Growing Old in Curaçao

Growing Old in Curaçao

April 23, 2026

A few days ago, I was interviewed by a student working on her master’s thesis about elderly policy in Curaçao. Her questions brought me back to the core issue: we have long known what is happening, but are we acting on it?

Curaçao is ageing rapidly, like many islands in the region. People are living longer. Young people are leaving—and not returning. They are also having fewer children.

Yet this development receives surprisingly little attention. That is troubling, especially as it becomes increasingly clear that the elderly are the new poor. For 42% of pensioners who have always lived on the island, the AOV pension is their only source of income. For many, making ends meet has become a daily struggle.

Elderly care presents a mixed picture as well. The system is fragmented, ranging from subsidized institutions to private providers. Oversight formally exists, but reality is more stubborn. In many homes, facilities are limited. Elderly residents are not very active, rarely go out, and receive few visitors.

That last point is no coincidence. More and more children live abroad. Employment opportunities play a role, but so does the increasingly unaffordable housing market. For many, returning is simply no longer a realistic option.

In that light, it makes sense that increasing the AOV is high on the agenda. But the debate is sometimes overly simplistic. Comparing Curaçao to Aruba, for example, is misleading, as the cost of living there is significantly higher.

Anyone who reads the 2025–2029 governing program of the Pisas III cabinet will see that the challenges are, in fact, recognized. The focus is on social justice, restoring purchasing power, and improving the quality of care. The plans are clear: increase the AOV, consider indexation and long-term sustainability, strengthen oversight, and reform the healthcare system.

On paper, the story holds.

But paper is patient. For years, it has been clear that subsidized institutions should merge to improve and streamline care. In practice, this has not happened.

The student I spoke with seemed to be searching for a structural solution and pointed to a logical gap: the absence of a single, central point within government responsible for elderly policy. Instead, responsibilities are spread across multiple departments.

It is a reasonable conclusion. But even that will make little difference if implementation continues to lag behind.

The reality is less complex than we sometimes pretend. Curaçao does not suffer from a lack of plans or analysis.

It suffers from a lack of execution.

Miguel Goede