Jamaica Completes Third Review of SDG Progress

Jamaica has completed its third Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The VNR is a country-led process that assesses Jamaica’s progress in implementing the SDGs.
Previous Reviews were completed in 2018 and 2022, demonstrating Jamaica’s continuity and sustained commitment to the follow-up and review process for sustainable development planning. Speaking during the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ’s) quarterly press briefing at the agency’s New Kingston offices, Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, said that preparation of the third VNR was led by the PIOJ, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).
He noted that the review also benefited from contributions from members of the National 2030 Agenda Oversight Committee and a wide range of other stakeholders. The Review reported on all 17 SDGs and 133 of the 234 unique indicators included in the global SDG indicator framework.
With respect to the global picture, 15% of the targets tracked by UNSTAT (United Nations Statistics Division) are on track or have been met, 53% are making progress, and 32% are stagnating or regressing,” Dr Henry informed.
Jamaica’s third Voluntary National Review (VNR), conducted a decade into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), assessed progress across all 17 goals and identified strategies to accelerate development beyond 2030. It also recognised the country’s vulnerability as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS).
The Review highlighted significant gains, including a reduction in poverty from 21.4% in 2015 to 7.8% in 2024 and a record-low unemployment rate of 3.3% in 2025. However, persistent challenges remain, particularly the rise in maternal mortality, the high proportion of youth not in employment, education or training, and the prevalence of informal employment.

(Source: JIS News)