Dear Editor,
I was genuinely taken aback by a claim in the recent Throne Speech stating that the average Antiguan earns $60,000 a year — or $5,000 a month. This pronouncement is easily debunked through simple observation and lived experience.
1. Government Salaries Undercut the Claim
The government is the country’s largest employer, yet very few civil servants take home even $3,000 a month. When I left the public sector as a degree holder making $3,650 a month, many colleagues considered my salary enviable. Several who had been in the service far longer were earning under $2,000.
Teachers — often among the better-paid government workers — earn approximately $2,500 if untrained. And even they frequently express dissatisfaction with their pay. Their repeated industrial actions over unpaid arrears are evidence that $5,000 salaries are far from the norm unless one is a principal.
2. Clear Signs of Financial Distress
The lived reality of many public servants contradicts any notion of widespread financial comfort:
- Many do not own cars.
- Many live with parents out of necessity, not preference.
- A drive across the island reveals numerous small wooden homes — a housing choice unlikely for someone earning $5,000 monthly.
- Every end-of-month payday panic speaks volumes: those making $5,000 would not be thrown into crisis if their salary was a few hours late.
Yes, people attend parties, but cutting back on occasional leisure is not going to transform their financial reality. Sometimes, the issue is not budgeting — it’s simply insufficient income.
3. Tourism Workers Earn Even Less
Outside of the government, the main employer is tourism. Yet wages in the hospitality sector are notoriously low.
Sandals, one of the largest employers, has been repeatedly criticized by Prime Minister Gaston Browne for not paying fair wages. He highlighted the company’s no-tipping policy and noted that hospitality pay is often a pittance. https://antiguanewsroom.com/
4. Even Better-Paid Sectors Don’t Support the Claim
In the financial sector, where salaries tend to be higher, lower-tier employees (who are the majority) still do not reach the $5,000 mark. Again, where is this $60,000 on average figure coming from?
5. Wider Social Indicators Tell the Truth
If Antiguans were truly earning $5,000 a month on average, the signs would be obvious:
- People would not be constantly struggling with unreliable water access.
- More households would be financially resilient, not living paycheck to paycheck.
- Social Security would not be in such dire financial straits if higher-income earners were contributing consistently.
These indicators paint a picture far removed from the rosy narrative being promoted.
6. Inflated Data Harms Us
False claims of national prosperity have real consequences. They make it harder for Antigua and Barbuda to access the international assistance that genuinely struggling countries rely on. By pushing misleading statistics, we create a narrative that does not reflect the lived experiences of ordinary citizens.
No doubt some individuals earn $5,000 or more monthly, but they are the exception — not the average. The evidence around us is clear: the math simply isn’t mathing.
Concerned
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Concerned I HEAR YOU. However the GG was simply quoting an economic statistics which is the GDP Per Capita ie GDP in Market Prices/Population. It has been long established that this statistic has a fundamental flaw when using it to determine standard of living. You are correct that other variables should be considered given the flaws in such a statistic. I will go at length that I have heard the PM’s criticism of this statistic especially when it is used to determine things like whether countries should qualify for grant, confessional loans etc. What we have now experienced are cases of politicians using statistics as a matter of convenience.
This is so true. Tell them tap pull wool over people eye.
10% making over 10 & 15k and they think that’s majority I can attest that majority 85% + is making less than $4000monthky and with cost of living that’s an unlivable wage in Antigua
Thank you for speaking up.
I am a government worker. I am not a principal and I make over $60, 000. 00 per year.
Concerned is so right.
They lie even when they are not in trouble. My niece asked to be repatriated to her home, St. Lucia, by Sandals, after wworking here for two years. The salary was a bit more for the same job title but her spending power was drastically affected because of inflation in Antigua. The article never even mentioned the cost of living, which would’ve exposed them even more. The whole region is seeing straight through their lies.
Only idiots with blinders on asking like jackssses who are led yo the water will bray and kick up to defend rass gassy and his statistical dung.
MISS KNIGHT is that you???? Joan say u jarz bigga than fu she?
To say that the average Antiguan makes $5000 a month is a big outrageous stinking lie. That is why people neither respect or trust these people in government
Yes, the per capita income is simply the total income of the country (GDP)divided by the population. But that information alone does not determine the quality of life of individuals. A high per capita income could exist in a country but the majority of the population are poor because the distribution of income in the country is skewed with a small percentage earning most of the income. The distribution of income in a country is determined by the calculation of the Gini Coefficient (which is a measure of inequality). The higher the Gini Coefficient the greater the inequality. In the case of Antigua the Gini Coefficient moved from 0.747 in 2008 to 0.813 in 2021 which shows that inequality and the distribution of income has worsened over that period. This is just the pure economic side of the picture, but one would have to look at a number of social variables to really assess the quality of citizen’s life.
