WILLEMSTAD – The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) conducted a census in Curaçao from September 2 to October 20, 2023. The official period for this census was extended until the end of February 2024.
After this period, CBS has been working intensively on processing the census data. CBS now presents the First Results of the 2023 Census, offering statistics on the socio-economic situation in Curaçao.
A more detailed publication with the first results of the 2023 Census can be downloaded for free from the CBS Census website: https://senso.cbs.cw/.
Some key results from the 2023 Census include:
Population Size
According to the 2023 Census, the population of Curaçao is 155,826 people, of which 70,162 are men and 85,596 are women. The gender of 68 individuals is unknown. Compared to the 2011 Census, this is an increase of 5,263 people. The population has grown by 3.5% between 2011 and 2023.
Gender Ratio
According to the 2023 Census results, there are 82 men for every 100 women residing in Curaçao, compared to 84.3 men per 100 women twelve years earlier (2011). The number of men relative to the number of women is decreasing. In other words, the number of women relative to the number of men continues to increase.
Age Structure
Curaçao’s population is aging. In 2023, 24.7 percent of the population is aged 65 and older; in 2011, this was 13.8 percent. The percentage of youth (0-14 years) has decreased from 19.5 percent in 2011 to 14.1 percent in 2023.
Place of Birth and Nationality
In 2023, 75.4 percent of the population was born in Curaçao; in 2011, this was 75.8 percent.
People born in the Netherlands make up 5.8 percent of the population in 2023, those born in the Dominican Republic 3.6 percent, and those born in Colombia 3.7 percent. There is a significant increase in people born in Venezuela, now at 2.7 percent. In 2011, the percentages for these groups were 6.0, 3.6, 3.0, and 1.2 percent, respectively.
Religion
The Roman Catholic faith remains the largest religious denomination, with 68.2 percent of the population. This is a decrease compared to 2011 (72.8%).
Households
In 2011, there were 60,075 private households with an average household size of 2.5 persons. This represents a further decrease in household size compared to previous censuses (2001: 3.0 persons, 2011: 2.7 persons).
Compared to 2011, the number of private households has increased by 5,139, representing a rise of 9.4%.
Education
In 2023, 96.3 percent of children aged 4 to 18 (school-age) attended a day school. This percentage is higher than in 2011, when it was 96.1 percent. The 2023 percentage is based on responses from 95% of participants aged 4 to 18 years.
Employment
The unemployment rate has decreased from 9.9 percent in 2011 to 7.0 percent in 2023. Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) in 2023 stands at 15.0 percent compared to 22.8 percent in 2011.
Housing
Of the 60,075 counted dwellings occupied by private households, the largest share consists of detached houses: 82.4 percent.
The number of privately owned homes has increased from 67.8% in 2011 to 69.9% in 2023.
Conclusion
The Central Bureau of Statistics would like to thank all residents of Curaçao for their participation in the recent census. The initial results are comprehensively available on both the census website senso.cbs.cw and the official CBS website www.cbs.cw. In the coming period, CBS will gradually publish additional tables with the full results of Census 2023.
Bron: Curacao Chronicle
