Inflation lower on Bonaire, higher on St. Eustatius and Saba
Consumer goods and services on Bonaire were 2.5 percent more expensive in Q2 2024 than one year previously. Inflation was therefore down from Q1 2024, when it stood at 3.4 percent. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of the consumer price index for the Caribbean Netherlands.
On St Eustatius, prices rose by 2.5 percent in Q2 2024, year on year, while in Q1 2024 they fell by 0.4 percent. Inflation on Saba was 2.0 percent in Q2 2024, compared with 1.9 percent in Q1.
Prices on Bonaire 1.0 percent higher than previous quarter
Prices on Bonaire were up by 1.0 percent in Q2 compared to Q1. There were price increases in several product groups. Average prices for toiletries rose by 8.1 percent relative to Q1 2024, for instance. Petrol was also 6.7 percent more expensive in Q2. Prices of food products rose by 0.9 percent in Q2, with fresh vegetables in particular getting more expensive.
Meanwhile, the average price of airline tickets was 6.8 percent lower than in Q1 2024, which had a downward effect on inflation.
Prices on St Eustatius 2.0 percent higher than previous quarter
On St Eustatius, consumer prices rose by 2.0 percent in Q2 2024 relative to Q1. Prices for transport were up in Q2, for example, with airline tickets 8.9 percent more expensive than in the previous quarter. Boat tickets rose by 28.4 percent Several other product groups such as furniture, toiletries and telephone and internet services also rose in price. Finally, petrol prices were up by 1.0 percent relative to the previous quarter.
Prices on Saba up by 1.2 percent over previous quarter
On Saba, prices rose by 1.2 percent in Q2 2024 compared with the previous quarter. Various goods and services became more expensive: the price of toiletries and personal care products rose by 5.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, compared with Q1 2024. The average price of furniture and floor coverings also rose by 2.6 percent compared to Q1. Prices for home maintenance and repair products fell slightly by 2.3 percent in Q2.
The increase in inflation in Q2 was dampened by airfare prices, which normally rise in Q2, but remained stable this year.
Provisional figures
The figures for Q2 2024 are provisional and will become definitive upon publication of the figures for the next quarter, Q3 2024. The preliminary figures for Q1 2024 have been adjusted for all islands due to new data on health and miscellaneous goods and services within the COICOP (Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose) system. In addition, in the case of St Eustatius changes have been made in the index for transport due to changes resulting from the final analysis and processing of data.