indian Mixed Other Total Number

2010 SLC 92.2 2.0 1.3 4.4 0.1 100.0 5,540

2000 Census 93.0 3.2 1.0 2.6 0.2 100.0 250,101

2010 SLC 25.0 2.7 0.4 0.4 1.9 5.0 1.3 0.6 2.8 21.9 0.2 1.3 3.6 5.6 3.3 19.1 3.0 2.0 100.0 5,618

2000 Census 28.3 1.9 0.6 0.3 2.0 5.1 1.3 0.7 18.7 1.1 4.2 5.5 17.3 3.3 100.0 250,101

Table 9.5: Religious Affiliation (%)- 2000 and 2010 Religion Anglican Baptist Brethren Hindu Jehovah Witness Methodist Moravian Muslim Nazarene Pentecostal Presbyterian Rastafarian Roman Catholic Seventh Day Adventist Wesleyan Holiness None Other Not stated Total Number Table 9.6: Type of Tenure for Dwelling by Expenditure Quintile Type of Tenure Owned (with Mortgage) Owned (without Mortgage) Rented- Furnished Rented-Unfurnished Squatting Leased Rent-free Other Total Number

1 17.6 59.5 2.9 12.5 0.3 1.3 4.3 1.6 100.0 375

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2 24.1 51.6 1.9 19.0 3.2 0.3 100.0 374

3 26.6 50.0 3.9 16.6 1.1 1.8 100.0 380

4 27.1 44.6 5.8 19.1 1.1 0.5 1.9 100.0 377

5 32.2 42.6 6.6 16.8 0.3 1.1 0.5 100.0 376

TOTAL 25.5 49.6 4.3 16.8 0.1 0.7 2.2 0.9 100.0 1882

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 9.7: Type of Tenure for Land by Expenditure Quintile (%) Tenure Type for Dwelling Owned Private Rented/Leased Government Rented/Leased Squatting Rent-Free Other Total Number

1 58.5 26.7 6.4

2 63.3 25.5 6.4

3 65.3 23.6 4.1

4 62.4 26.0 5.0

5 68.4 21.8 3.1

Percent 63.6 24.7 5.0

0.8 5.6 1.9 100.0 359

3.4 1.4 100.0 357

0.3 4.6 2.2 100.0 369

0.3 3.3 3.0 100.0 362

0.3 3.6 2.8 100.0 358

0.3 4.1 2.3 100.0 1805

Table 9.8: Material of Roof- 1997 to 2010 (%) Material of Roof Sheet Metal (Galvanised/Permaclad) Shingle (Asphalt) Shingle (Wood) Shingle (Other) Tile Concrete Makeshift/Thatched Asbestos Other Total Number

2010 SLC 94.4 2.4 0.9 0.1 0.4 1.2 0.1 0.2 0.4 100.0 2,379

2000 Census 88.5 6.0 0.6 1.3 1.4 2.2 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 85.3 7.7 0.4 0.6 0.5 2.5 97.0 1,600

2000 Census 12.9 78.5 3.0 2.3 0.6 2.7 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 9.6 79.6 2.7 4.3 0.6 3.2 100.0 1,600

2000 Census 90.9 5.6 0.7 0.0 2.1 0.7 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 84.2 10.2 1.0 3.3 1.3 100.0 1,600

Table 9.9: Type of Fuel Used for Cooking- 1997 to 2010 (%) Type of Fuel Natural Gas LPG (Bottled Gas) Electricity Kerosene Other Not stated Total Number

2010 SLC 20.7 72.9 4.7 0.6 0.1 1.1 100.0 2,426

Table 9.10: Main Source of Water Supply- 1997 to 2010 (%) Water Supply Piped Into Dwelling Piped Into Yard Public Standpipe Well/Tank Other Not Stated Total Number

2010 SLC 94.6 2.1 0.6 0.1 0.4 2.1 100.0 2,426

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 9.11: Main Source of Lighting- 1997 to 2010 (%)

