WILLEMSTAD – Younger generations in Curaçao are generally reaching higher levels of education than older residents, according to new figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The first education results show a clear generational shift, with vocational and higher education more strongly represented among people between the ages of 25 and 44.
The figures form part of a broader CBS examination of the educational situation of Curaçao’s population aged 15 and older. The data presented at this stage focus on the highest level of education attended, regardless of whether the person actually completed the program.
According to CBS, older generations, particularly people aged 65 and over, are more likely to have primary or foundational education or Mavo as their highest level of education attended. Among younger and middle-aged residents, SBO vocational education and higher education are considerably more common.
The difference is particularly visible in the 25-to-44 age group.
Among residents between 25 and 34, 33.3 percent reported SBO levels 2 through 4 as their highest education attended. Among those aged 35 to 44, the figure was 28.6 percent.
SBO 2-4 is also strongly represented among Curaçao residents between 15 and 24, at 29.5 percent.
Higher education shows another clear generational pattern. The largest share of people who attended a bachelor's program is found among residents aged 35 to 44, at 20.2 percent.
They are followed by those aged 45 to 54, at 16.1 percent, and the 25-to-34 age group, at 14.6 percent.
Bachelor-level education is less common among the older groups. Among people aged 55 to 64, 11.1 percent reported a bachelor's program as their highest level attended, compared with 10.5 percent among those aged 65 and older.
A somewhat different picture emerges for master's programs.
The highest proportion is found among residents aged 45 to 54, of whom 11.5 percent reported a master's program as their highest level of education attended. The figure stands at 10.2 percent among 35-to-44-year-olds and 7.7 percent among those aged 55 to 64.
Among residents between 25 and 34, 7 percent had attended education at the master's level, while the percentage falls to 3.8 percent among people aged 65 and older.
The relatively low proportion of higher education among the youngest category, those between 15 and 24, should be interpreted carefully. CBS points out that many people in this age group are still studying and therefore have not yet progressed to the highest level of education they may eventually reach.
The figures consequently provide an indication of educational participation across generations rather than the percentage of Curaçao residents who actually hold particular diplomas.
CBS emphasized that the current measurement concerns the highest level of education a person has attended, whether completed or not. A later, more extensive publication will examine the relationship between the highest level attended and the highest level successfully completed.
The education survey also collected information about fields of study, where residents studied and the reasons some chose to pursue their education abroad. CBS said those results will be analyzed in a future publication.
The initial findings nevertheless point to a significant long-term change in Curaçao's educational profile, with vocational and university-level education becoming increasingly prominent among younger generations.