WILLEMSTAD – The percentage of Curaçao's population born outside the island has increased by 0.4% in recent years, primarily due to a notable rise in migrants from Venezuela and Colombia. This trend was highlighted in recent statistics from the 2023 Census, released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) to mark International Migrants Day on December 18.
CBS’s analysis of migration patterns reveals that 75.4% of the population in 2023 was born in Curaçao, a slight decrease from 75.8% in 2011. This decline aligns with a decades-long trend: in 2001, 81% of the population was born on the island, compared to 84% in 1992 and 85% in 1981.
The linguistic landscape in Curaçao also reflects the growing influence of migration. While Papiamento remains the predominant language spoken at home by 78% of the population, Spanish has emerged as the second most common language at 8.4%, surpassing Dutch at 7.9% and English at 3.8%.
Key Sources of Migration
CBS identified the top countries of origin for migrants residing in Curaçao. These include the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, and Venezuela.
The share of the population born in the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba decreased by 0.9% since 2011, now representing 2% of the total population. Meanwhile, the proportion of people born in the Netherlands remains relatively stable at 5.8%, down slightly from 6% in 2011.
However, significant growth has been observed among Venezuelan and Colombian migrants. In 2011, only 1.2% of the population reported being born in Venezuela; by 2023, this figure had more than doubled to 2.7%. Similarly, the share of Colombian-born residents increased from 3% in 2011 to 3.7% in 2023. In contrast, the proportion of migrants from the Dominican Republic has remained steady at 3.6%.
The findings underscore the evolving demographic makeup of Curaçao and its growing multicultural identity. As migration continues to shape the island, CBS’s data provides crucial insights into how these changes influence the local economy, society, and cultural fabric.