The propensity for dependence in small Caribbean and Pacific Islands

Abstract

Why has the postwar march to independence stalled among small tropical islands? Why do dependent islands continue to vote for the status quo? The primary explanation in the literature is the substantial economic benefits conferred by political affiliation: preferential metropolitan trade, investment and migration opportunities and subsidized infrastructure funding. This study compares 16 dependent with 19 independent islands in the Caribbean and Pacific across 25 socio-economic and demographic indicators. The former significantly out-perform their larger sovereign rivals across most indices. Results suggest the dependencies have more successfully restructured their colonial economies, have progressed further along the demographic transition, and comprise a new insular development case: the small service-driven dependent island economy.