Contributed
Jamaica is having a fertility crisis, but not the kind people think of. The problem isn’t that Jamaicans don’t want children. It’s that they can’t afford them.
The fertility rate in Jamaica is 1.3 children per woman, according to the United Nations Population Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) 2025 report. That’s far below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to keep our population stable.
Our population already shrank in 2024 and 2025, when more people are murdered by the state and criminals combined. More than the net population growth birth rate.
Economists should warn the people that fewer births = fewer workers = more pressure on pensions, health, and economic growth.
So what do we do? More speeches won’t work. We need to deal with that. Let's Go:
The first 3 children get:
- Free education (basic school to university)
- Subsidized housing (Rent-to-own and starter homes)
- Free health, transport, and clothing support
- Job security incentives
- Tax breaks for companies hiring parents
Why 3? Because 2.1 just keeps us flat. 3 gives us growth.
We pair this with a Jamaican sperm and egg bank (we do not have that yet). That, combined with fertility centres like Hugh Wynter's at UHWI, means couples don’t have to spend US$10k to go overseas.
With better integration of support systems within health centers islandwide, enabling people to have the families/children they want.
This isn’t about telling people how to live. It’s about making it possible to live here and build Jamaica.
Boosting our population takes money, marketing, healthy information, and strategy. Let’s stop importing workers and start investing in Jamaicans.
Young men and women cut smoking and live, eat, exercise, and drink healthy.
Ease off the SPECIAL, RUM AND BOOM, and other ALCOHOL; those kill sperm and eggs, not build them.
Michael Spence
Michael Spence is a graduate of Cornwall College and the University of the West Indies. He is a trained teacher, a sociologist, and a writer for Bark Di Trute.
Micspen2@hotmail.com
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Michael Spence
Well said, Sir. You and the future Culture Minister, Morrison, make sense. Those bantering for more children with NO MENTION of the bigger picture including infrastructure, effects of more and overall needs of the children and their families can guh one side!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The lack of the above is the reason for the existing problem.
ReplyDelete