I wish I was making half of that so I could have afforded one of the government houses by taking a loan from the bank. Can yall please tell me where they pay that amount so I can quit my job, cause I work so hard yet I can only afford to pay rent and Apua bills and drinking water to face another hard day of work standing on my feet for 8 hrs, taking insults and smiling all day so my workplace on the hill don’t get a bad name all d time…
I think the Average is $3200 monthly. How do people manage their budget on that salary is amazing.
Which hotel pays fair wages? Especially to black picky head people? I wish I was making 10 to 15 a month like some who still get perks in galore, all hotel owners are white so it’s obvious as to why
Per capita income is calculated by dividing a country’s total national income by its total population. It represents the average income earned per person in a country. Total Income: This refers to the entire income of a country, such as its national income or gross domestic product (GDP).Total Population: This is the total number of people living in that country, including all ages. Formula: The result of the division gives the average income per person, and it can be used to gauge a population’s economic well-being and standard of living. For example, if a country has a total income of $1 trillion and a population of 100 million, the per capita income would be $10,000.
Although many have found this ratio a flawed one to use especially when a country like ours needs to access loans, we are placed in the high income bracket and cannot get cheap loans. That is why our prime minister is fighting for the UN to accept the MVI.
The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) is a tool developed by the United Nations to more accurately assess a country’s vulnerability to external shocks, moving beyond a simple income-based measure like Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It considers a broader range of factors, including economic, environmental, and social vulnerabilities, to provide a more complete picture of a nation’s resilience to crises like pandemics, climate change, and economic downturns. The MVI is intended to help countries improve long-term planning, access financing, and determine eligibility for concessional loans and other forms of development assistance.
The Prime Minister has been growing this economy year after year and now we have an over US$2 billion dollar economy. Therefore our Per Capita Income is considered very high. This growth however doesn’t mean everyone is better off. Its like sharing a cake and some people just get bigger piece then others. And some may not even get none. I keep saying no one will give you anything. You will have to get up and take it. position yourself so that you take advantage of the opportunity when they arrive. Even the barbershop that I used to pay in the 80s $10 for a haircut is now charging $40 for that same haircut. Actually at my age not much hair to cut. Washing my car is at a minimum $60. That is why the cost of living is going up at the same time too. And believe me, history has shown that when cost of living goes up it never comes down. Wages are the one that has to go up. That is why the Prime Minister is promising another wage increase for the Public Sector workers in the hope that the private sector will follow. And all he can do is to raise the minimum wage. The unions are the ones that need to negotiate these higher wages. Abd then the spiral will go up and up. In the hope that we do not push ourselves out of the market as a place where life is affordable. And so is doing business. Because the negative part is if we become an expensive country we will have priced ourself out of the market. The average worker earns more like $3500 p/m which is $42000 annual. and that is about 60 to 70% of the workforce. We know that from the days we use to pay PIT. Government used to collect Millions from just 25% of the workers that were in the over $3000 p/m salaries. Without PIT that money is now spent in the economy and is contributing to the GDP. Economist have a way to measure this. A dollar in the hand of government has a multiplier effect of 2. While a dollar in the hand of the ordinary man can have a multiplier effect of 4 and higher. This brings me to another issue I think economist need to educate us on. And that the use of Digital money. Each time a transaction of digital money is used it loses value at about 2%. Which means if you pay a vendor with your debit/credit card and you pay $100. the bank will credit the vendor’s account for $98 and keep $2 bank fees. if the vendor take the same $98 to pay someone else, the bank bank again takes 2% for bank fees. And so the value of your money decreases after every transaction. This needs to stop. Banks are getting filthy rich by just charging fees for the use of electronic payments. And why is it a percentage of the money. Why not just a flat fee per transaction. It makes absolutely no sense. a $100 transaction is the same as a $1000 transaction. Anyway enough for now.
Yes, $5000 is totally what the average Antiguan should be making to be able to afford to live here. Persons making $3500 or so often have to live with family members to survive.Even persons making a little more that that still struggle especially if they have to cover their expenses alone and there is nothing much left to save for the future for deposits for land, house, car etc. or retirement. And, they usually are not eating a perfectly balanced diet with all the required veggies etc. And, other people think they have plenty while they are still struggling so they give away what they don’t even have to give away. For someone to be able to do it all – buy all the healthy food for a proper diet, use water daily with no issues, save up and build safe, climate-resistant housing in a timely manner, save up to purchase a vehicle in a timely manner, pay for education etc. for themselves and one dependent or so on their own would require around $6000 to do so comfortably. We should be aiming towards that as a community by increasing training opportunities, small business opportunities, tourism business opportunities and increasing salaries and trying to keep the cost of food and housing from increasing dramatically in a way that outpaces salaries. Even if everyone cannot make that much there should be housing available that matches what people can afford at different levels.
@Racist Pay perfectly said they have all thse expats coming to Antigua making big money getting all sorts of benefits. Im yet to see a black general manager in a hotel this should be an eye opener to all Antiguans. This is what Gaston should be looking into.. you mean no local talent has the capacity ro manage a hotel?
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