One in five people on Bonaire have difficulty making ends meet

Differences based on education level

Not enough money for specific expenses

Around 70 percent of the population on all three islands said they did not have enough money for one or more specific expenses. This varied from paying for a hot meal including meat, chicken or fish every other day (lowest on Bonaire, namely 10 percent) to paying for unexpected necessary expenses (highest on St Eustatius at 60 percent). On all three islands, half of the population did not have enough money to replace worn-out furniture while approximately 45 percent were unable to afford a one-week holiday every year.

The percentage of people saying they did not have enough money to buy new clothes on a regular basis varied greatly per island: from 15 percent on Saba to 45 percent on Bonaire. Also different per island was the share of people who did not have enough money to invite family or friends to dinner at least once a month. This was over 25 percent on Saba and over 35 percent on St Eustatius.

Concerns about the financial future

On St Eustatius, financial future is of great concern to nearly 60 percent of the population. This was around 45 percent on Bonaire and Saba, where people with low and medium education levels in particular were very concerned. On Bonaire, people between 15 and 45 years of age were more concerned about their financial future (50 percent) than people aged 45 and over. Particularly on Saba, women (51 percent) were more concerned about this than men (38 percent).