WILLEMSTAD – Nearly two-thirds of Curaçao's population aged five and older did not participate in any sport during the past year, according to the CBS Social Survey 2025.
The report found that only 36.1% of residents took part in sports or other physical activities during the previous 12 months, while 63.9% reported no sports participation at all.
Walking emerged as the island's most popular physical activity, with 11.5% of respondents identifying it as their primary sport.
Fitness and Zumba followed at 6.3%, swimming at 5.5%, field football at 4.0%, and gymnastics at 3.2%. Together, these five activities account for more than three-quarters of all sports participation among active residents.
Other activities, including baseball, softball, cycling, padel, tennis, boxing and athletics, attracted relatively small numbers of participants.
According to the CBS, organized team sports generally recorded lower participation rates than individual activities, possibly because they require scheduled training sessions, organized competitions and greater logistical commitment.
The report notes that sports participation was measured among all household members aged five years and older.
The findings provide policymakers and health officials with valuable information about physical activity levels across Curaçao, particularly as lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease continue to pose significant public health challenges.
The survey suggests that encouraging greater participation in recreational walking and other accessible forms of exercise could be an effective strategy for improving public health while requiring relatively limited infrastructure investment.