THE HAGUE – A new regional study suggests that economic growth alone is not enough to measure a country's long-term strength, arguing that resilience should become a key benchmark for policymakers across the Caribbean.
Researchers behind the newly launched Resilience Index Caribbean (RICa) say the findings demonstrate that economic resilience is not directly linked to either national income or the size of an economy. Instead, countries with relatively small populations can outperform wealthier nations if they have stronger institutions and greater capacity to respond to economic shocks.
The study found that Jamaica and Barbados rank among the Caribbean's most resilient economies, while Haiti and Saint Lucia remain among the region's most vulnerable.
The index was developed to provide a more comprehensive picture of economic performance than traditional indicators such as GDP, focusing instead on how economies can absorb, adapt to, and recover from crises.
The publication comes as governments throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the wider Caribbean continue to emphasize strengthening economic resilience as a policy priority. Earlier this year, the Dutch government identified improving socio-economic resilience as one of its three main priorities for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
Researchers hope the new index will serve as a practical policy tool, enabling governments to identify vulnerabilities, monitor progress over time, and develop strategies that make their economies more resilient to future financial, environmental, and geopolitical challenges.