Preliminary findings from the 2023 Inhabitants and Housing Census paint a stark image of Montserrat’s demographic panorama, indicating a notable decline in its inhabitants over the previous decade.
In line with knowledge launched by the Statistics Division of Montserrat, the island’s inhabitants has dwindled by 10.9 per cent since 2011.
In 2024, Montserrat is reported to have 4,386 bizarre residents, a major drop from the 4,922 recorded in 2011.
Gender steadiness and residential distribution
Regardless of the decline, gender parity stays almost intact, with males constituting 49.9 per cent of the inhabitants and ladies making up 50.1 per cent.
The island’s residential distribution reveals that 33.1 per cent of residents reside within the Central Area, whereas 47.4 per cent name the Northern Area house.
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At the moment, Montserrat boasts 2,256 personal properties, every housing a mean of 1.9 residents.
Volcanic eruption’s lingering impression
The island’s demographic shift may be traced again to the catastrophic eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in 1995, which rendered a lot of Montserrat uninhabitable.
As soon as boasting a inhabitants exceeding 13,000 residents, the aftermath of the eruption spurred mass emigration, leaving a fraction of the populace behind.
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Census challenges
Knowledge assortment for the census spanned from September 12, 2023, to January 30, 2024.
Nevertheless, the method confronted obstacles, together with reluctance from some people to take part and difficulties in reaching particular households.
These challenges necessitated an extension past the initially deliberate wrap-up date of November 30, 2023.
Historic knowledge assortment
Montserrat’s dedication to census-taking dates again centuries, with data indicating inhabitants knowledge assortment as early as 1678.
Since 1871, census efforts have been performed each decade, with exceptions famous in 1931 and 2021.
