Curaçao population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Caribbean
185,440 people in 2026 (projected). Curaçao’s pyramid combines a sharp fall in births since 2010 with a male-heavy bulge at ages 25–34, where there are about 120 men per 100 women.
- 2026 population
- 185.4Krank 190 of 237
- Median age
- 39.0 yearsoldest rank 75
- Fertility rate
- 1.07births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older17.8% age 65+
Curaçao population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Curaçao age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 14.2% of the population, while 17.8% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 67.9% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Curaçao’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 47.2: about 47 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (20.9 children and 26.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Curaçao’s population pyramid
Two directions of migration
With fewer than 200,000 residents, Curaçao’s five-year bands hold only a few thousand people each, so modest movements of people produce visible bulges and notches. For decades the dominant flow was outward, mainly to the Netherlands, to which Curaçaoans have free access as Dutch citizens; the UN estimates net emigration of about 83,000 between 1950 and 1999, and the population actually fell between 1975 and 2000. The 2000 pyramid shows the gap at ages 20–29.
Since then the flow has reversed, with net immigration of about 28,000 between 2000 and 2023, including arrivals from nearby Venezuela during its crisis. In 2026 the 25–34 bands are the widest in the chart and strongly male, with 122 men per 100 women at 25–29 and 120 at 30–34. Above 45 the balance flips: women outnumber men in every band, with only 63 men per 100 women at ages 70–74. A bulge at 10–14 and a notch at 15–19 also appear, though in a population this small the chart cannot show whether they reflect births or the movement of families.
Fertility at a very low level
Fertility stayed close to replacement level from about 1980 to 2010, then fell to about 1.1 children per woman; the lowest fertility rates ranking shows how this compares. Births dropped accordingly, and deaths have exceeded them since 2019, the year the UN identifies as the population peak. Curaçao’s overall age structure now resembles those of the Netherlands, Barbados and Canada, and the medium scenario projects a gradual decline to about 173,000 by 2050.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30–34 | 1992–1996 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +19% |
| 10–14 | 2012–2016 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +19% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2019. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2020 and 2023.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Curaçao is projected to record 1,400 births (about 4 births a day) and 1,926 deaths, a natural decrease of 526. Net migration adds +462 people, ranking #43 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 45,995 births, 34,632 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +27,688. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +9,436 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 81.2 years62.0 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 73.1 years58.2 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.2 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 7.8per 1,000 births · 77 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 9.3per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.3 yearssex ratio at birth 104.7
Women in Curaçao are projected to live 8.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 77 to 7.8 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #143 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Curaçao
The median age of 39.0 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.07 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.3 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 185,440 | #190 | Largest first |
| Median age | 39.0 years | #75 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.07 | #226 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.0% | #174 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.3 years | #98 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 17.8% | #63 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Curaçao
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30–34 | 16,336 | 8.8% | 8.9K / 7.4K |
| 2 | 25–29 | 14,534 | 7.8% | 8K / 6.6K |
| 3 | 35–39 | 12,978 | 7.0% | 6.9K / 6K |
| 4 | 60–64 | 12,950 | 7.0% | 5.5K / 7.4K |
| 5 | 55–59 | 12,265 | 6.6% | 5.4K / 6.9K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Curaçao has 88,455 males and 96,986 females. That is 91.2 males per 100 females, ranking #208 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.7% of the population and females for 52.3%. There are 8,531 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 59.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.7 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Curaçao has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 101,770 in 1950 to 185,440 in 2026, a change of 82%. Over the same span, median age moved from 20.9 to 39.0 years.
