WILLEMSTAD – Nearly 96 percent of Curaçao residents surveyed in 2025 reported having health insurance, according to new figures published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), although a small but notable portion of the population remains uninsured.
The findings are part of the publication “Experiences of Curaçao Residents With Healthcare: Results of Enkuesta Sosial 2025.” The broader social survey was conducted between September and November 2025 and examined a range of social and economic topics, including healthcare use, accessibility, affordability and satisfaction.
According to CBS, 95.9 percent of respondents said they were insured for healthcare expenses. The vast majority, 84.9 percent, were covered through the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), while 7.8 percent had private health insurance and 3.2 percent reported another form of coverage.
Another 4.1 percent said they had no health insurance.
The survey also shows extensive use of primary healthcare services. A total of 92.8 percent of respondents reported having visited a general practitioner at some point. For 50.8 percent, their most recent visit had occurred less than six months before the interview, while 15.2 percent had visited between six and twelve months earlier. Another 26.8 percent said their last visit was more than a year ago.
Dental care showed a similar pattern. CBS found that 91.6 percent of respondents had visited a dentist, although 38.6 percent said their most recent dental visit had been more than 12 months earlier.
Approximately 53 percent had contact with a dentist during the 12 months preceding the survey.
Specialist care was less common. Some 40.4 percent of respondents said they had been referred to a medical specialist during the previous 12 months, while 41.7 percent reported that their most recent specialist referral had occurred more than a year earlier.
Among referrals to other healthcare services, pharmacies were the most common at 49.1 percent, followed by medical laboratories at 30.3 percent. Radiology accounted for 10.8 percent, physiotherapy 5.2 percent and hospitals 3.7 percent.
The CBS findings provide a broad picture of how Curaçao residents interact with the healthcare system and will form part of the statistical information available for assessing healthcare access and use on the island.