2024 Edition Primary

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, DC

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 renowned 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% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

2.3% (2018 est.)

other

86.6% (2018 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 settlments 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

11.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

42.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

23

potential support ratio

4.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

47.8

youth dependency ratio

24.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.1% of population

improved: total

total: 98.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.9% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent population by nationality

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.8% (2018)

male

97.8%

total population

97.8%

Major urban areas - population

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

42.4 years

male

39.3 years

total

40.9 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Aruban; Dutch

noun

Aruban(s)

Net migration rate

8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

65,962 (2024 est.)

male

59,101

total

125,063

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.08% (2024 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: rural

rural: 97.7% of population

improved: total

total: 97.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.3% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2012)

male

13 years

total

14 years

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 (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

44.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

note

note: Aruba is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten

Capital

etymology

translates as "orange town" in Dutch; the city is named after William I (1533-1584), Prince of Orange, the first ruler of the Netherlands

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 huba" (there was gold), but in fact no gold was ever found on the island; another possibility is the native word "oruba," which means "well-situated"

local long form

Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)

local short form

Aruba

Dependency status

constituent country 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

as leader of the majority party of the ruling coalition, Evelyn WEVER-CROES (MEP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA

elections/appointments

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; election last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held by June 2025)

head of government

Prime Minister Evelyn WEVER-CROES (since 17 November 2017)

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 hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth

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

description

unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party AVP 32.2%, MEP 31.7%, FUTURO 13.2%, PPA 6.4%; seats by party - AVP 9, MEP 8, FUTURO 3, PPA 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women - NA%

elections

last held on 6 December 2024 (next to be held in 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER

name

"Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Precious Country)

note

note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "Het Wilhelmus" is official (see Netherlands)

National holiday

National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

National symbol(s)

Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill; national colors: blue, yellow, red, white

Political parties

Accion21Aruban People's Party or AVPDemocratic Network or REDMovimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MASPeople's Electoral Movement Party or MEPPueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or PORRAIZ (ROOTS)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

aloes; livestock; fish

Budget

expenditures

$782 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$793 million (2019 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB+ (2013)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$316.455 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$79.257 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$230.556 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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 2019

1.79 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$1.444 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$2.201 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.853 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

tobacco, liquor, refined petroleum, scrap iron, orthopedic appliances (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Colombia 40%, US 12%, Jordan 11%, Guyana 8%, Netherlands 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

83.1% (2022 est.)

government consumption

19.9% (2022 est.)

household consumption

53.8% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-77.3% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0% (2019 est.)

industry

11.4% (2019 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

78.3% (2019 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.545 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2020

$1.644 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$1.947 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$2.429 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, tobacco, jewelry, other foods (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 39%, Netherlands 11%, Guyana 9%, Colombia 8%, China 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

-1.03% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.63% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.26% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Public debt

Public debt 2017

86% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$3.191 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$4.072 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.498 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-23.98% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

27.64% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

10.46% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$29,900 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$38,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$42,300 (2022 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

1.37% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

1.16% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.08% of GDP (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$1.213 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.513 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.544 billion (2022 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

7.7% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

1.214 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

1.214 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

809.548 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

304,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

166.766 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

99.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

84.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

1.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

13.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

161.715 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

8,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total

19,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 commercial TV stations; cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels; about 19 commercial radio stations broadcast (2017)

Internet country code

.aw

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2021 est.)

total

106,800 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

33 per 100 fixed-line telephone subscriptions and 130 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)

international

country code - 297; landing points for the PAN-AM, PCCS, Deep Blue Cable, and Alonso de Ojeda submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from Trinidad and Tobago, Florida, Puerto Ricco, Jamaica, Guyana, Sint Eustatius & Saba, Suriname, Dominican Republic, BVI, USVI, Haiti, Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles,  through Aruba to Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

35,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

132 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

141,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

1 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

P4

Merchant marine

by type

other 1

total

1 (2023)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

274,280 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

19

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Paardenbaai (Oranjestad), Sint Nicolaas Baai

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

1

Roadways

total

1,000 km (2010)

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)) (2024)

Illicit drugs

northbound transshipment point for cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela; cocaine shipped to the United States, other Caribbean islands, Africa, and Europe  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

17,085 (Venezuela) (2023)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.88 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

difficulty in properly disposing of waste produced by large numbers of tourists; waste burning that occurs in the landfill causes air pollution and poses an environmental and health risk; ocean environmental damage due to plastic pollution

Land use

agricultural land

11.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

2.3% (2018 est.)

other

86.6% (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

44.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

88,132 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

9,695 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11% (2013 est.)