The population of Saba was 2,158 on January 1, 2025. Saba's small size has led to a fairly small number of island families, who can trace their last names back to around a half-dozen families. This means that many last names are shared across the island, the most numerous being Hassell, Johnson and Every; these three names are shared by upwards of 30% of Saba's population. Most of Saba's population descends from the intermixing of
Africans and
Europeans. Most families can trace ancestry to early
Dutch,
English,
Scottish settlers and
enslaved Africans. The population is also partly descended from the
Irish who were exiled from that country after the accession of
King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1625. Charles exiled these Irish to the Caribbean in an effort to quell a rebellion after he had forcibly procured their lands for his Scottish noble supporters. Historically, Saba was traded among the many European nations that fought for power in the region. Enslaved people from Africa were also imported to work on Saba. In recent years Saba has become home to a large group of
expatriates, and around 250 immigrants who are either students or teachers at the
Saba University School of Medicine.
Languages Both
English and
Dutch are spoken on the island and taught in schools, and both languages are official. Despite the island's Dutch affiliation, English is the principal language spoken on the island and has been used in its school system since the 19th century. Dutch is spoken by 34% of the population, while English is spoken by over 96% of the population. The majority (67%) English can therefore be used in communications of and to the government.
Saban English is the local English vernacular spoken on the island. It has previously been described as a
decreolized variety of
Virgin Islands Creole English. The first dictionary of Saban English was published in 2016.
Religion Saba has a predominantly
Christian population. The main denominations are
Catholicism (45%),
Non-denominational Christianity (18%),
Anglicanism (9%),
Evangelicalism (4%), and
Pentecostalism 4%, with an additional 11% adhering to other Christian denominations. In addition, 6% of the population is
Muslim. The first contact with Christians on the island occurred with the visit of
Christopher Columbus in 1493, but this did not mean the immediate arrival of the
Catholic Church. It is believed that the first Christian groups to settle on the island were
Protestants coming from the Netherlands in 1640. During the period of nominal
Spanish domination, the island was included in the jurisdiction of the
Diocese of Puerto Rico The oldest church on record is the Christuskerk (Christ Church), of the
Anglican denomination, which was renovated in 1777 after being damaged by a
hurricane, and whose exact date of construction is unknown. In the same year, Pastor Kirkpatrick also requested permission from the Dutch commander Johannes de Graaff to officially establish the Anglican Church in Saba before that some locals used the
Reformed Church of the Netherlands to celebrate their baptisms. Although the
Roman Catholic Church is currently very active on Saba, it did not establish itself on the island until quite late. One of the earliest contacts includes the visit of Père Labat in 1701. The center was built in 1980 and renovated in 2019. Home healthcare is available for Sabans who require medical care in their own home. Saba also has an assisted living facility located in the H.C. Every building. as
scuba diving is a popular tourist activity on Saba.
LGBTQ rights In Saba (as in Bonaire and Sint Eustatius),
marriage is open to same sex and opposite sex couples following the entering in force of a law enabling same-sex couples to marry on 10 October 2012. The first same-sex marriage was performed on Saba on 4 December 2012 between a Dutch man and a Venezuelan man, both residing in Aruba, where
same-sex marriage is not performed. ==Economy==