Gas Kerosene Electricity Batteries Other None Not Stated Total Number

2010 SLC 0.2 0.8 96.6 0.1 0.2 0.2 1.9 100.0 2,426

2000 Census 2.2 96.5 0.6 0.0 0.7 100.0 83,026

1997 Poverty Study 3.3 93.3 0.4 3.0 100.0 1,600

Table 9.12: Household sharing of Facilities (%) Facilities Shared with another Household (multiple responses) None Electricity Water Laundry Facilities Kitchen Toilet/Bathroom Telephone (Including Internet) Television (Including Cable) Other Number of Responses

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Percentage of Cases 95.8 2.0 1.9 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.3 2,442

Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 9.13: Percentage of Households Owning Assets- 1997 and 2010 Asset

Telephones-Land Telephones-Cellular Televisions Videos/VCRs DVD Players Playstation/Other Gaming Systems Ipod/MP3 Music Players Electric/Gas Stoves Toaster Ovens Microwave Ovens Electric Irons Refrigerators/Freezers Radio/Stereo/CD Players Washing Machines Motor Vehicles Computers (Laptop, Desktop) Sewing Machines Clothes Dryers Dish Washers Weed Eaters/Lawn Mowers Air Conditioners Solar Water Heaters Other Water Heaters Satellite TVs

2010 SLC Percentage of Households Owing Asset 83.4 85.6 93.4 52.0 75.7 22.5

1997 Poverty Study Percentage of Households Owing Asset 75.3 88.9 55.8 -

25.1 92.0 54.1 74.5 92.0 93.1 88.2 74.0 52.1 58.9 0.0 34.3 5.8 22.9 9.8 37.1 19.4 48.2

19.2 89.61 23.1 35.4 38.52 10.5 1.5 2.4 24.5 13.8 1.2

Figure only for refrigerators Sum of Car owned by household member and Other vehicles

Table 9.14: Child’s Mother Lives in Household (%) Mother’s Residence Status Mother Lives in Household Mother Does Not Live in Household Not Stated Total Number

Percent 86.1 9.1 4.8 100.0 1,347

Table 9.15: Child’s Father Lives in Household (%) Father’s Resident Status Father Lives in Household Father Does Not Live in Household Not Stated Total Number

Percent 40.0 54.3 5.7 100.0 1,351

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Barbados Country Assessment of Living Condition 2010 Table 9.16: Use of Therapy for Disability by Expenditure Quintile (%) Child Uses Therapy for Disability Yes No Total Number

I 20.7 79.3 100.0 29

II 25.0 75.0 100.0 12

III 50.0 50.0 100.0 6

IV 25.0 75.0 100.0 12

V 10.0 90.0 100.0 10

Percent 23.2 76.8 100.0 112

Table 9.17: Reasons for Missing School by Expenditure Quintile (%) Reason for Missing School Illness Financial Problems Transportation Problems Home Duties Not Worth Going Truant/Delinquent Menstrual Problems Lack of Uniforms Expulsion/Suspension Other Not Stated Total Number

I 70.7 4.4 1.7 1.1 1.1 1.7 1.1 6.1 12.2 100.0 181

II 80.2 1.1 2.2 8.8 7.7 100.0 91

III 93.3 1.1 3.4 2.2 100.0 89

IV 87.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 5.9 3.5 100.0 85

V 74.5 3.6 12.7 9.1 100.0 55

Percent 79.6 2.0 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 6.8 7.8 100.0 501

Table 9.18: Highest Examination Passed- Not Currently Enrolled by Sex (%) Highest Examination Passed None BSSC -School Leaving O' Level/CXC General A-Level/CAPE Certificate Diploma Associate Degree Degree Post-Graduate Degree Professional Qualification Others Total Number

Males 39.8 6.9 21.1 1.4 9.9 4.8 3.7 5.7 2.8 3.0 0.9 100.0 2,023

Females 38.0 8.1 23.2 1.2 9.3 5.1 3.1 6.3 2.2 2.5 1.0 100.0 2,414

Percent 38.8 7.5 22.2 1.3 9.6 5.0 3.4 6.0 2.5 2.7 1.0 100.0 4,437

Table 9.19: Amount of Time since Departure for persons leaving the household (%) Time since departure Within the last 6 months Six months to one year ago More than one year but less than two years ago Two to three years ago More than three years ago Not stated Total Number

Percent 10.4 13.5 10.9 26.8 32.0 6.3 100.0 384

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