WILLEMSTAD – The percentage of Curaçao residents reporting long waiting times before obtaining an appointment with a healthcare provider has fallen substantially since 2017, but more than one in ten residents surveyed still identified waiting times as an obstacle to receiving timely care.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics' Enkuesta Sosial 2025, 11.6 percent of respondents reported long waiting times before they could obtain an appointment.
That represents an improvement compared with the 2017 National Health Survey, when 17.4 percent reported long waiting times as an obstacle to timely healthcare.
The decline amounts to 5.8 percentage points over eight years.
CBS also examined whether transportation and distance prevent residents from receiving healthcare when they need it.
In 2025, 3.2 percent of respondents said they had experienced delays in obtaining healthcare because of transportation or distance problems. The rate was slightly higher among women, at 3.5 percent, compared with 3.0 percent among men.
The overall figure has changed little since 2017, when 3.4 percent of Curaçao residents who needed healthcare reported that they could not obtain it on time because of transportation or distance.
However, the gender pattern has shifted. Among women, the percentage affected by transportation or distance problems declined from 4.2 percent in 2017 to 3.5 percent in 2025. Among men, it increased from 2.3 percent to 3.0 percent.
As a result, the difference between men and women narrowed significantly, from 1.9 percentage points in 2017 to just 0.5 percentage point in 2025.
CBS concludes that healthcare in Curaçao remains generally accessible but says accessibility cannot be judged solely by whether healthcare services exist. Financial circumstances, transportation, waiting times and socioeconomic conditions can all influence whether residents receive care when they need it.
The agency said continued monitoring is important, particularly as healthcare costs increase and Curaçao's healthcare needs evolve.