One of the most consequential findings of the 2023 Census has received surprisingly little public attention: Curaçao’s working-age population is no longer growing. In fact, it is shrinking, and it has been doing so quietly for more than a decade.
Between 2011 and 2023, the number of residents aged 15 to 59 declined by approximately 10 percent. This contraction occurred despite overall population growth, meaning that demographic expansion is now driven almost entirely by older age groups and migration.
