Aruba
Aruba⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 180 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 180 sq km
- Climate
- tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain
- flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Land Use
- Other
- 86.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- Location
- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
- Coastline
- 68.5 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Ceru Jamanota 188 m
- Irrigated land
- NA
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
- 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)
- Natural resources
- NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism
- Area comparative
- slightly larger than Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 12 30 N, 69 58 W
- 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
People & Society
- 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.)
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.68 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 11.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 39.3 years
- Total
- 41.2 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 42.4 years
Population
- Male
- 59,101
- Total
- 125,063 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 65,962
Nationality
- Noun
- Aruban(s)
- Adjective
- Aruban; Dutch
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 44.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Dutch 78.7%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 5.5%, Dominican 2.8%, Haitian 1.3%, other 5.1% (2020 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 52.3 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 26.3 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.8 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 26.1 (2024 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 7.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 3.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 11% national budget (2021 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 1.05% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.9 (2025 est.)
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 75.4 years
- Female
- 81.6 years
- Total population
- 78.5 years (2024 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: total
- total: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 46.8% (2020 est.)
Government
- 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
Capital
- Name
- Oranjestad
- 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
- Time difference
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 12 31 N, 70 02 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- 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
- 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
- Conventional long form
- Country of Aruba
- Conventional short form
- Aruba
- Independence
- none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- Legal system
- civil law system based on the Dutch civil code
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
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
- Subordinate courts
- Court in First Instance
- Judge selection and term of office
- Joint Court judges appointed for life by the monarch
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
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 28 March 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 6 December 2024
- 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
- National holiday
- National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
- 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
- National color(s)
- blue, yellow, red, white
- 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)
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 21
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Legislature (Staten)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 6 December 2024
- Expected date of next election
- by December 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 38.1%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- AVP (9); MEP (8); FUTURO (3); PPA (1)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- “Het Wilhelmus”
- History
- official anthem, as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Lyrics/music
- Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown
- National symbol(s)
- Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba
- International organisations
- ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU
Economy
Budget
- Revenues
- $793 million (2019 est.)
- Expenditures
- $782 million (2019 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $2.201 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $2.201 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $2.853 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $3.153 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.947 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $1.947 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $2.429 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $2.565 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
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.)
- 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
- Exports partners
- Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $40,500 (2023 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- 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.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- 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.)
- Agricultural products
- aloes; livestock; fish
- Exports commodities
- tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $3.649 billion (2023 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 52.1% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 19.6% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 21.5% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 88.3% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -81.5% (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.3% (2019 est.)
- Note
- note: annual % change based on 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.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $4.35 billion (2023 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- 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.)
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 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 11.4% (2019 est.)
- Services
- 78.3% (2019 est.)
- Agriculture
- 0% (2019 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 1 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 8,000 bbl/day (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 urban areas
- 100%
- Electrification total population
- 99.9% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 153.952 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 13.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 83.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 97% (2017 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
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 35,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 32 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 140,815 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 131 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 19,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 17 (2022 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 1
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Paardenbaai (Oranjestad), Sint Nicolaas Baai
- Very small
- 1
- Total ports
- 2 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 1
- Airports
- 1 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 1 (2023)
- BY type
- other 1
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- P4
Environment
- Climate
- tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Land Use
- Other
- 86.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 44.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 88,100 tons (2024 est.)
- Environmental issues
- difficulty in properly disposing waste from tourists; air pollution from waste-burning; water pollution from plastics
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Military & Security
- 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)
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Aruba — vintage 2026-Q1: Aruba factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/aruba
Sources: CIA World Factbook