CapitalWillemstad
Population153,289
Area444 km²
GDP per capita$27,700
LanguagesPapiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English, other, unspecified
CurrencyNetherlands Antillean guilders
Life Expectancy79.9 yr
Governmentparliamentary democracy
Introduction
Background
The first Arawak Indian inhabitants who came to Curaçao from South America around A.D. 1000 were primarily subjected to enslavement by the Spanish during the early 16th century and were forcibly moved to other colonies where their labor was required. The Dutch took control of Curaçao from the Spanish in 1634. Once a pivotal hub for the Caribbean slave trade, Curaçao faced significant economic challenges when the Dutch abolished slavery in 1863. Its economic vitality (along with that of Aruba) was rejuvenated in the early 20th century with the establishment of the Isla Refineria to cater to the newly uncovered Venezuelan oil reserves. In 1954, Curaçao and several other Dutch Caribbean territories were restructured to form the Netherlands Antilles, which became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referendums held in 2005 and 2009, the residents of Curaçao opted to attain self-governance as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This change in status was implemented in 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Geography
Area
land
444 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
444 sq km
Climate
The tropical marine climate, influenced by the northeast trade winds, leads to temperate conditions; it is characterized as semiarid with an annual precipitation of 60 cm.
Terrain
The landscape is predominantly low and hilly.
Land use
other
99.8% (2022 est.)
forest
0.2% (2022 est.)
agricultural land
0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 10% (2018)
Location
Located in the Caribbean Sea, this island is situated 55 km from the coast of Venezuela.
Coastline
364 km
Elevation
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Mt. Christoffel 372 m
Irrigated land
NA
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
Curacao lies south of the Caribbean hurricane zone, making it infrequently at risk of hurricanes.
Geography - note
Curaçao belongs to the southern group of the Windward Islands within the Lesser Antilles.
Natural resources
The island is noted for its calcium phosphates, sheltered harbors, and geothermal hot springs.
Area - comparative
It is over twice the area of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
12 10 N, 69 00 W
Population distribution
Willemstad hosts the largest population concentration on the island, while smaller coastal communities are scattered throughout, especially in the northwest.
People & Society
Languages
Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 80%, Dutch (official) 8.8%, Spanish 5.6%, English (official) 3.1%, other 2.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 estimate)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.98 male(s)/female
total population
0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.67 male(s)/female
Birth rate
12.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
8.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
35.5 years
total
38.1 years (2025 est.)
female
40.2 years
Population
male
73,755
total
153,289 (2024 est.)
female
79,534
Nationality
noun
Curacaoan
adjective
Curacaoan; Dutch
Urbanization
urban population
89% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
19.2% (male 15,069/female 14,337)
15-64 years
62.3% (male 47,258/female 48,217)
65 years and over
18.5% (2024 est.) (male 11,428/female 16,980)
Ethnic groups
Curacaoan 75.4%, Dutch 6%, Dominican 3.6%, Colombian 3%, Bonairean, Sint Eustatian, Saban 1.5%, Haitian 1.2%, Surinamese 1.2%, Venezuelan 1.1%, Aruban 1.1%, other 5%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
60.6 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio
30.8 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio
3.4 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
29.8 (2024 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
total
7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
6.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
0.25% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.95 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
the most significant population is located in Willemstad; additional smaller communities are dispersed along the coastline, especially in the northwest region of the island
Life expectancy at birth
male
77.6 years
female
82.3 years
total population
79.9 years (2024 est.)
Major urban areas - population
144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)
Environment
Climate
The tropical marine climate, influenced by northeast trade winds, leads to temperate weather conditions; it is semiarid, receiving an average annual precipitation of 60 cm.
Land use
other
99.8% (2022 est.)
forest
0.2% (2022 est.)
agricultural land
0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 10% (2018)
Urbanization
urban population
89% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
24,700 tons (2024 est.)
Environmental issues
Issues related to waste management encompass the pollution of marine environments due to household sewage, insufficient sewage treatment infrastructure, industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, poor handling of hazardous materials, and weak regulatory frameworks; harm caused by neglect and insufficient oversight at significant refineries.
Government
Flag
description: on a blue background, a horizontal yellow stripe is positioned below the center of the flag; in the upper left corner, two white five-pointed stars are displayed -- the smaller one is situated above and to the left of the larger star
meaning: the blue symbolizes the sky and the sea, while yellow represents the sun; the stars denote Curacao and its uninhabited neighboring island, Klein Curacao (Little Curacao); the points of the stars signify the five continents from which the people of Curacao originate.
