How has the population changed in terms of country of birth?
At the beginning of 2025, residents of Bonaire who were born on the island formed the largest group. This was also the case for St Eustatius and Saba. In relative terms, the share of residents born on the island itself decreased significantly on Bonaire and Saba, while on St Eustatius it increased slightly.
At the beginning of 2025, 8.1 thousand residents of Bonaire were born on this island. This is followed by Curaçao (4.5 thousand), the European Netherlands (4.4 thousand), the Dominican Republic (1.9 thousand), Colombia (1.4 thousand) and Venezuela (1.3 thousand).
Decrease in number of residents born on Bonaire
Between early 2011 and early 2025, the share of residents on Bonaire who were born in the Dominican Republic and the European Netherlands increased in particularly, from 5 to 7 percent and from 11 to 17 percent, respectively.
The share of residents born on Bonaire decreased from 42 to 30 percent. In absolute numbers, however, this group actually increased: from 6.5 thousand residents to 8.1 thousand.
| Geboortelanden | Bonaire | Curaçao | Netherlands | Dominican Republic | Colombia | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 6527 | 2982 | 1766 | 810 | 724 | 2870 |
| 2025 | 8055 | 4478 | 4411 | 1925 | 1438 | 6245 |
Strongest increase in residents on St Eustatius who were born on St Maarten
At the beginning of 2025, 1.1 thousand residents of St Eustatius were born on the island, forming the largest group. Almost half as many, 500 residents, were born on St Maarten and 300 were born in the Dominican Republic.
On St Eustatius, the share of residents born on St Maarten increased most sharply, from 9 percent in 2011 to 15 percent in 2025. The share of residents born on St Eustatius increased slightly, from 30 to 32 percent. In absolute numbers, however, it actually decreased slightly because the total population also declined. It is worth noting that there was a decrease in the share of residents born in the United States: from 10 to 2 percent.
| Jaartal | St Eustatius | US | St Maarten (Dutch part) | Dominican Republic | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Curaçao | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1100 | 350 | 307 | 293 | 223 | . | 1338 |
| 2025 | 1061 | . | 501 | 302 | 184 | 181 | 1041 |
More inhabitants of Saba born on St Maarten
At the beginning of 2025, the largest group of residents on Saba was made up of people born on the island (almost 500). This was followed by St Maarten (over 300) and the United States (over 200). The Dominican Republic was the country of birth for more than 130 residents, and for another 130 it was Colombia.
Between early 2011 and early 2025, the share of Saba residents born on the island decreased significantly, from 31 to 22 percent. This was mainly because more people who were born elsewhere (for example St Maarten, Colombia and the Dominican Republic) came to live there. The share of residents who were born in the United States increased from 8 to 10 percent, while that from Canada decreased from 8 to 2 percent.
| Year | Saba | St Maarten (Dutch part) | US | Canada | Dominican Republic | Colombia | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 564 | 221 | 145 | 137 | 80 | . | 650 |
| 2025 | 475 | 348 | 208 | . | 136 | 134 | 857 |
Source
More data about the population’s countries of birth
Relevant links
Dashboard – Population forecast (Dutch only)
News message – Population of the Caribbean Netherlands up by nearly 1,600 in 2024