Jamaica now ‘highly developed’, according to UN
JAMAICA jumped 20 positions to rank 80 worldwide on the Human Development Report 2010 published by the United Nations (UN) allowing the island to break from Medium to High Human Development status.
Its the best result in 30 years for the country struggling with crime the report released Thursday indicated. Jamaica’s greatest improvement came in its rise in life expectancy by almost one year to 72 and average annual income up 20 per cent from some US$6,100 in 2007 to some US$7,200, the report stated.
The improvement this year was not perfectly comparable with the 2009 report due to the introduction of new inequality adjustments on each of the three main grading criteria of education, health and income. Another factor partially influencing Jamaica’s ranking was the exclusion of 13 countries from this year’s report. Notwithstanding, this year’s rank still bettered the country’s average rank since 1980 at 83 according to data from the report.
Jamaica ranked at:
* 80 amongst 169 countries in 2010;
* 100 amongst 182 countries in 2009;
* 101 amongst 177 countries in 2007/8; and
* 87 amongst 130 countries in 1990.
The improvement rocketed the island from Medium Human Development to High Human Development but its gains are threatened by the drop in its Human Development Index (HDI) from 0.766 in 2009 to 0.688 in 2010. Barbados continues to remain in the Very High Human Development category whilst Trinidad & Tobago ranked at 59 needs less than a five per cent rise in its HDI to enter that category. Jamaica needs a 15 per cent rise in its HDI to reach Very High Development status.
Additional information found in the report states that Jamaica has the second highest homicide rate at 59.5 per 100,000 persons next to Honduras at 60.9. Additionally it stated that 46 per cent of Jamaicans feel safe in the country with only four per cent of those reporting having been a victim of crime.
The report also referenced that Jamaica was hurt by labour laws negatively affecting women.
“Labour regulations contribute to women’s exclusion in some countries; in Egypt, Jamaica and Pakistan women are not allowed to work at night or in certain industries,” it stated.
