Sharp decline in informal caregivers puts Curaçao’s healthcare system under pressure

WILLEMSTAD — The number of Curaçao residents providing unpaid care at least once a week has fallen sharply. In 2017, more than 20% of adults reported regularly caring for relatives, friends or acquaintances. By 2025, that figure had dropped to just 7.4%.

The figures come from the health results of the CBS Enkuesta Sosial 2025.

Women remain more likely to provide informal care than men, at 8.4% compared with 6.1%. The largest group of caregivers is between 45 and 64 years old, with nearly 11% providing weekly assistance.

The decline is also notable among younger people. In 2017, those aged 18 to 24 were the second-largest group of informal caregivers. By 2025, they had become the smallest, at just 2.6%.

CBS does not identify a direct cause for the decline but warns that rising healthcare costs, changing patterns of care and fewer informal caregivers could place additional pressure on Curaçao’s healthcare system.

That concern is particularly significant because more than half of Curaçao’s population is now aged 45 or older.