YEARS of continuous decline in the child dependency ratio has presented Jamaica with a rare window of opportunity to significantly improve the quality of life for her inhabitants, particularly children.

This demographic dividend — defined by a large workforce with fewer children to care for — is projected to last for the next 25 years, freeing up resources to make meaningful changes to the public health system, improve the quality of education for children, boost output and productivity levels, and create wealth to cope with the future aging of the population when persons over age 60 will outnumber children under five years.

The observation is made in the 2012 Data Sheet, released by the Washington, DC-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB), which focuses on population and economic development.

But how ready Jamaica is to capitalise on the demographic dividend will “have great” impact on whether success can be achieved.

Respected demographer Dr Carl Haub, who works out of the PRB, believes the Government should focus on the three areas of priority.

“Education and training are very important, but also investment in new industries, whether that be local or from abroad,” Dr Haub told the Jamaica Observer from Washington.

“The ‘dividend’ part is usually attributed to fewer children to educate and then train for better jobs. It’s assumed the same education budget can provide better training since there are fewer students. But the dividend is only realised if that’s actually done,” Dr Haub emphasised.

“Government must provide the funding to train young people for a better future as private schools usually only benefit the rich,” he added.

The Child Dependency Ratio is directly linked to the fertility rate, which has plummeted over the years to 2.3 births per woman and continues to drop.

This continuous decline has moved the ratio from 76 children, ages 0-14 years, per 100 persons of working age in the 1980s to 43 children in 2010, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

STATIN’s population pyramid for Jamaica, which was last updated in May 2011, shows that just under 740,000 of Jamaica’s 2.7 million inhabitants are between zero and 15 years, while nearly 230,000, are over 65. Persons of working age are considered as those from 15 to 64 years .

“[This] is likely to be the only time Jamaica will have such a youth bulge in its population pyramid,” Dr Haub said.

A consequence of not seizing the demographic dividend, before it diminishes, will later put a strain on a dwindling workforce and those of working age who will have to care for a growing population of older people.

However, Dr Haub said current economic hardships could hinder Jamaica’s ability to capitalise on the opportunity.

“It will make it more difficult, and has for many countries,” he told the Sunday Observer.

“Perhaps, by the time more young people have been educated and trained, economies will have recovered,” he, however, said.