How age shapes CARICOM’s economies

Median age ranges from 24 in Haiti to 42 in Montserrat, with eleven of fifteen member states above the global median age of 30

Median age shapes the size of a country’s workforce, the strain on its pension and healthcare systems, and its consumer base. Across CARICOM, that number ranges from 23.5 in Haiti to 41.5 in Montserrat, according to the United Nations’ latest demographic estimates.

Four economies remain demographically young, with median ages below the global average of 30: Haiti (23.5), Guyana (25.6), Belize (25.9), and Suriname (28.1).

Higher birth rates, particularly in Haiti and Guyana, sustain younger populations even as fertility rates fall across most of the region. These economies face the challenge of absorbing growing working-age cohorts into labour markets.

Eleven CARICOM member states sit above the global median. Montserrat (41.5), Barbados (38.9), and Trinidad and Tobago (36.7) anchor the older end, shaped by long-running fertility decline and emigration.

These economies see rising pension and healthcare demands as their working-age populations shrink. Between these tiers, eight member states cluster between 31 and 36 years.

CARICOM holds both demographic stories at once. Some economies are still absorbing growing workforces; others are watching them shrink. Last week’s fertility data points to more economies moving into the second group over time.

Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024. Median age in years, 2023 estimates.

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