The under-15 share changed from 37.6% to 14.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 5.0% to 17.8%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Curaçao’s population is projected to decline by about 6%, reaching 173,498 in 2050. The median age changes from 39.0 to 47.3 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.1 percentage points to 23.9%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 11.4%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 189,543 in 2019. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 101,770 | 20.9 | 4.98 | 60.3 | 3,762 | 1,180 | 0 | +2.5% |
| 1960 | 132,185 | 18.8 | 5.13 | 65.4 | 4,591 | 1,057 | −1,530 | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 150,865 | 18.8 | 3.40 | 68.2 | 3,798 | 1,006 | −1,392 | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 156,660 | 22.1 | 2.27 | 71.0 | 3,197 | 998 | −2,026 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 155,739 | 27.2 | 2.30 | 72.4 | 3,201 | 1,074 | −2,419 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 145,529 | 32.7 | 2.34 | 73.3 | 2,398 | 1,163 | −2,995 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 156,879 | 38.0 | 2.18 | 75.1 | 2,205 | 1,354 | +242 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 185,018 | 37.5 | 1.10 | 76.5 | 1,388 | 1,737 | +992 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 185,427 | 38.2 | 1.07 | 76.8 | 1,394 | 1,844 | +518 | +0.0% |
| 2024* | 185,482 | 38.5 | 1.07 | 77.0 | 1,399 | 1,870 | +513 | +0.0% |
| 2026* | 185,440 | 39.0 | 1.07 | 77.3 | 1,400 | 1,926 | +462 | -0.0% |
| 2030* | 184,826 | 40.0 | 1.09 | 78.0 | 1,395 | 2,034 | +359 | -0.1% |
| 2040* | 180,402 | 44.0 | 1.17 | 79.6 | 1,299 | 2,257 | +355 | -0.3% |
| 2050* | 173,498 | 47.3 | 1.22 | 81.1 | 1,170 | 2,344 | +382 | -0.5% |
| 2060* | 164,528 | 49.5 | 1.27 | 82.4 | 982 | 2,278 | +366 | -0.6% |
| 2070* | 155,113 | 52.3 | 1.30 | 83.7 | 952 | 2,256 | +330 | -0.6% |
| 2080* | 144,386 | 52.6 | 1.34 | 84.9 | 895 | 2,365 | +281 | -0.8% |
| 2090* | 131,982 | 52.6 | 1.36 | 86.1 | 784 | 2,277 | +262 | -0.9% |
| 2100* | 120,454 | 52.9 | 1.38 | 87.2 | 739 | 2,014 | +188 | -0.9% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 3,624 | 3,410 | 7,034 | 3.8% |
| 5–9 | 4,200 | 3,994 | 8,194 | 4.4% |
| 10–14 | 5,701 | 5,458 | 11,159 | 6.0% |
| 15–19 | 5,395 | 5,208 | 10,603 | 5.7% |
| 20–24 | 6,214 | 5,718 | 11,932 | 6.4% |
| 25–29 | 7,973 | 6,561 | 14,534 | 7.8% |
| 30–34 | 8,903 | 7,433 | 16,336 | 8.8% |
| 35–39 | 6,944 | 6,034 | 12,978 | 7.0% |
| 40–44 | 5,857 | 5,811 | 11,668 | 6.3% |
| 45–49 | 5,083 | 5,825 | 10,908 | 5.9% |
| 50–54 | 5,356 | 6,450 | 11,806 | 6.4% |
| 55–59 | 5,399 | 6,866 | 12,265 | 6.6% |
| 60–64 | 5,535 | 7,415 | 12,950 | 7.0% |
| 65–69 | 4,651 | 6,774 | 11,425 | 6.2% |
| 70–74 | 3,458 | 5,458 | 8,916 | 4.8% |
| 75–79 | 2,417 | 4,104 | 6,521 | 3.5% |
| 80–84 | 1,212 | 2,616 | 3,828 | 2.1% |
| 85–89 | 432 | 1,274 | 1,706 | 0.9% |
| 90–94 | 93 | 468 | 561 | 0.3% |
| 95–99 | 8 | 98 | 106 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Curaçao’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Albania97% overlap · median age 37.8
- Barbados95% overlap · median age 39.7
- Thailand95% overlap · median age 41.0
- Canada95% overlap · median age 40.8
- Netherlands94% overlap · median age 41.5
- Norway94% overlap · median age 40.1
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Curaçao.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Curaçao Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/curacao/
MLA
“Curaçao Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/curacao/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Curaçao Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/curacao/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Curaçao in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Curaçao's population in 2026 is projected at 185,440.
What is the median age in Curaçao?
The projected median age in Curaçao in 2026 is 39.0 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Curaçao?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.07 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Curaçao's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 6%, from 185.4K to 173.5K.
What share of Curaçao is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 17.8% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 23.9%.
How many babies are born in Curaçao each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 1,400 births and 1,926 deaths in 2026, about 4 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 526.
What is life expectancy in Curaçao for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 81.2 years for women and 73.1 years for men, a gap of 8.1 years in favour of women.
Does Curaçao have more immigrants or emigrants?
Curaçao is projected to gain about 462 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +27,688.
What is the sex ratio in Curaçao?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 91.2 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.