Lifestyle
Sint Maarten at a glance: population, size, jobs and currency
Key official figures for Sint Maarten and the French side, each with its year: population, land area, age, unemployment and the currency.
By SXM Daily ·
This guide gathers the official headline figures for the island in one place. Each figure comes with its year and source, because different counts and surveys cover different periods.
Population
The Department of Statistics (STAT) estimates Sint Maarten's population at 42,449 on January 1, 2025. For where to find STAT's figures, see our guide to the Department of Statistics.
The 2022 Population and Housing Census counted 41,902 people, 24.7% more than the 33,609 counted in the 2011 Census, according to STAT.
Land and density
According to STAT, the Dutch side covers 34 km², which puts the 2022 Census population at about 1,232 people per km².
Age and origin
From the 2022 Census, according to STAT:
- median age: 43
- under 15: 15.5% of residents
- aged 65 and over: 13.6%
- born in Sint Maarten: 31.1%
Work
The 2022 Census put unemployment at 6.5%, with a labour force of 23,399 and a participation rate of 55.8%, according to STAT. The last Labour Force Survey, in 2018, gave 9.9%. The census and the survey use different methods, so the two rates are not directly comparable.
STAT ran a new Labour Force Survey from July to September 2026. Its results are still pending, and STAT says they will not be directly comparable with 2018 because the survey now uses a different definition of employment.
Money
Sint Maarten's currency has been the Caribbean guilder (XCG) since July 1, 2025. The Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten sets it at USD 1 = XCG 1.79.
The French side
Saint-Martin, the French side, uses the euro. INSEE, the French statistics institute, gives it 31,160 residents (population municipale with reference date January 1, 2023, in force from January 1, 2026).
Finding more
STAT publishes its figures free on its website. Always quote the year with any figure you reuse.
Sources
- https://stats.sintmaartengov.org/social/Po
- https://stats.sintmaartengov.org/social/Labor
- https://stats.sintmaartengov.org/social/SC
- https://www.centralbank.cw/functions/banknotes-coins/caribbean-guilder
- https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8680667