A population’s growth rate quietly sets the terms for an economy: how many workers it will have, how many consumers, how much demand for housing, schools and public services.

Steady growth and steady decline pull a country in opposite directions.

In 2023 – the latest year the UN has estimated – CARICOM sat across that whole divide. Belize grew fastest, at 1.5%, with Suriname and The Bahamas among those still expanding.

At the other end, three members lost population outright – Dominica, Montserrat, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – with declines of 0.5% to 0.7%.

Jamaica and Barbados barely moved.

Population change comes down to two forces: births against deaths, and arrivals against departures. Jamaica shows the squeeze clearly – births still outnumbered deaths in 2023, yet net emigration cancelled the gain, and its population held flat.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines had the region’s highest rate of net departure.

In Dominica and Montserrat, the shift runs deeper: deaths have begun to outnumber births, with emigration adding to the loss.

For several members, the population can no longer be assumed to expand the workforce and the consumer base on its own.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda's Population grew, Dominica's population shrank in recent years.