Population
185k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
Curaçao
All indicators of the Macroscope base for Curaçao, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
GDP per capita, PPP
28,762
constant 2021 international $, 2024
What the data shows
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): 4.98 in 1950 → 1.07 in 2023 (−78%). Peak: 5.19 in 1958; the latest value is 79% lower. Thresholds: below 2.1 since 2013, below 1.5 since 2017. The trend broke around 1961 and 1974: +0.01 → −0.19 → −0.02 a year.
- Births: 3.76k in 1950 → 1.39k in 2023 (−63%). Peak: 4.59k in 1960; the latest value is 70% lower. The trend broke around 1961 and 1971: +0.08k → −0.1k → −0.04k a year.
- Population: 102k in 1950 → 185k in 2023 (+82%). The trend broke around 1972 and 2006: +2.45k → −0.28k → +2.35k a year.
- Internet: 61.9% in 2016 → 68.1% in 2017 (+6.3 pp).
- Urban share: 75.2% in 1960 → 91.5% in 2025 (+16 pp). The trend broke around 1991 and 2000: +0.28 → +0.75 → +0.02 a year.
- GDP per person (PPP): 34,307 PPP dollars in 2000 → 28,762 PPP dollars in 2024 (−16%). Peak: 35,436 PPP dollars in 2002; the latest value is 19% lower.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1962–1972: 4.93 → 2.99. Over the same years: births 4.54k → 3.5k; population 137k → 153k; urban share 76.1% → 79.3%; no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 2.10 → 1.07; births 2.19k → 1.39k; population 163k → 185k; urban share 91.3% → 91.4%; GDP per person (PPP) 31,753 PPP dollars → 27,618 PPP dollars; no data for the others in those years.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.81); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.28). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
- Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (2000–2023, 24 years): levels are strongly related, in the same direction (r = 0.92); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.19). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in none; median gap −28%.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.22 (+14% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.38 (+29% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.88.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in none; median gap −19%.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.17k (−16% vs 2023), 2100 — 0.74k (−47% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.23k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 5 revisions (2012–2022) and above in 4; median gap +11%.
- The UN 2015 projection expected today's level (185k, 2023) only around 2046: reality is 23 years ahead of it.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 174k (−6% vs 2023), 2100 — 121k (−35% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 81.8k.
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 | 174k | 185k | +6.4% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 167k | 185k | +10.8% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 166k | 185k | +11.4% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 166k | 185k | +11.5% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 192k | 185k | −3.5% |
Births
births per year
- 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 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 1.94k | 1.66k | −14.4% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 2.12k | 1.66k | −21.6% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 2.01k | 1.66k | −17% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 2.2k | 1.39k | −36.5% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- 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 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 1.88 | 1.46 | −22.1% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 2.05 | 1.46 | −28.7% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 2.02 | 1.46 | −27.5% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 1.64 | 1.07 | −34.6% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
1.39k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
1.07 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
80.8 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
72.5 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
38.2 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
30 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
104.7 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
0.52k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
23.9 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
68.1 % of population latest value, 2017
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
93.8 per 100 people latest value, 2023
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
31.5 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2023
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
GDP per capita, PPP
28,762 constant 2021 international $ latest value, 2024
Gross domestic product per person at purchasing power parity, constant 2021 international dollars (World Bank, ICP).
Society
Urban population
91.5 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Tertiary enrolment, women
32.5 % gross latest value, 2013
Women enrolled in tertiary education as a share of women in the five-year age group after secondary school; can exceed 100 (UNESCO).
Women with upper secondary education
53.2 % of women 25+ latest value, 2020
Share of women aged 25+ who completed at least upper secondary education (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
77 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
Same region: Latin America and the Caribbean
AnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArubaBahamasBarbadosBelizeBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsCayman IslandsChileColombiaCosta RicaCubaDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorFalkland IslandsFrench GuianaGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMartiniqueMexicoMontserratNicaraguaPanamaParaguayPeruPuerto RicoSaint BarthélemySaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French)Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSint Maarten (Dutch)SurinameTrinidad and TobagoTurks and Caicos IslandsUS Virgin IslandsUruguayVenezuela