Over 8 in 10 school students plan to leave the Caribbean Netherlands

Young people are sitting on a rock, gazing into the distance.
© CBS
Over 80 percent of school students in the Caribbean Netherlands want to live somewhere else after they finish secondary education. Exploring the world, studying abroad or working elsewhere are the reasons that were mentioned the most often. Around a quarter of school students do not enjoy life on the islands. On Bonaire in particular, the number of young people has been falling since 2011 - and this trend is likely to continue over the next decade. This is according to a survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which resulted in the 2025 edition of The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers.

In 2024, 91 percent of students on Saba and St Eustatius aged under 18 in secondary (vocational) education said they want to leave the island and live elsewhere. On Bonaire, the share was 81 percent. A total of 56 percent of school students on Bonaire who plan to leave the island said they want to travel and explore other countries. On Saba, the share was nearly 60 percent and on St Eustatius it was 45 percent.

Over 40 percent of school students on Bonaire want to continue their education elsewhere

Among school students on Bonaire aged under 18 in secondary education, 42 percent want to continue their education, but this will mean leaving the island. Among students on Saba and St Eustatius, the percentage was 53 percent and 48 percent, respectively. The majority of the students who intend to remain on the islands want to find a job or start their own business. A minority indicate that they do not know yet.

Compared to 2020, students on Bonaire were more likely to indicate that they want to work or start their own business there. On Saba, students were slightly less likely than in 2020 to want to start their own business and were more likely not to have any future plans yet.

Most students say they receive good advice about their future plans

Making plans for the future and moving to another country are major decisions, and good advice can help young people to make the right choices. In 2024, 79 percent of students on Bonaire agreed with the statement ‘I have received good advice about making plans for my future’. The percentages for Saba and St Eustatius were almost the same. On all three islands, 5 percent or less disagreed with the statement.

The number of young people is declining, particularly on Bonaire

The share of young people in the Caribbean Netherlands is on a general downward trend. In 2011, a quarter of Bonaire’s population was aged under 20, while in 2025 this was 21 percent. According to the latest population forecast, only 18 percent of the population will be aged under 20 in 2035.

On St Eustatius, the proportion of young people in the total population is declining less rapidly. In 2011, a quarter of the population was aged under 20, and this share is expected to be slightly lower in 2035 (23 percent).

On Saba, 21 percent of the population was aged under 20 in 2011. That is expected to be 17 percent in 2035.

Special publication for the fifteenth anniversary of the Caribbean Netherlands

The Caribbean Netherlands in Numbers is published every year and includes figures, photos, infographics and the stories behind them. It provides an overview of the latest developments in the Caribbean Netherlands, and this special edition focuses specifically on longer-term trends. What has changed on the islands since they became special municipalities of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010?

Sources