All indicators of the Macroscope base for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
Fertility (TFR): 5.71 in 1950 → 1.47 in 2023 (−74%). Low: 1.32 in 2015; +12% since then. Thresholds: below 2.1 since 1998, below 1.5 since 2023. The trend broke around 1964 and 1970: −0.09 → −0.25 → −0.03 a year.
Births: 0.23k in 1950 → 0.28k in 2023 (+22%). Low: 0.17k in 2002; +62% since then. The trend broke around 1993 and 2002: 0k → −0.01k → +0.01k a year.
Population: 7k in 1950 → 29.9k in 2023 (×4.3). The trend broke around 2002: change sped up (+0.16k → +0.76k a year).
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1962–1972: 4.74 → 2.96. Over the same years: births 0.22k → 0.21k; population 8.1k → 10.4k.
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.64 → 1.47; births 0.26k → 0.28k; population 23.8k → 29.9k.
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in none; median gap −11%.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.49 (+1% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.56 (+6% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.06.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in none; median gap −1.1%.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 0.29k (+4% vs 2023), 2100 — 0.21k (−24% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.08k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 5 revisions (2012–2022) and above in 5; median gap +11%.
The UN 2015 projection expected today's level (29.9k, 2023) only around 2049: reality is 26 years ahead of it.
The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (29.9k, 2023) only around 2054: reality is 31 years ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 34.7k (+16% vs 2023), 2100 — 27.9k (−7% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 19.2k.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
Actual
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 2012
2023
11 years
22k
29.9k
+35.7%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
27.1k
29.9k
+10.4%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
26.8k
29.9k
+11.5%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
26.8k
29.9k
+11.4%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
27.1k
29.9k
+10.1%
Births
births per year
Actual
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 2022
2023
1 year
0.28k
0.28k
−1.1%
Total fertility rate
children per woman
Actual
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.65
1.47
−10.7%
All indicators
Demography
Population
29.9k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.