WILLEMSTAD – Nearly a quarter of Curaçao’s population depends on the General Old Age Pension (AOV) as its primary source of income, according to data from the 2023 population census conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics Curaçao. The figures provide insight into the island’s income structure and underline the growing impact of an ageing population on public finances.
The census shows that almost 24 percent of residents receive the AOV as their main source of income. This makes the AOV the second-largest income source on the island, after wages or income from self-employment.
More than half of the population, just over 57 percent, earns its primary income through paid work or its own business. Another twelve percent rely mainly on benefits from the General Pension Fund of Curaçao or a private pension arrangement.
The prominent role of the AOV is closely linked to demographic developments. Curaçao is experiencing significant population ageing, with nearly 40,000 residents aged 65 or older. This group represents more than a quarter of the island’s total population of just under 160,000 people.
On average, older residents have a monthly income of around 2,500 guilders. The figures highlight the importance of the AOV for income security among seniors, while also pointing to the increasing pressure that demographic trends may place on the sustainability of social security systems in the years ahead.