An Overview

Haiti has long been considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Today, the vast majority of Haitians live at the lowest economic level and many suffer from a lack of food and medical care. An estimated 80% live in abject poverty. More than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. About 76 of every 1000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday. Haiti’s mortality rate is about 13 people per 1,000; its birth rate is more than double that, at about 36 people per 1,000. Life expectancy is 51 years for men and 54 years for women. Nearly a quarter of the country’s rural families have no land at all, and Haiti must import nearly a quarter of its overall food supplies. Lack of usable water has become a major problem. Clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, etc., is in short supply, so the instance of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, is high. Schools are clustered in cities, so children who live in remote areas do not receive even a basic education. Haiti’s literacy rate is about 53%. --information supplied by Food for the Poor

Other links about Haiti:

Library of Congress report on Haiti (PDF)

Background Notes on Haiti

Regional Map of Haiti

Factbook on Haiti

"As often as you did it for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it for me."