2024 Edition Primary

Background

The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on Curacao 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 Curacao from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao 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, Curacao 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 Curacao 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, DC

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

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land use

agricultural land

10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2018)

other

90% (2018 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

12.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.4

potential support ratio

4.7 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

47

youth dependency ratio

25.6

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 100% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017)

Education expenditures

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

0.96 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

note

note: data represent most spoken language in household

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

37.8 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Curacaoan; Dutch

noun

Curacaoan

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

79,534 (2024 est.)

male

73,755

total

153,289

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.28% (2024 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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

18 years (2013)

male

18 years

total

17 years

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

1.96 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

89% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

note

note: Curacao is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Aruba, and Sint Maarten

Capital

etymology

named after Prince WILLIAM II of Orange (1626-1650), who served as stadtholder (Dutch head of state) from 1647 to 1650, shortly after the the Dutch captured Curacao from the Spanish in 1634

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); note - in October 2010, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Country name

conventional long form

Country of Curacao

conventional short form

Curacao

etymology

the most plausible name derivation is that the island was designated Isla de la Curacion (Spanish meaning "Island of the Cure" or "Island of Healing") or Ilha da Curacao (Portuguese meaning the same) to reflect the locale's function as a recovery stop for sick crewmen

former

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

local long form

Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)

local short form

Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)

Dependency status

constituent country within 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 Margy BOND (since 20 January 2022); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten

email address and website

ACSCuracao@state.govhttps://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)

elections/appointments

the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by the Parliament of Curacao; election last held on 19 March 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

head of government

Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)

Flag description

on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive

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

description

unicameral Parliament of Curacao (21 seats; members directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MFK 27.8%, PAR 13.9%, PNP 12.5%, MAN 6.4%, KEM 5.4%, TPK 5.2%; seats by party - MFK 9, PAR 4, PNP 4, MAN 2, KEM 1, TPK 1; composition - men 15, women 6, percent of women 28.6%

elections

last held on 19 March 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)

note

note: adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to make them less colonial in nature

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); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

National symbol(s)

laraha (citrus tree); national colors: blue, yellow, white

Political parties

Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnTKorsou Esun Miho or KEMMovementu Futuro Korsou or MFKMovementu Progresivo or MPMovishon Antia Nobo or MANPartido Antia Restruktura or PARPartido Inovashon Nashonal or PINPartido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNPPueblo Soberano or PSTrabou pa Kòrsou or TPKUn Korsou Hustu

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$688.805 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$507.018 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$877.284 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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; unique COVID-19 stimulus support applied to government debts rather than household support

Exchange rates

Currency

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.79 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$1.014 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$1.373 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.049 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, petroleum coke, fish, coal tar oil, scrap iron (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 17%, Costa Rica 16%, India 9%, Netherlands 7%, Guatemala 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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% (2018 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.3% (2022 est.)

industry

11.2% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

73.4% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.074 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2020

$1.709 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$1.919 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.904 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, garments, integrated circuits, packaged medicine (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 35%, Netherlands 22%, China 7%, Ecuador 5%, Philippines 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.59% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2.58% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.62% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$3.68 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.834 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.137 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-18.04% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.2% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

7.9% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$23,700 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$25,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$27,600 (2022 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

5.22% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

5.18% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

5.16% of GDP (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

47.1%

male

38.1%

total

42.2% (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

34 (2020 est.)

total

55,000 (2020 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

68.1% (2021 est.)

total

111,956 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

roughly 28 per 100 users for fixed-line and 88 per 100 users for cellular-mobile (2021)

general assessment

fully automatic modern telecommunications system; telecom sector across the Caribbean region continues to be one of the growth areas; given the lack of economic diversity in the region, with a high dependence on tourism and activities such as fisheries and offshore financial services the telecom sector contributes greatly to the GDP (2020)

international

country code - +599, PCCS submarine cable system to US, Caribbean and Central and South America (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

28 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

53,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

88 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

168,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

1 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PJ

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51

total

57 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

11

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Bullenbaai, Caracasbaai, Sint Michelsbaai, Willemstad

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

1

Roadways

total

550 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Curacao Militia (CURMIL); Police Department for local law enforcement, 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))  (2024)

Illicit drugs

northbound transshipment points for cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela; cocaine is transported to the United States, other Caribbean islands, Africa, and Europe

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

14,000 (Venezuela) (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Curaçao does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Curaçao was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/curacao/

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5.39 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

problems in waste management that threaten environmental sustainability on the island include pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents and agricultural runoff, the mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations; the refinery in Sint Anna Bay, at the eastern edge of Willemstad’s large natural harbor, processes heavy crude oil from Venezuela; it has caused significant environmental damage to the surrounding area because of neglect and a lack of strict environmental controls; the release of noxious fumes and potentially hazardous particles causes schools downwind to regularly close

Land use

agricultural land

10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2018)

other

90% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

NA

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

89% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

24,704 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

494 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

2% (2013 est.)