2020 Edition

Background

Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. Three main industries have since dominated the island's economy: gold mining, oil refining, and tourism. A 19th-century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening of an oil refinery in 1924. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, semi-autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Area

land

180 sq km

total

180 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

68.5 km

Elevation

highest point

Ceru Jamanota 188 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Geography - note

a flat, riverless island known for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

11.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest

2.7% (2023 est.)

other

86.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Natural resources

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

Population distribution

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlements tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

Terrain

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Age structure

0-14 years

17.2% (male 10,815/female 10,747)

15-64 years

65.7% (male 39,621/female 42,487)

65 years and over

17.1% (2024 est.) (male 8,665/female 12,728)

Birth rate

11.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

46.8% (2020 est.)

Death rate

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

26.1 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

3.8 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.3 (2024 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11% national budget (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Dutch 78.7%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 5.5%, Dominican 2.8%, Haitian 1.3%, other 5.1% (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that mixes Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, French, African languages, and Arawak) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.6 years

male

75.4 years

total population

78.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

42.4 years

male

39.3 years

total

41.2 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Aruban; Dutch

noun

Aruban(s)

Net migration rate

7.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

65,962

male

59,101

total

125,063 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

1.05% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.68 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

44.3% of total population (2023)

Capital

etymology

translates as "orange city" in Dutch; in 1824, the city was named after the royal family of the Netherlands, the House of Orange-Nassau

geographic coordinates

12 31 N, 70 02 W

name

Oranjestad

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see the Netherlands

Constitution

history

previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); in 1986, Aruba became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Country name

conventional long form

Country of Aruba

conventional short form

Aruba

etymology

the origin of the island's name is unclear; according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase oro hubo ("there was gold"), but no gold was ever found on the island; other possible sources are either the local word oruba ("well-situated") or a combination of two Carib Indian words, ora and oubao ("shell" and "island," respectively)

local long form

Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)

local short form

Aruba

Dependency status

one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten)

chief of state

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Alfonso BOEKHOUDT (since 1 January 2017)

election results

Mike EMAN (AVP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Staten for 4-year term

expected date of next election

by December 2028

head of government

Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 28 March 2025)

most recent election date

6 December 2024

Flag

description: blue, with two narrow, horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper-left corner meaning: the star stands for Aruba's red soil and white beaches, and its four points for the major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) and the points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main industries, tourism and mining

Government type

parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

International organization participation

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands

judge selection and term of office

Joint Court judges appointed for life by the monarch

subordinate courts

Court in First Instance

Legal system

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

by December 2028

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Legislature (Staten)

most recent election date

6 December 2024

number of seats

21

parties elected and seats per party

AVP (9); MEP (8); FUTURO (3); PPA (1)

percentage of women in chamber

38.1%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

lyrics/music

Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown

title

“Het Wilhelmus”

National color(s)

blue, yellow, red, white

National holiday

National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

National symbol(s)

Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill

Political parties

Accion21 Aruban People's Party or AVP Democratic Network or RED FUTURO Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS Partido Patriotico di Aruba (Aruban Patriotic Party) or APP People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR RAIZ (ROOTS)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

aloes; livestock; fish

Budget

expenditures

$782 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$793 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$79.257 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$230.556 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$194.498 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy; very high public debt; COVID-19 crippled economic activity; partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences; considering reopening oil refinery

Exchange rates

Currency

Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1.79 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.79 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.79 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.79 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.79 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$2.201 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.853 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.153 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)

Exports - partners

Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

88.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.6% (2023 est.)

household consumption

52.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-81.5% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0% (2019 est.)

industry

11.4% (2019 est.)

services

78.3% (2019 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.649 billion (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$1.947 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.429 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$2.565 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)

Industries

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

-1% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.6% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.3% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.844 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.172 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$4.35 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2021

24.1% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2021

$35,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$38,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$40,500 (2023 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.513 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.544 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.468 billion (2023 est.)

Coal

imports

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

824.036 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

305,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

166.766 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

99.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

83.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

13.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

153.952 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17 (2022 est.)

total

19,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

freedom of the press respected, as guaranteed under Dutch law; newspapers are in the Papiamento language; 2 commercial TV stations, with a cable TV subscription service providing access to foreign channels; wide range of commercial radio stations available (2023)

Internet country code

.aw

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2017 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

32 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

35,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

131 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

140,815 (2022 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

P4

Merchant marine

by type

other 1

total

1 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Paardenbaai (Oranjestad), Sint Nicolaas Baai

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security; the Dutch military maintains a presence on Aruba, including a marine company and a naval base (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Aruban Militia (ARUMIL); Police Department for local law enforcement, supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)) (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

difficulty in properly disposing waste from tourists; air pollution from waste-burning; water pollution from plastics

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

88,100 tons (2024 est.)