How do we monitor well-being in the Caribbean Netherlands?

Well-being means the quality of life here and now, and the extent to which it comes at the expense of the well-being of future generations and people elsewhere in the world. While the gross domestic product describes the material aspects of our society, such as how much we consume and produce and what we earn as a result, well-being concerns everything that is important for a good quality of life.

Although material prosperity is essential to a certain extent, intangible aspects ultimately determine how satisfied most people are with their lives. These include the quality of relationships, health and a pleasant living environment. These aspects determine our well-being ‘here and now’.

The Monitor of Well-being & SDGs Caribbean Netherlands analyses the well-being of the Caribbean Netherlands based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs serve as the road map for increasing well-being.

Well-being in the future and elsewhere

Alongside aspects that are important in the short term (here and now), it is also essential to consider what will happen in the future (later). Will our children enjoy the same quality of life as we do? Will there still be sufficient natural resources for them, and are those resources distributed evenly? The choices we make also have a direct impact on the prosperity and well-being of people in other countries (elsewhere). Statistics Netherlands pays particular attention to the impacts on the world’s poorest countries.

International standard for well-being

The UN has set 17 SDGs that focus on ensuring that everyone can share in our planet’s resources and the prosperity they can create, and on improving the quality of life of as many people as possible. These goals set an international standard for well-being, which can subsequently be adapted to local cultures and standards as a guideline for policy. However, this requires systematic monitoring of well-being in general and the progress towards the SDGs in particular. To this end, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has developed the ‘Monitor of Well-being & SDGs Caribbean Netherlands’, which complies with the Conference of European Statisticians’ guidelines for monitoring well-being.

Monitor of Well-being and SDGs in the Caribbean Netherlands

The Monitor of Well-being and SDGs in the Caribbean Netherlands was published for the first time in 2022 to help form a clearer picture of well-being in the Caribbean Netherlands. Where possible, the well-being of each of the three islands – Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius – is analysed individually. The monitor is a development project. It will be expanded every year to allow us to develop an increasingly comprehensive picture of well-being in the Caribbean Netherlands. This means that the way the dimensions of well-being (here and now, later and elsewhere) and the SDGs are monitored will become more extensive each year.

The potential for expansion is primarily dependent on the availability of high-quality data. There are currently no suitable data sources for several important topics, including nature/biodiversity and harmful substance emissions. Figures must first be generated before these topics can be added to the monitor.

Monitor of Well-being & the SDGs: taking account of the regional context of the Caribbean Netherlands

The main goal of the Monitor of Well-being & the SDGs in the Caribbean Netherlands is to systematically monitor the level and development of well-being. The same concepts and definitions used for the Monitor of Well-being & the SDGs developed for the Netherlands have been followed, although the specific details of the monitor have been adapted to the regional context of the Caribbean Netherlands. This means the indicators differ in some respects from those for the European Netherlands due to the unique nature of the Caribbean area.

More on well-being in the Caribbean Netherlands and the latest figures