2020 Edition

Background

The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on Curaçao from South America in about A.D. 1000 were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. The Dutch seized Curaçao from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curaçao was hard hit economically when the Dutch abolished slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oilfields. In 1954, Curaçao and several other Dutch Caribbean colonies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curaçao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Area

land

444 sq km

total

444 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

Coastline

364 km

Elevation

highest point

Mt. Christoffel 372 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

12 10 N, 69 00 W

Geography - note

Curaçao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2018)

forest

0.2% (2022 est.)

other

99.8% (2022 est.)

Location

Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Natural resources

calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

Population distribution

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Terrain

generally low, hilly terrain

Age structure

0-14 years

19.2% (male 15,069/female 14,337)

15-64 years

62.3% (male 47,258/female 48,217)

65 years and over

18.5% (2024 est.) (male 11,428/female 16,980)

Birth rate

12.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

8.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

29.8 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

3.4 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.6 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

30.8 (2024 est.)

Education expenditure

7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Curacaoan 75.4%, Dutch 6%, Dominican 3.6%, Colombian 3%, Bonairean, Sint Eustatian, Saban 1.5%, Haitian 1.2%, Surinamese 1.2%, Venezuelan 1.1%, Aruban 1.1%, other 5%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.95 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 80%, Dutch (official) 8.8%, Spanish 5.6%, English (official) 3.1%, other 2.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.3 years

male

77.6 years

total population

79.9 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

40.2 years

male

35.5 years

total

38.1 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Curacaoan; Dutch

noun

Curacaoan

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

79,534

male

73,755

total

153,289 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

0.25% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

89% of total population (2023)

Capital

etymology

the name means "William's Town" in Dutch; named after Prince WILLEM of Orange (1533-84), the first stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands

geographic coordinates

12 06 N, 68 55 W

name

Willemstad

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see the Netherlands

Constitution

history

previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 5 September 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Curacao but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Country name

conventional long form

Country of Curacao

conventional short form

Curacao

etymology

the origin of the name is disputed; many historians now agree that the name derives from a similar-sounding word the original inhabitants used to describe themselves

former

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

local long form

Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)

local short form

Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)

Dependency status

one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul General Ramón “Chico” NEGRÓN (since 9 June 2025); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten

email address and website

ACSCuracao@state.gov https://cw.usconsulate.gov/

embassy

P.O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg 1

FAX

[599] (9) 461-6489

mailing address

3160 Curacao Place, Washington DC 20521-3160

telephone

[599] (9) 461-3066

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet sworn-in by the governor

chief of state

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)

election/appointment process

the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the legislature usually elects the leader of the majority party as prime minister

expected date of next election

2029

head of government

Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)

most recent election date

21 March 2025

Flag

description: on a blue field, a horizontal yellow band divides the flag below the center; two five-pointed white stars -- the smaller above and to the left of the larger -- appear in the upper left meaning: the blue stands for the sky and sea, and yellow for the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited sister island of Klein Curacao (Little Curacao); the star points represent the five continents from which Curacao's inhabitants originate

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

International organization participation

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands

judge selection and term of office

Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts

first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

Legal system

based on Dutch civil law

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

2025

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Parliament of Curacao

most recent election date

3/19/2021

number of seats

21 (directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

MFK (9); PAR (4); PNP (4); MAN (2); KEM (1); TPK (1)

percentage of women in chamber

28.6%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to remove colonial references

lyrics/music

Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA

title

"Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)

National color(s)

blue, yellow, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Willemstad

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry

National holiday

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967)

National symbol(s)

laraha (citrus tree)

Political parties

Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT Korsou Esun Miho or KEM Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK Movementu Progresivo or MP Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP Pueblo Soberano or PS Trabou pa Kòrsou or TPK Un Korsou Hustu

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$508.758 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$822.667 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$654.688 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

high-income island economy; developed infrastructure; tourism and financial services-based economy; investing in information technology incentives; oil refineries service Venezuela and China

Exchange rates

Currency

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1.79 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.79 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.79 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.79 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.79 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$1.363 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.046 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$2.107 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, petroleum coke (2023)

Exports - partners

Armenia 57%, USA 15%, Guyana 5%, Dominican Republic 4%, Netherlands 2% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

63.2% (2018 est.)

government consumption

14.5% (2018 est.)

household consumption

73.2% (2018 est.)

imports of goods and services

-92% (2018 est.)

investment in fixed capital

34% (2018 est.)

investment in inventories

7.1% (2018 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.3% (2023 est.)

industry

11.7% (2023 est.)

services

73.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.281 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$1.91 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.891 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$2.764 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 39%, Netherlands 24%, China 6%, Colombia 5%, Brazil 3% (2023)

Industries

tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2.6% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.6% (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.834 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.138 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$4.312 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.2% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

7.9% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2021

$25,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$27,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$27,700 (2023 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

5.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2022 est.)

total

61,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

government-run TeleCuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; 2 other privately owned TV stations and several privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.cw

Internet users

percent of population

68% (2017 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

51,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

94 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

173,926 (2023 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PJ

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51

total

57 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Bullenbaai, Caracasbaai, Sint Michelsbaai, Willemstad

large

0

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; local security forces are supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)); there are two Dutch naval bases on Curaçao, and the Dutch Army maintains a small unit on a rotational basis (2025)

Military and security forces

Curaçao Militia (CURMIL); Curaçao Volunteer Corps; Curacao Police Force (Korps Politie Curacao) (2025)

Environmental issues

waste management, including pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations; damage from neglect and a lack of controls at major refinery

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

24,700 tons (2024 est.)