Dutch CBS: Population of Kingdom islands has grown over fifteen years

THE HAGUE--New figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show that the population of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has grown by 8 percent since 2011. Bonaire saw the strongest increase, and all islands show signs of an ageing population. Unemployment is lower almost everywhere.

The region has more than 330,000 residents in 2025. Curaçao remains the most populous island with 156,000 inhabitants, followed by Aruba with 108,000. St. Maarten recorded 43,000 residents in 2023. In the Caribbean Netherlands, Bonaire has the largest population with nearly 27,000 residents in 2025, while St. Eustatius has just over 3,000 and Saba a little more than 2,000. Bonaire’s population grew by nearly 70 percent since 2011, driven mainly by migration.

All islands are ageing more rapidly, especially Curaçao, where 25 percent of the population is now aged 65 or older compared with under 14 percent in 2011. In the Caribbean Netherlands, 15 percent of residents are 65 or older, up from 10 percent in 2011. The shares of younger age groups have declined on most islands.

On Bonaire, the share of residents born on the island dropped from 42 percent in 2011 to 30 percent in 2025, while the share of residents born in the European Netherlands and in South and Central America increased. Saba also saw a decline in the share of locally born residents, while St. Eustatius recorded a slight increase. On Curaçao and Aruba, the proportion of island-born residents remained almost unchanged. On St. Maarten, the share declined slightly.

Papiamentu is the most widely spoken language on Curaçao (80 percent) and Bonaire (62 percent). Spanish and English also have a notable presence on Bonaire. On the northern islands, English dominates: 83 percent on Saba, 81 percent on St. Eustatius, and 71 percent on St. Maarten. Aruba is not included in the language table, but Papiamento remains the most spoken language there.

Unemployment declined on most islands. Curaçao’s unemployment rate fell from 13 percent in 2014 to 8 percent in 2024. Aruba saw a drop from 8 percent in 2016 to 4 percent in 2024. Bonaire fell from 6 percent in 2012 to 2 percent in 2024. Unemployment rose on St. Eustatius from 3 percent to 4 percent during the same period. Saba recorded the lowest unemployment at 1 percent.

Consumer prices rose the most on Curaçao, up 37 percent between 2011 and 2024. Aruba recorded the smallest increase at 13 percent. Inflation on most islands averages around 2 percent annually, though 2022 was an exception, with rates ranging from nearly 4 percent on St. Maarten to 10 percent on Bonaire.

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