CBS Presents the First Results of the 2023 Census
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 has been extended until the end of February 2024. After this period, CBS worked intensively on processing the census data. CBS now presents the First Results of the 2023 Census with statistics on the socio-economic situation in Curaçao.
On the CBS Census website https://senso.cbs.cw/, you can download a more detailed publication with the first results of the 2023 Census for free.
Some key results from the 2023 Census are:
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 people is unknown. Compared to the 2011 Census, this is an increase of 5,263 people. The population grew by 3.5% between 2011 and 2023.
Gender Ratio
According to the 2023 Census results, there are 82 men per 100 women living 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
The population of Curaçao is aging. In 2023, the proportion of people aged 65 and older is 24.7 percent, compared to 13.8 percent in 2011. The population is also becoming less youthful, with the percentage of young people (0-14 years) decreasing from 19.5 percent in 2011 to 14.1 percent in 2023.
Birthplace and Nationality
In 2023, 75.4 percent of the population in Curaçao was born on the island, compared to 75.8 percent in 2011. Individuals born in the Netherlands make up 5.8 percent of the population in 2023, those born in the Dominican Republic account for 3.6 percent, and those born in Colombia represent 3.7 percent. There is a notable increase in the number of 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, comprising 68.2 percent of the population. This is a decrease compared to 2011, when it was 72.8 percent.
Households
The number of private households in 2023 is 60,075, with an average household size of 2.5 persons. This indicates 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 9.4% rise.
Education
The percentage of children aged 4 to 18 (compulsory school age) attending a day school in 2023 is 96.3 percent. This percentage is slightly lower than in 2011, when it was 96.1 percent. The 2023 percentage is based on the responses of 95% of participants aged 4 to 18.
Employment
The unemployment rate has decreased from 9.9 percent in 2011 to 7.0 percent in 2023. Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) stands at 15.0 percent in 2023, compared to 22.8 percent in 2011.
Housing
Of the 60,075 counted residences inhabited by private households, the largest share consists of standalone houses on the property: 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 wishes to thank all residents of Curaçao for their participation in the recent census. The first results are also comprehensively available on the census website (senso.cbs.cw). In the coming period, CBS will gradually publish additional tables with the complete results of the 2023 Census.