ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Aruba’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has reported that the minimum income required for a family of four to maintain an adequate standard of living increased by AWG 131 in May 2026 compared with the same month last year.
According to CBS, a household consisting of two adults and two children now requires AWG 5,641 per month to meet basic living expenses. The increase was mainly driven by higher costs for food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose by AWG 80, and transportation, which increased by AWG 27.
The minimum living income is based on the methodology outlined in the Bestaansminimum 2010 report and is updated monthly using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The calculation considers essential expenses such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other basic household needs.
CBS also reported that a single adult now requires AWG 2,686 per month to meet the minimum living standard. This represents an income deficit of AWG 679 for minimum-wage earners, an increase of AWG 41 compared with May 2025 and the highest deficit recorded for the month of May in the past six years.
The report notes that the government’s repair allowance (reparatietoeslag) helps reduce part of the income gap for eligible minimum-wage workers, while CBS will continue using the current methodology to ensure consistency and comparability in future reports.