Capital
name
Willemstad
etymology
the name translates to "William's Town" in Dutch; it is named in honor of Prince WILLEM of Orange (1533-84), who was the first stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands
time difference
UTC-4 (one hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
12 06 N, 68 55 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
see the Netherlands
Constitution
history
previously adopted in 1947 and 1955; the most recent version was adopted on 5 September 2010, coming into effect on 10 October 2010 (this document governs Curacao's administration but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Country name
former
Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
etymology
the etymology of the name is contested; however, a consensus among historians suggests it stems from a word with a similar pronunciation used by the island's indigenous people to refer to themselves
local long form
Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)
local short form
Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)
conventional long form
Country of Curacao
conventional short form
Curacao
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Legal system
founded on Dutch civil law
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, commonly referred to as the "Joint Court of Justice" (functions with a panel of three judges); final appeals are addressed by the Supreme Court located in The Hague, Netherlands
subordinate courts
first instance courts, appellate court; specialized courts
judge selection and term of office
Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet sworn-in by the governor
chief of state
King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)
head of government
Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)
most recent election date
21 March 2025
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; typically, following legislative elections, the legislature elects the leader of the majority party to serve as prime minister
expected date of next election
2029
National holiday
King's Day (the birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), celebrated on 27 April (1967)
Dependency status
one of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; granted full autonomy in internal matters in 2010; the Dutch government oversees defense and foreign relations
National color(s)
blue, yellow, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry
selected World Heritage Site locales
Historic Willemstad
Political parties
Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT
Korsou Esun Miho or KEM
Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK
Movementu Progresivo or MP
Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN
Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR
Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN
Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP
Pueblo Soberano or PS
Trabou pa Kòrsou or TPK
Un Korsou Hustu
Legislative branch
term in office
4 years
number of seats
21 (directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Parliament of Curacao
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
3/19/2021
expected date of next election
2025
percentage of women in chamber
28.6%
parties elected and seats per party
MFK (9); PAR (4); PNP (4); MAN (2); KEM (1); TPK (1)
National anthem(s)
title
"Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)
history
adapted in 1978; the original lyrics, composed in 1899, were revised in 1978 to eliminate references to colonialism
lyrics/music
Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA
National symbol(s)
laraha (citrus tree)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[599] (9) 461-6489
embassy
P.O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg 1
telephone
[599] (9) 461-3066
mailing address
3160 Curacao Place, Washington DC 20521-3160
chief of mission
Consul General Ramón “Chico” NEGRÓN (since 9 June 2025); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten
email address and website
[email protected]
https://cw.usconsulate.gov/
International organization participation
ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Economy
Exports
Exports 2021
$1.363 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022
$2.046 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023
$2.107 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
Imports 2021
$1.91 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022
$2.891 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023
$2.764 billion (2023 est.)
Industries
tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services
Remittances
Remittances 2021
5.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022
5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023
5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange rates
Currency
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020
1.79 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021
1.79 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022
1.79 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023
1.79 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024
1.79 (2024 est.)
Economic overview
high-income island economy; advanced infrastructure; economy based on tourism and financial services; investing in incentives for information technology; oil refineries cater to Venezuela and China
Exports - partners
Armenia 57%, USA 15%, Guyana 5%, Dominican Republic 4%, Netherlands 2% (2023)
Imports - partners
USA 39%, Netherlands 24%, China 6%, Colombia 5%, Brazil 3% (2023)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2021
$25,200 (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022
$27,600 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023
$27,700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2021
4.2% (2021 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022
7.9% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
4.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products
aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Exports - commodities
diamonds, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, petroleum coke (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2021
-$508.758 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022
-$822.667 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$654.688 million (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.281 billion (2023 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
73.2% (2018 est.)
government consumption
14.5% (2018 est.)
investment in inventories
7.1% (2018 est.)
investment in fixed capital
34% (2018 est.)
exports of goods and services
63.2% (2018 est.)
imports of goods and services
-92% (2018 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
1.6% (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
2.6% (2018 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
2.6% (2019 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$3.834 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$4.138 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$4.312 billion (2023 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry
11.7% (2023 est.)
services
73.3% (2023 est.)
agriculture
0.3% (2023 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Communications
Internet users
percent of population
68% (2017 est.)
Broadcast media
The TeleCuracao, operated by the government, manages a television station along with a radio station; in addition, there are two privately owned television stations and multiple privately owned radio stations as of 2019.
Internet country code
.cw
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions
51,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
27 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions
173,926 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
94 (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total
61,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
33 (2022 est.)
Transportation
Ports
large
0
small
1
medium
2
key ports
Bullenbaai, Caracasbaai, Sint Michelsbaai, Willemstad
very small
1
total ports
4 (2024)
ports with oil terminals
3
Airports
1 (2025)
Merchant marine
total
57 (2023)
by type
general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
PJ
Military & Security
Military - note
The defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a designated responsibility; the Dutch Government oversees both foreign and defense strategies. Local security personnel receive assistance from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)). Curaçao hosts two Dutch naval bases, and a small contingent of the Dutch Army is stationed on a rotational basis (2025).
Military and security forces
Curaçao Militia (CURMIL); Curaçao Volunteer Corps; Curacao Police Force (Korps Politie Curacao) (2025)
