Saint Lucia officially launched the 2025 Survey of Living Conditions and Household Budget Survey (SLC-HBS) on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, marking the start of a nationwide data collection initiative.
The Central Statistical Office (CSO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, and Empowerment, is conducting the survey, which is supported by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission Data for Decision Making (DDM) Project, funded by the World Bank Group.
The SLC-HBS is a crucial survey that will assess poverty levels, update the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and gather essential data on household spending, health, education, nutrition, housing, and demographic trends. The findings will provide valuable insights for shaping evidence-based national policies aimed at improving the quality of life for Saint Lucians.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Youth Economy, Paul Hilaire, emphasized the importance of the survey, especially as there is limited post-COVID data. “It is the right time to collect this data, which will help evaluate the impact of policies implemented over the past years, including the revision of the minimum wage and its effect on the average household,” Hilaire said.
CSO Director Sean Mathurin highlighted the use of advanced data collection tools, such as digital surveys and mobile data capture, to streamline the process and improve efficiency. The survey’s robust sampling framework ensures that it reflects the diverse socio-economic and geographic makeup of Saint Lucia.
OECS Data for Decision Making Project Team Lead Anna Luisa Paffhausen stated that Saint Lucia is the first of three OECS countries involved in the DDM project to implement the SLC-HBS. “The survey in Saint Lucia will serve as a valuable model for other OECS countries, including Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who will conduct similar surveys in the coming years,” Paffhausen said.
The survey will span from April 2025 to March 2026, during which trained enumerators will visit selected households across the island to collect information. Participants will be asked to provide detailed data on their income, expenses, and living conditions, including receipts from supermarkets and stores to ensure accurate data collection.
The CSO assured that all responses would remain confidential in compliance with the Statistics Act. The success of the survey relies on national cooperation, and citizens are encouraged to participate to help build a more data-driven and resilient Saint Lucia.
Launched in 2022, the OECS DDM Project is a five-year initiative aimed at producing high-quality data to inform policy decisions across the region. The Regional Data Governance Council (RDGC), a component of the World Bank-funded project, will play a key role in ensuring timely access to reliable data for OECS member states.
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