The determinants of fertility and poverty have been the focus of research both by
economists and demographers. Jamaica is a middle income country with low rates of
infant mortality and total fertility. Children account for 39 per cent of Jamaica’s
population of 2.6 million. Although the overall poverty rate declined from 26 per cent
in 1996 to 16.9 per cent in 1999, children account for 43 per cent of all poor, most of
whom are in rural areas (UNICEF, 2005). Using a panel of households constructed
from the Jamaican Survey of Living Conditions (JSCL), we examine the link between
fertility and poverty in Jamaica.