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On St. Eustatius, prices rose by 0.3 percent in Q1 2024, year on year, having fallen by 1.0 percent in Q4 2023. Inflation on Saba was 2.0 percent in Q1 2024, compared with 1.2 percent in Q4 2023.

Inflation, Caribbean Netherlands
2015 Q1 -0.6 -1.1 1.5
2015 Q2 -0.9 -1.7 0.9
2015 Q3 -0.9 -0.5 -0.4
2015 Q4 -1.2 -0.7 -0.1
2016 Q1 0.5 0.4 0.3
2016 Q2 0.4 -0.1 0.0
2016 Q3 0.6 -0.9 0.2
2016 Q4 0.5 0.2 -0.3
2017 Q1 0.1 1.1 -1.0
2017 Q2 0.4 2.6 -1.0
2017 Q3 0.6 2.1 -1.3
2017 Q4 1.2 1.8 2.5
2018 Q1 3.9 2.0 2.9
2018 Q2 3.0 1.2 3.2
2018 Q3 3.5 1.1 4.4
2018 Q4 3.4 1.1 0.0
2019 Q1 0.7 0.7 0.6
2019 Q2 1.1 0.4 0.5
2019 Q3 1.2 0.7 0.3
2019 Q4 2.2 1.0 0.8
2020 Q1 1.0 1.2 0.4
2020 Q2 -1.0 -0.8 -0.8
2020 Q3 -4.8 -3.3 -1.6
2020 Q4 -5.2 -3.2 -0.8
2021 Q1 -3.2 -4.1 -1.3
2021 Q2 0.3 -1.2 1.0
2021 Q3 4.3 2.4 3.2
2021 Q4 5.7 2.7 4.0
2022 Q1 9.2 4.9 6.7
2022 Q2 9.4 7.7 8.2
2022 Q3 12.2 9.0 9.7
2022 Q4 8.1 9.1 9.7
2023 Q1 4.5 8.0 7.0
2023 Q2 4.6 3.3 5.2
2023 Q3 1.9 0.0 2.8
2023 Q4 4.1 -1.0 1.2
2024 Q1 3.5 0.3 2.0

Prices on Bonaire up by 0.3 percent over previous quarter

Prices in Bonaire rose 0.3 percent compared with the previous quarter. This increase was caused in part by higher costs for housing, water and energy. Electricity costs rose by 1.4 percent due to an increase in the variable energy rate which took effect on 1 January. Prices in accommodation and food services rose by 5.7 percent this quarter compared with the previous quarter.

Inflation was held back by lower communication costs, which fell by 14.1 percent from the previous quarter. This fall was caused by an additional subsidy for internet subscriptions that took effect on 1 January. Transportation costs were also lower: petrol prices fell 5.2 percent in Q1 compared with the previous quarter.

Prices on St. Eustatius 1.7 percent higher than in previous quarter

On St. Eustatius, consumer prices rose 1.7 percent in Q1 2024 compared to Q4 2023. Transportation costs increased compared to the previous quarter. Airline ticket prices rose by 14.6 percent, while petrol became 3.1 percent more expensive. The average price of a car also rose by 4.7 percent compared to the previous quarter. The price of electricity rose by 5.9 percent compared to Q4 2024. The variable energy rate was increased on 1 January, just as it was on Bonaire.

On the other hand, prices for clothing and footwear fell by 3.4 percent compared to the previous quarter, which had a downward effect on the overall price change in consumer goods. Communications costs also fell by 9.4 percent this quarter. As in Bonaire, the additional subsidy on internet subscriptions came into effect on 1 January.

Prices on Saba up by 0.7 percent compared to last quarter

On Saba, prices rose by 0.7 percent in Q1 2024 compared with the previous quarter. Communications were 10.4 percent more expensive this quarter. In Q4 2023, communications costs were lower due to a one-off grant provided by the Island Council in November 2023. Additional subsidies were provided 1 January 2024, as on Bonaire and St. Eustatius, which mitigated price rises following the November cuts. Electricity costs also rose 3.5 percent compared with the previous quarter, due to an increase in the variable energy rate on 1 January.

The increase in inflation this quarter was mitigated by a 3.2 percent fall in prices for clothing and footwear compared with the previous quarter.

Consumer price index (CPI), Caribbean Netherlands
2015 Q1 98.8 97.6 100.1
2015 Q2 98.9 97.7 100.6
2015 Q3 99.1 99.2 100.0
2015 Q4 98.8 98.4 100.1
2016 Q1 99.4 98.0 100.4
2016 Q2 99.3 97.6 100.6
2016 Q3 99.7 98.3 100.2
2016 Q4 99.3 98.7 99.8
2017 Q1 99.5 99.0 99.4
2017 Q2 99.8 100.1 99.6
2017 Q3 100.4 100.4 98.9
2017 Q4 100.4 100.5 102.1
2018 Q1 103.3 101.0 102.3
2018 Q2 102.8 101.4 102.8
2018 Q3 103.9 101.5 103.3
2018 Q4 103.8 101.6 102.2
2019 Q1 104.0 101.8 102.9
2019 Q2 103.9 101.8 103.2
2019 Q3 105.1 102.2 103.6
2019 Q4 106.1 102.6 103.0
2020 Q1 105.0 103.0 103.3
2020 Q2 102.9 100.9 102.4
2020 Q3 100.1 98.8 101.9
2020 Q4 100.6 99.3 102.2
2021 Q1 101.6 98.7 102.0
2021 Q2 103.3 99.6 103.5
2021 Q3 104.4 101.2 105.2
2021 Q4 106.3 102.0 106.2
2022 Q1 111.0 103.6 108.8
2022 Q2 112.9 107.3 111.9
2022 Q3 117.2 110.3 115.5
2022 Q4 115.0 111.3 116.5
2023 Q1 116.0 111.8 116.5
2023 Q2 118.2 110.9 117.7
2023 Q3 119.4 110.3 118.7
2023 Q4 119.7 110.2 117.9
2024 Q1 120.0 112.1 118.8

Provisional figures

The figures relating to Q1 2024 are provisional and will only become definitive upon the publication of the figures on Q2 2024. The preliminary figures for Q4 2023 for Saba have been adjusted due to updated data on telecommunications costs. The preliminary figures for Q4 2023 for Bonaire were also adjusted due to changes resulting from the definitive analysis and the processing of data on prices for motor vehicles.

Papiamentu

A Papiamentu translation of this news release can be obtained from Statistics Netherlands’ office on Bonaire by sending a request by email to: caribischnederland@cbs.nl.

Source of original article: Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (www.cbs.nl).
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