Inflation down on Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

18/10/2023 15:30

In Q3 2023, consumer goods and services on Bonaire were 1.9 percent more expensive than one year previously. Inflation stood at 4.6 percent in the previous quarter. On St Eustatius, prices decreased by 1.1 percent year on year in Q3, while they increased by 3.3 percent in Q2. On Saba, inflation amounted to 2.8 percent in Q3, down from 5.2 percent in the previous quarter. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of the Caribbean Netherlands’ consumer price index.

Inflation Caribbean Netherlands
Jaar	Maand	Bonaire (year-on-year % change in the CPI)	St Eustatius (year-on-year % change in the CPI)	Saba (year-on-year % change in the CPI)
2015	Q1	-0.6	-1.1	1.5
2015	Q2	-0.9	-1.7	0.9
2015	Q3	-0.9	-0.5	-0.4
2015	Q4	-1.2	-0.7	-0.1
2016	Q1	0.5	0.4	0.3
2016	Q2	0.4	-0.1	0.0
2016	Q3	0.6	-0.9	0.2
2016	Q4	0.5	0.2	-0.3
2017	Q1	0.1	1.1	-1.0
2017	Q2	0.4	2.6	-1.0
2017	Q3	0.6	2.1	-1.3
2017	Q4	1.2	1.8	2.5
2018	Q1	3.9	2.0	2.9
2018	Q2	3.0	1.2	3.2
2018	Q3	3.5	1.1	4.4
2018	Q4	3.4	1.1	0.0
2019	Q1	0.7	0.7	0.6
2019	Q2	1.1	0.4	0.5
2019	Q3	1.2	0.7	0.3
2019	Q4	2.2	1.0	0.8
2020	Q1	1.0	1.2	0.4
2020	Q2	-1.0	-0.8	-0.8
2020	Q3	-4.8	-3.3	-1.6
2020	Q4	-5.2	-3.2	-0.8
2021	Q1	-3.2	-4.1	-1.3
2021	Q2	0.3	-1.2	1.0
2021	Q3	4.3	2.4	3.2
2021	Q4	5.7	2.7	4.0
2022	Q1	9.2	4.9	6.7
2022	Q2	9.4	7.7	8.2
2022	Q3	12.2	9.0	9.7
2022	Q4	8.1	9.1	9.7
2023	Q1	4.5	8.0	7.0
2023	Q2	4.6	3.3	5.2
2023	Q3	1.9	-1.1	2.8

Inflation Caribbean Netherlands
Jaar	Maand	Bonaire (year-on-year % change in the CPI)	St Eustatius (year-on-year % change in the CPI)	Saba (year-on-year % change in the CPI)
2015	Q1	-0.6	-1.1	1.5
2015	Q2	-0.9	-1.7	0.9
2015	Q3	-0.9	-0.5	-0.4
2015	Q4	-1.2	-0.7	-0.1
2016	Q1	0.5	0.4	0.3
2016	Q2	0.4	-0.1	0.0
2016	Q3	0.6	-0.9	0.2
2016	Q4	0.5	0.2	-0.3
2017	Q1	0.1	1.1	-1.0
2017	Q2	0.4	2.6	-1.0
2017	Q3	0.6	2.1	-1.3
2017	Q4	1.2	1.8	2.5
2018	Q1	3.9	2.0	2.9
2018	Q2	3.0	1.2	3.2
2018	Q3	3.5	1.1	4.4
2018	Q4	3.4	1.1	0.0
2019	Q1	0.7	0.7	0.6
2019	Q2	1.1	0.4	0.5
2019	Q3	1.2	0.7	0.3
2019	Q4	2.2	1.0	0.8
2020	Q1	1.0	1.2	0.4
2020	Q2	-1.0	-0.8	-0.8
2020	Q3	-4.8	-3.3	-1.6
2020	Q4	-5.2	-3.2	-0.8
2021	Q1	-3.2	-4.1	-1.3
2021	Q2	0.3	-1.2	1.0
2021	Q3	4.3	2.4	3.2
2021	Q4	5.7	2.7	4.0
2022	Q1	9.2	4.9	6.7
2022	Q2	9.4	7.7	8.2
2022	Q3	12.2	9.0	9.7
2022	Q4	8.1	9.1	9.7
2023	Q1	4.5	8.0	7.0
2023	Q2	4.6	3.3	5.2
2023	Q3	1.9	-1.1	2.8

Prices on Bonaire 1.0 percent up on the previous quarter

Relative to Q2 2023, prices on Bonaire rose by 1.0 percent in Q3. Transport was the main cause for this rise; airline ticket prices went up by 15.0 percent relative to the previous quarter. In addition, prices of clothing and footwear increased by 2.8 percent. Food prices rose by 1.0 percent in Q3 relative to the previous quarter.

The rise in the third quarter was slowed down by the cost of energy, which fell by 14.2 percent relative to the previous quarter due to a reduction in the variable energy tariff as of 1 July.

