“In this instance the provisional, what it means is that the department will continue looking at the data with the hope to finalizing that data by the end of the year.”
The Director of Statistics shared key findings from the 2022 National Population and Housing Census. These include a decrease in average household size from 2.8 individuals in 2010 to 2.6 in 2022. Additionally, the report cites a high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in the Castries and Gros Islet regions. The age dependency ratio has declined from 48.6 in 2010 to 44.5 in 2022, indicating reduced pressure on the working-age population. Notably, while Saint Lucia’s population increased from 166,526 in 2010 to 172,948 in 2022, the growth rate has declined from 5% to 3.9%.
“2022 when compared to 2010 there is a growth rate of 3.9%. So when you compare these two growth rates you would realize why the statement is being made that it’s increasing but at a decreasing rate.”
Mathurin encourages the public and stakeholders to utilize the information contained in the census.
“And the statistics department would like to urge not just the policymakers but the general public to make use of that wealth of information considering the time, the resources that went into the production and generation of that information.”
This census report is the first release, with subsequent thematic publications to offer more detailed analyses and tables. Mathurin indicated that the Preliminary Census Report can be downloaded from the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia website.