Saint Martin is a distinctive island in the Caribbean: one geographical island, but two administrations and two ways of publishing population figures. That is why the population of Saint Martin and the population of Sint Maarten are not always presented in the same way depending on the source.
Using the latest comparable official data, the estimate is clear: 31,160 inhabitants on the French side and 41,349 inhabitants on the Dutch side. Together, the island has about 72,509 inhabitants.
This number helps explain the island: populated enough to stay active year-round, but still small in scale. It also gives useful context for the distribution of neighborhoods, the differences between both sides and the gaps often found from one website to another.
Population of Saint Martin on the French side
On the French side, Saint Martin officially has 31,160 inhabitants. This is the municipal population published by INSEE in the 2023 reference population figures, in force from January 1, 2026.
The French collectivity covers the northern part of the island. It includes Marigot, Grand Case, Quartier d’Orléans, Cul-de-Sac, Orient Bay, Sandy Ground and Colombier, with people spread across towns, coastal areas, residential neighborhoods and the hills.
Another figure may appear in administrative documents: 31,620 inhabitants. This is INSEE’s total population, which adds 460 people counted separately. For the number of people who usually live in the territory, the figure to use is still 31,160.
Population of Sint Maarten on the Dutch side
On the Dutch side, Sint Maarten has 41,349 inhabitants as of January 1, 2024. The figure comes from the rebased estimates published by STAT Sint Maarten after the 2022 census.
Sint Maarten occupies the southern part of the island and has the larger population. Its main residential and economic areas include Philipsburg, Simpson Bay, Cole Bay, Dutch Quarter, Maho, Cupecoy and the area around Princess Juliana International Airport.
You may still see the figure of 42,938 inhabitants. It belongs to an older statistical series based on the 2011 census. Since the 2022 Census, STAT has used a rebased series, with 41,349 inhabitants as the estimate for January 1, 2024.
Total population of the island
Adding the two latest official figures gives:
- Saint Martin, French side: 31,160 inhabitants.
- Sint Maarten, Dutch side: 41,349 inhabitants.
- Total island population: about 72,509 inhabitants.
This total is the simplest benchmark for the population of the whole island. One nuance matters: INSEE and STAT do not publish their data on the same schedule or with exactly the same rules.
So this is an addition of the two strongest official sources currently available, not a single island-wide census taken on the same day.
Difference between Saint Martin and Sint Maarten
Saint Martin and Sint Maarten share one island, but they are two separate territories. The north is a French overseas collectivity. The south is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
With the current figures, Sint Maarten has 10,189 more inhabitants than French Saint Martin. The split is about 43% on the French side and 57% on the Dutch side.
This gap is linked to stronger urban concentration in the south, the economic weight of Philipsburg and Simpson Bay, the international airport, commercial areas, tourism infrastructure and generally higher density on the Dutch side.
In the north, the population is more spread out across villages, residential districts, coastal areas and less urbanized zones. Still, both sides are closely connected in daily life: many residents cross the border for work, shopping, going out or reaching the airport.
Why population figures vary by source
Searches for saint martin population or sint maarten population sometimes return several answers. The reason is often methodological rather than a simple mistake.
- Dates change: INSEE publishes a 2023 reference population in force in 2026, while STAT gives a January 1, 2024 estimate.
- Methods are not the same: census results, civil registry data, annual estimates and administrative population figures do not count exactly the same thing.
- Older data still circulates: some websites repeat earlier figures, especially for Sint Maarten.
- Definitions vary: municipal population, total population, registered people and counted residents do not always cover the same scope.
- The island is very mobile: migration, jobs, housing, seasonality and tourism can shift demographic data fairly quickly.
The right approach is to check the source and date before comparing. Today, the strongest answer is: 31,160 inhabitants in Saint Martin, 41,349 inhabitants in Sint Maarten, or about 72,509 inhabitants across the whole island.
Key takeaway
The population of Saint Martin always needs a little context, because the island is shared by two administrations. The French side has 31,160 inhabitants. The Dutch side has 41,349. Together, they form an island of about 72,509 inhabitants.
Beyond the total, these figures mainly show the island’s balance: a less dense north, a more populated south, and one territory where economic, social and urban realities constantly overlap.