Housing Demand On Curacao Increased
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) conducted a survey at the end of 2016 to measure housing needs. The aim is to obtain a general insight into the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the existing demand for housing in Curacao. It concerns insights into the number of persons or groups of persons in households who need a different residence and the living conditions of these persons in relation to the desired residence.
The survey was conducted in September-October 2016 under a sample population of 1923 households. This sample is considered to be statistically appropriate in terms of size and composition to make statements about the entire population. The survey was taken of people aged 18 and over.
An initial inspection of the data gives the following insights.
Key results of the housing needs survey from September to October 2016:
- Relative to the total number of households on Curacao (= 58010 households), the current housing demand is estimated at 16160 homes. This housing demand corresponds to 30% of all households that are in Curacao.
- A housing needs survey was also carried out in 2008. The housing demand was then estimated at 10571 homes, which corresponded to 23% of the number of households in question.
- The above figures show that housing demand has increased by 7 percentage points over the period 2008-2016.
- Indicative of this increase in housing needs are two conditions that emerge in this research, namely:
-The fact that in the period 2008-2016 households have also increased relatively (in 2008, there were 45352 households in Curacao with a population of 145,220 people (a ratio of 0.31), whereas in 2016 there were 58010 households on a population of 156,769 people (a ratio of 0.34);
-The fact that the number of people with housing needs that indicates to live on their own between 2008 and 2016 increased from 22% to 37%.
- Despite the apparent difference in the quantitative housing needs between 2008 and 2016, the first results of the 2016 survey show similar results to those of housing requirements in 2008. Still, the most desirable property in Curacao is a detached house between 50 and 100 m2, on a plot between 400 and 600 m2, with three bedrooms and one bathroom. Furthermore, there is a preference for having a home and building the house itself.
- A more thorough and comprehensive study of the data collected during the survey is currently being conducted. This will show whether and to what extent this overall picture of housing needs in Curacao brings forth issues that are a remarkable fact, or which indicate a new development.
On the homepage of the CBS website (www.cbs.cw), there are some tables and charts that were presented as the first results of this housing survey. More at the end of 2017 follows an extensive publication of the results of this research. This publication will examine the characteristics of current housing needs and how they developed in the period 2008-2016.
The CBS thanked all households that contributed to the realization of the survey.
Bron: CBS 30 mei 2017
