Dividing Lines: Health and Inequality

Dividing Lines: Health and Inequality

20 September 2025

When we speak of dividing lines, health is one of the most striking. Some say: Health is the new wealth. The 2023 Census on Curaçao shows that 84.4% of residents rate their health as good to very good. Men are slightly more positive (85.7%) than women (83.3%).

But dig a little deeper, and the picture reveals a harsh divide: between those who are healthy and those who are not.

• 8.2% of the population aged 15 and older report having at least one functional limitation (difficulties with seeing, hearing, or mobility).

• 33.2% of respondents report having one or more chronic illnesses. The most common are:

  • High blood pressure: 19% 

  • Diabetes: 8.4%

  • Asthma: 3.4%

This divide follows the familiar contours of social and economic inequality. In wealthier neighborhoods, people tend to be healthier. The reasons are obvious: better access to healthcare, higher levels of education, access to information about prevention, more nutritious food choices, and more recreation opportunities. And let’s not forget the role of stress—likely less of a burden for those who are financially secure.

Health inequality is thus not just about doctors and hospitals. It is about the structures of society that determine who has the chance to live well, and who does not.

The pandemic reminded us of a painful truth: when the poor fall ill, disease spreads indiscriminately. An unhealthy population is not only a tragedy for the individuals who suffer but a risk to society as a whole. That is one of the enduring lessons of COVID-19: poverty is not just an economic problem, but a public health problem.

Miguel Goede