How many people settled on Bonaire between 2019 and 2021?
A total of 2,165 people settled on Bonaire between 2019 and 2021. Over a quarter of these people were born in the European Netherlands, while just under a quarter were born elsewhere in the Caribbean Netherlands. Another quarter were born in South America, mainly Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.
Between 2019 and 2021, net migration on Bonaire of persons born in the European Netherlands (immigration minus emigration) was 602. This was higher than in previous years. Relatively more people in their late twenties and thirties arrived on Bonaire in 2021 than previous years; it appears that more recent graduates made their way to the island during the COVID-19 crisis. People in their forties and fifties who were born in the European Netherlands were less likely to settle on Bonaire.
| Age | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 yrs | 46 | 42 | 51 |
| 15-19 yrs | -1 | -2 | -16 |
| 20-24 yrs | 20 | 23 | 5 |
| 25-29 yrs | 45 | 35 | 17 |
| 30-34 yrs | 33 | 16 | 25 |
| 35-39 yrs | 17 | 7 | 21 |
| 40-49 yrs | 19 | 21 | 43 |
| 50-59 yrs | 22 | 26 | 35 |
| 60-69 yrs | 14 | 11 | 19 |
| 70 yrs and over | 2 | 3 | 3 |
More Dutch tourists in 2021
In 2021, Bonaire once again received tourists with Dutch citizenship for short and long stays. Over 44 thousand tourists stayed on the island for at least one night. This is comparable to 2019 and almost twice as many as in 2020 (24 thousand). These were tourists who came to Bonaire for no more than two months. The 627 tourists staying on Bonaire between two and six months were primarily young visitors.
Fewer people from the Caribbean Netherlands region
In 2021, 134 people born in the Caribbean Netherlands settled on Bonaire. This is higher than in 2019 (101), but clearly lower than in 2020 (254). Compared to 2019, more people in their twenties and fewer people in their thirties came to Bonaire. Young people (children and people in their twenties and thirties) who came to Bonaire in 2020 were mostly born in the Caribbean Netherlands. It appears that students and young families who were temporarily living elsewhere for study or work purposes returned to their island of birth during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, or certainly to one of the islands in the former Netherlands Antilles.
| Age | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 yrs | 18 | 48 | 11 |
| 15-19 yrs | -16 | -15 | -33 |
| 20-24 yrs | 15 | 22 | 1 |
| 25-29 yrs | 36 | 50 | 31 |
| 30-34 yrs | 20 | 36 | 37 |
| 35-39 yrs | 5 | 28 | 13 |
| 40-49 yrs | 21 | 31 | 22 |
| 50-59 yrs | 24 | 37 | 33 |
| 60-69 yrs | 4 | 13 | -8 |
| 70 yrs and over | 7 | 4 | -6 |