Jamaica behind target for achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

 

Jamaica is not on track to achieve most of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, with the country facing significant challenges across several areas of development. 

 

The warning comes as Jamaica assesses its progress towards the 17 goals which cover poverty, health, education, decent work, climate action and other areas critical to national development. 

 

With just over three years remaining to the deadline, the question now is whether Jamaica can accelerate progress quickly enough to close the gaps. 

 

Development Analyst for the Sustainable Development Goals Carlos Appelwhaite said two analyses conducted in 2024 and 2025 identified four goals on which Jamaica is making the required progress.

 

"Specifically Goal 3 related to health and wellness, Goal 4 on achieving quality education, Goal 9 which looks at industry, innovation and infrastructure, and Goal 11 which focuses a lot more on community development and planning.... We've recognised that with some significant emphasis - and emphasis being government expenditure, community support, private sector support, and essentially what we call a whole of society approach to implementation - that we can expect to see what we call multiplayer effects across the goals," he pointed out. 

 

While Jamaica is behind its target, Mr. Applewhaite said the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the government are not "throwing our hands in the air", but will "continue to do research to see how we can ramp up our implementation efforts and also look beyond 2030. The development plan does not end on December 31st, 2030."

 

PIOJ Director General Dr. Wayne Henry said Jamaica is on track in meeting 26 per cent of the global targets. 

 

Dr. Henry noted that this compares favourably with the global average where countries are on track of achieving 15 per cent of the targets.

 

But despite Jamaica performing above the global average, Dr. Henry said the PIOJ remains concerned about the pace of progress.