GREAT BAY--Residents of St. Eustatius report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction than their counterparts on Bonaire and Saba, according to new figures released Wednesday by Statistics Netherlands, CBS.
The 2025 survey found that residents of St. Eustatius gave their happiness an average score of 8.5 out of 10, compared with 8.2 on Saba and 8.0 on Bonaire. When asked about overall satisfaction with life, St. Eustatius again recorded the highest score at 8.4, followed by Saba at 8.2 and Bonaire at 7.9. The figures cover residents aged 15 and older.
St. Eustatius also recorded the highest scores for satisfaction with everyday life or work, at 8.2, compared with 7.8 on both Bonaire and Saba. Satisfaction with financial circumstances stood at 7.6 on St. Eustatius, 7.4 on Bonaire and 7.2 on Saba. Educational opportunities received scores of 7.7 on St. Eustatius and 7.5 on both Bonaire and Saba.
One of the strongest differences emerged when residents were asked whether everyday life on their island had improved during the previous five years. On St. Eustatius, approximately 60 percent said life had become better or much better compared with 2020. The corresponding figures were about 37 percent on Bonaire and 33 percent on Saba.
Only about 8 percent of St. Eustatius residents said everyday life had become worse or much worse over the five-year period. That contrasted sharply with Saba, where approximately 45 percent reported that life had deteriorated. On Bonaire, around 29 percent said conditions had become worse. CBS noted that respondents were not asked to explain the reasons behind their assessments.
The survey also examined how residents view the functioning of their island governments. St. Eustatius again recorded the strongest result, with approximately 54 percent saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with the functioning of the local administration. About 10 percent were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
On Bonaire, approximately 26 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with local government, while roughly 34 percent were dissatisfied. On Saba, approximately 38 percent were satisfied or very satisfied and close to 27 percent were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
Residents were also questioned about the functioning of the national government of the Netherlands and related agencies operating on the islands. St. Eustatius again showed the highest level of satisfaction, with just over 51 percent indicating that they were satisfied or very satisfied. The comparable figure was approximately 43 percent on Bonaire and about 42 percent on Saba.
Dissatisfaction with the national government was lowest on St. Eustatius at just under 10 percent, compared with approximately 18 percent on Bonaire and more than 21 percent on Saba. Around 38 to 39 percent of respondents on all three islands said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
CBS said there was little change in most happiness and life-satisfaction indicators between 2021 and 2025. One exception was St. Eustatius, where residents reported increased satisfaction with their financial situation compared with 2021.
The findings provide a broader picture of how residents assess their quality of life, finances, opportunities and institutions, while also showing substantial differences in how communities on the three islands believe everyday life has changed during the past five years.