Prices on St Eustatius 1.6 percent lower than in the previous quarter

Consumer prices on St Eustatius fell by 1.6 percent in Q3 2023 relative to the previous quarter. The decrease was mainly caused by lower energy prices. Just as on Bonaire, the variable energy tariff was lowered here as of 1 July. Transport became cheaper as well, with airline ticket prices falling by 3.9 percent. Petrol was 7.6 percent cheaper, while the price of diesel dropped by 20.0 percent relative to the previous quarter.

The price development of clothing and footwear had an upward effect; these products increased in price by 9.4 percent.

Saba recorded 0.8-percent price increase relative to Q2

In Q3 2023, consumers on Saba paid on average 0.8 percent more for goods and services than in the previous quarter. Prices of clothing and footwear rose by 6.5 percent and airline ticket prices by 7.3 percent. Home maintenance products fell in price by 6.0 percent on the previous quarter. Furthermore, the price of electricity was down by 8.0 percent, also due to a reduction in the variable tariff.

Consumer price index (CPI) Caribbean Netherlands
Jaar	Kwartaal	Bonaire (2017=100)	St Eustatius (2017=100)	Saba (2017=100)
2015	Q1	98.8	97.6	100.1
2015	Q2	98.9	97.7	100.6
2015	Q3	99.1	99.2	100.0
2015	Q4	98.8	98.4	100.1
2016	Q1	99.4	98.0	100.4
2016	Q2	99.3	97.6	100.6
2016	Q3	99.7	98.3	100.2
2016	Q4	99.3	98.7	99.8
2017	Q1	99.5	99.0	99.4
2017	Q2	99.8	100.1	99.6
2017	Q3	100.4	100.4	98.9
2017	Q4	100.4	100.5	102.1
2018	Q1	103.3	101.0	102.3
2018	Q2	102.8	101.4	102.8
2018	Q3	103.9	101.5	103.3
2018	Q4	103.8	101.6	102.2
2019	Q1	104.0	101.8	102.9
2019	Q2	103.9	101.8	103.2
2019	Q3	105.1	102.2	103.6
2019	Q4	106.1	102.6	103.0
2020	Q1	105.0	103.0	103.3
2020	Q2	102.9	100.9	102.4
2020	Q3	100.1	98.8	101.9
2020	Q4	100.6	99.3	102.2
2021	Q1	101.6	98.7	102.0
2021	Q2	103.3	99.6	103.5
2021	Q3	104.4	101.2	105.2
2021	Q4	106.3	102.0	106.2
2022	Q1	111.0	103.6	108.8
2022	Q2	112.9	107.3	111.9
2022	Q3	117.2	110.3	115.5
2022	Q4	115.0	111.3	116.5
2023	Q1	116.0	111.8	116.5
2023	Q2	118.2	110.9	117.7
2023	Q3	119.4	109.1	118.7

Consumer price index (CPI) Caribbean Netherlands
Jaar	Kwartaal	Bonaire (2017=100)	St Eustatius (2017=100)	Saba (2017=100)
2015	Q1	98.8	97.6	100.1
2015	Q2	98.9	97.7	100.6
2015	Q3	99.1	99.2	100.0
2015	Q4	98.8	98.4	100.1
2016	Q1	99.4	98.0	100.4
2016	Q2	99.3	97.6	100.6
2016	Q3	99.7	98.3	100.2
2016	Q4	99.3	98.7	99.8
2017	Q1	99.5	99.0	99.4
2017	Q2	99.8	100.1	99.6
2017	Q3	100.4	100.4	98.9
2017	Q4	100.4	100.5	102.1
2018	Q1	103.3	101.0	102.3
2018	Q2	102.8	101.4	102.8
2018	Q3	103.9	101.5	103.3
2018	Q4	103.8	101.6	102.2
2019	Q1	104.0	101.8	102.9
2019	Q2	103.9	101.8	103.2
2019	Q3	105.1	102.2	103.6
2019	Q4	106.1	102.6	103.0
2020	Q1	105.0	103.0	103.3
2020	Q2	102.9	100.9	102.4
2020	Q3	100.1	98.8	101.9
2020	Q4	100.6	99.3	102.2
2021	Q1	101.6	98.7	102.0
2021	Q2	103.3	99.6	103.5
2021	Q3	104.4	101.2	105.2
2021	Q4	106.3	102.0	106.2
2022	Q1	111.0	103.6	108.8
2022	Q2	112.9	107.3	111.9
2022	Q3	117.2	110.3	115.5
2022	Q4	115.0	111.3	116.5
2023	Q1	116.0	111.8	116.5
2023	Q2	118.2	110.9	117.7
2023	Q3	119.4	109.1	118.7

Provisional figures

Figures referring to Q3 2023 are provisional and will be definitive upon publication of the figures over Q4 2023.

Papiamentu

A Papiamentu translation of this news release can be obtained from Statistics Netherlands’ office on Bonaire by sending a request via email to: caribischnederland@cbs.nl

Sources

StatLine - Caribbean Netherlands; consumer price index (CPI)