Are people satisfied with their lives?
In 2021, approximately 90 percent of the population aged 15 years and over on Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba were satisfied with their lives. They were most satisfied with the neighbourhood they live in. Residents of St Eustatius and Saba were least satisfied with their financial situation. Bonaire residents were least satisfied with the amount of free time and education opportunities.
On St Eustatius, 93 percent of the population were satisfied with their lives in 2021. This was 85 percent in 2017. On Bonaire and Saba, 88 percent of the population were satisfied with their lives, similar to the percentage in 2017. On all three islands, people were most satisfied with the neighbourhood they live in, followed by their work or daily activities, and their home.
| Kenmerk | Bonaire | St Eustatius | Saba |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life in general | 87.5 | 93.1 | 88.4 |
| Sub-aspects | . | . | . |
| Neighbourhood | 91.4 | 91.7 | 88.6 |
| Work, daily activities |
86.8 | 89.4 | 82.3 |
| Home | 85.2 | 86.2 | 78.0 |
| Financial situation | 75.2 | 69.5 | 62.4 |
| Education opportunities |
73.6 | 74.9 | 71.8 |
| Free time | 70.8 | 85.7 | 68.4 |
Lower educated people are less satisfied
The extent to which people are satisfied with their lives differs per level of education. For example, on all three islands people with a low level of education were less satisfied with their education opportunities than people with a high education level. Lower educated people on Bonaire and St Eustatius were also less satisfied than highly educated people when it comes to their financial situation and the home they live in. Bonaire residents with a low education level also said they are less satisfied with their work or daily activities and with their life in general than people with a high education level.
Opinions on norms and values divided
In 2021, almost 30 percent of the people on Bonaire, and around 20 percent of the people on St Eustatius and Saba, said that norms and values on their island were clearly going in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, residents of St Eustatius and Saba were slightly more positive about norms and values on the island than Bonaire residents. On St Eustatius and Saba, more people believed that norms and values are going slightly more in the right direction than in the wrong direction. Compared to the inhabitants of Saba, more people on Bonaire and St Eustatius felt that norms and values had remained the same.
| Eiland | Clearly in the wrong direction | Slightly more in the wrong than right direction | Remained approximately the same | Slightly more in the right than wrong direction | Clearly in the right direction | Do not know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonaire | 27.7 | 28.6 | 26.5 | 9.0 | 5.2 | 3.0 |
| St Eustatius | 18.2 | 28.3 | 30.2 | 14.8 | 5.2 | 3.4 |
| Saba | 20.9 | 30.9 | 17.3 | 16.1 | 4.9 | 9.9 |
Bonaire residents more negative about immigrants
In 2021, 19 percent of Bonaire residents felt that people from other countries who come to live on the island make it a worse place to live. This share was twice as high as on St Eustatius and Saba. Over half of the inhabitants of St Eustatius and Saba believed that the arrival of people from other countries makes the island a better place to live. This view was held by a third of the people who live on Bonaire.
| Eiland | People from other countries who come to live on Bonaire/Saba/St Eustatius make it a worse place to live | People from other countries who come to live on Bonaire/Saba/St Eustatius make it a better place to live | No opinion/Do not know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonaire | 18.7 | 34.5 | 46.8 |
| St Eustatius | 10.0 | 50.1 | 39.9 |
| Saba | 9.1 | 53.9 | 36.9 |
More on well-being (Dutch only)