In 2015, the local old age insurance benefit (Algemene Ouderdomsverzekering, AOV) on St Eustatius was raised by 3.4 percent, from 8,047 US dollars in 2014 to 8,320 US dollars in 2015. At the same time, prices dropped by 1 percent. The increase in real terms was therefore 4.4 percent, nearly equivalent to the median improvement in purchasing power for Statian households who depend on social benefits, as well as for those with a main breadwinner aged 60 or over. For these AOV benefit recipients, the real increase in purchasing power can almost entirely be attributed to the rise in their benefit entitlements.
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