Curaçao Birth Rate

Curaçao’s birth rate has fallen dramatically over the 65‑year series, slipping from an all‑time peak of 34.73 births per 1,000 people in 1960 to a trough of 6.34 in 2025, the lowest figure among 205 countries and identical to the rates recorded in Belarus and Poland. The steep decline reflects broader demographic transitions common to many small island economies, including rising female labor participation, increased access to family planning, and the outmigration of younger cohorts to Europe and the United States. While the 2025 level is marginally above Spain’s 6.26 and Lithuania’s 6.52, it signals a shift toward an ageing population and potential labor shortages unless offset by immigration or policy incentives for higher fertility. Continued monitoring of socioeconomic variables such as education, income growth, and health‑care access will be crucial, as any concerted effort to improve child‑bearing conditions could modestly reverse the downward trajectory in the coming decades.