Comprehensive Wealth in Trinidad and Tobago

This report analyzes the comprehensive wealth of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2020, arguing that while GDP growth suggests sound development, the nation's overall wealth portfolio indicates an unsustainable path due to an overreliance on the petroleum industry.

• Analysis of comprehensive wealth suggests that Trinidad and Tobago is on an unsustainable path, contrasting with GDP growth data from 1995 to 2020 which suggests sound economic development.
• The petroleum industry accounts for half of the country's produced capital, creating a risk of stranded investments as global trends shift away from fossil fuels.
• Human capital in Trinidad and Tobago has declined since the late 2000s; World Bank data shows a global ranking drop from 35th in 2009 to 46th in 2018.
• Despite attempts to establish a sovereign wealth fund, financial capital contributes very little to the nation's comprehensive wealth.
• Overreliance on oil and gas has skewed the distribution of human, produced, natural, and financial wealth toward the fossil fuel sector, resulting in insufficient investment in forestry, fisheries, and agriculture.

APA

Smith,, G. S. B. A. B. J. P. (2024). Comprehensive Wealth in Trinidad and Tobago. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-trinidad-and-tobago

Chicago

Smith,, Godfrey St. Bernard,Semone Armorgan,Livia Bizikova,Shari Johnson,Lavaughn Pritchard,Robert. Comprehensive Wealth in Trinidad and Tobago. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-trinidad-and-tobago.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smith, |first1=Godfrey St. Bernard,Semone Armorgan,Livia Bizikova,Shari Johnson,Lavaughn Pritchard,Robert |title=Comprehensive Wealth in Trinidad and Tobago |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=17 May 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-trinidad-and-tobago |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smith2024comprehensive, author = {Smith,, Godfrey St. Bernard,Semone Armorgan,Livia Bizikova,Shari Johnson,Lavaughn Pritchard,Robert}, title = {{Comprehensive Wealth in Trinidad and Tobago}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-trinidad-and-tobago}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }