In Q1 2020, consumer goods and services on Bonaire were 1.0 percent more expensive than one year previously. Prices also rose on St Eustatius and Saba, by 1.2 percent and 0.4 percent yearon-year respectively. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of the consumer price index for the Caribbean Netherlands.
The price increase of goods and services on Bonaire was lower than in Q4 2019 (2.2 percent).
Lower electricity and water prices on Bonaire The slower increase in the average price level of goods and services on Bonaire in Q1 2020 was mainly caused by the price development of electricity and water. In the first quarter of this year, electricity was 14.1 percent and water was 12.7 percent cheaper than one year previously. Petrol and diesel prices, on the other hand, drove up the average price level on Bonaire. Petrol was nearly 20.8 percent and diesel was over 29 percent more expensive than in Q1 2019.
The price development of fruit and vegetables on Bonaire had an upward effect on the consumer price index as well. In Q1 2020, fresh fruit was 22.9 percent more expensive than in the same quarter last year. Relative to Q4 2019, however, prices of vegetables were down by 2.5 percent and prices of fruit by 3.9 percent.
Prices on St Eustatius up by 1.2 percent In Q1 2020, consumer prices on St Eustatius were 1.2 percent higher than one year previously. The year-on-year increase was 1.0 percent in Q4 2019. Electricity prices were up by 1.6 percent in Q1. Prices of books, audio and video equipment, and airfares were up as well.
Relative to Q4 2019, prices of furniture were down by 3.4 percent. Prices of footwear showed a decrease of 8.8 percent over the same period.
Less rapid consumer price increase on Saba Consumers on Saba paid on average 0.4 percent more for goods and services in Q1 2020 yearon-year. This was still 0.8 percent in Q4 2019.
In Q1 2020, prices of toiletries were 9.0 percent lower while prices of books and audio and video equipment were higher than one year previously.
Average prices of petrol and diesel in the Caribbean Netherlands and on Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten Prices of petrol and diesel in the Caribbean Netherlands are generally higher than on Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten. The largest price gap between Bonaire and Curaçao measured over the past twelve months was in February 2020, when one litre of petrol was on average 33.5 US cents more expensive on Bonaire. The smallest gap was seen in May 2019, when the price of petrol on Bonaire was 4.2 US cents higher. Diesel was slightly cheaper on Bonaire than on Aruba, but more expensive on Curaçao in most of the twelve months. St Eustatius has the highest price of diesel per litre.
One of the sources corresponding to this news release includes a table containing prices for petrol and diesel. This table has been compiled with the permission of the statistical offices of Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
Provisional figures Figures referring to Q1 2020 are provisional and will become definitive upon publication of the figures over Q2 2020.
Sources
StatLine – Caribbean Netherlands; consumer price index (CPI) https://opendata.cbs.nl/#/CBS/en/dataset/84046ENG/table?dl=BFA9
Table – Consumer prices for fuel; Caribbean Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and St Maarten
