4. Conclusion

The findings and analyses presented here can be used to draw a number of conclusions that answer the question: How are the youth in Caribbean Netherlands doing?

How is the well-being of students in the Caribbean Netherlands?

Overall, students in the Caribbean Netherlands rated their happiness and life satisfaction between 6.9 and 7.5 on average. However, there were significant differences between age groups: across the islands, those aged 10-14 years were happier and more satisfied with their lives than those aged 15-17 years. Boys on Bonaire and St Eustatius were happier than the girls. On both Bonaire and Saba, girls were bullied more often than boys. The majority of students on all the islands stated that they had someone to talk to about personal issues, but there was also a minority for whom this was not the case.

How do they perceive their own health?

While the vast majority of students perceive their own health as either good or very good, they also regularly consume drinks that are high in sugar and do not eat enough fruit. Some of the young people in the Caribbean Netherlands vape sometimes: 13 percent on Bonaire, 10 percent on Saba and 6 percent on St Eustatius. Vaping was more common than smoking tobacco on both Bonaire and Saba.

What do they do in their spare time?

Video games were by far the most popular leisure activity on the islands. Additionally, students on St Eustatius indicated that they use a computer, tablet and/or smartphone for an average of 8.8 hours each day; this figure did not include usage related to school or work. For Bonaire and Saba, the figures for screen time were 6.4 hours and 7.9 hours, respectively. Another popular leisure activity on the islands is meeting up with friends outside. In addition to leisure time, most students were also involved in household tasks or care responsibilities. In the week prior to the survey, nearly half the students on St Eustatius had helped to take care of relatives or friends with problems involving health or old age.

What are their plans for the future?

When asked what they wanted to do after graduating, most students in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2024 stated that they wanted to continue their studies. Many indicated that they planned to leave their island in the future, either to explore the world or to attend a study programme abroad.