Montserrat continues to record near-universal access to basic services, but the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) report also provides a clearer picture of income levels, health risks and everyday living conditions on the island.
The 2025 report, produced by the Statistics Department, draws on the 2023 Population and Housing Census and other national data to measure progress across key sectors.
Download the 2025 Montserrat Sustainable Development Goals Report
What the income data shows
The report moves beyond percentages to show what people are actually earning. Median monthly income was estimated at $3,113.91 for men and $2,925.43 for women, meaning half of workers earn below those amounts and half earn above them.
It also highlights how many people are earning significantly less. About 16.2% of men and 19.9% of women earn below half of those median incomes, which translates to roughly $1,556 for men and $1,462 for women per month.
The data shows that lower income levels are more common in older age groups, with nearly 29.2% of people aged 70 to 74 earning below half the median income.
Jobs and youth employment
Overall unemployment stood at 6.95% in 2023, but the report shows a sharper challenge for younger people.
Among those aged 15 to 19, unemployment was 33.9%, meaning roughly one in three young people in that age group was without work.
Out of a youth population of 464, about 140 were not in employment, education or training, giving a NEET rate of 13.4%.
Health indicators in real terms
While several health indicators are reported as zero, the report explains that this reflects small population size rather than the absence of risk.
For example, maternal mortality, under-five mortality and neonatal mortality were all recorded as zero in 2022, meaning no deaths were reported in those categories during that year.
HIV incidence was recorded at 0.70 per 1,000 people. In practical terms, with Montserrat’s population, this equates to only a handful of new cases in a year.
Hepatitis B incidence was higher at 187.57 per 100,000 population, which would translate to several cases annually rather than a large outbreak.
Understanding premature deaths from chronic diseases
The report also tracks deaths from non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory illness.
It reports a 13.4% probability of premature death from these conditions between the ages of 30 and 70.
This does not mean 13.4% of the population dies each year. It reflects the likelihood that a person aged 30 could die from one of these diseases before reaching 70, based on current patterns.
Access to services
Access to essential services remains high across the island:
100% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water
99.7% have electricity, meaning nearly every household is connected
98.8% use clean cooking fuels, such as gas or electric stoves
88.7% of people use the internet, up significantly from 2018
In education, 98.6% of people aged 16 to 65 are literate, and all primary schools have access to electricity, water, sanitation and internet.
Housing and land ownership
The report shows that 75.7% of adults have documented or perceived secure rights to land, including ownership, rental or lease arrangements.
Gender and leadership
Women held 42% of parliamentary seats as of 2022 and made up 46.24% of senior and middle management positions in 2023.
However, the report also notes differences in unpaid work, with women spending about 18% of their day on domestic and care responsibilities, compared to 10% for men.
Tourism and the wider economy
Tourism contributed approximately US$7.9 million to the economy, accounting for 10.8% of GDP.
Manufacturing remains a small part of the economy, employing just over 3% of the workforce.
Policy and development systems
Montserrat scored 61.3% on an index measuring how well systems are in place to coordinate sustainable development policies across government.
The report notes that while there is strong political commitment and financial support, there are gaps in coordination across government levels.
Small population effect
The report cautions that because of Montserrat’s small population, some figures can fluctuate from year to year. A value of zero in areas like mortality or disease does not mean the issue has been eliminated, but rather that no cases were recorded during the reporting period.
Overall, the data provides a detailed snapshot of living conditions on the island, showing strong access to services alongside ongoing challenges in income distribution, youth employment and chronic disease risk.
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