Aruba

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 19,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (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

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.)

Agricultural products

aloes; livestock; fish

Budget

revenues: $793 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $782 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

$194.498 million (2023 est.) $230.556 million (2022 est.) $79.257 million (2021 est.) 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

Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2024 est.) 1.79 (2023 est.) 1.79 (2022 est.) 1.79 (2021 est.) 1.79 (2020 est.)

Exports

$3.153 billion (2023 est.) $2.853 billion (2022 est.) $2.201 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.649 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 52.1% (2023 est.) government consumption: 19.6% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 88.3% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -81.5% (2023 est.) 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.) services: 78.3% (2019 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$2.565 billion (2023 est.) $2.429 billion (2022 est.) $1.947 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (2019 est.) 3.6% (2018 est.) -1% (2017 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Public debt

84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.35 billion (2023 est.) $4.172 billion (2022 est.) $3.844 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4.3% (2023 est.) 8.5% (2022 est.) 24.1% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$40,500 (2023 est.) $38,900 (2022 est.) $35,700 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

1.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.468 billion (2023 est.) $1.544 billion (2022 est.) $1.513 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Coal

imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 305,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 824.036 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 166.766 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 99.9% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural 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

153.952 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Environmental issues

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

Land use

agricultural land: 11.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 2.7% (2023 est.) other: 86.2% (2023 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.)

Area

total : 180 sq km land: 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.) arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) 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

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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

Capital

name: Oranjestad geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) 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

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 local long form: Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento) local 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)

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 note: the other three constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands , Sint Maarten , and Curacao

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

chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Alfonso BOEKHOUDT (since 1 January 2017) head of government: Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 28 March 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten) 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 most recent election date: 6 December 2024 election results: Mike EMAN (AVP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA expected date of next election: by December 2028

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

legislature name: Legislature (Staten) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 21 electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6 December 2024 parties elected and seats per party: AVP (9); MEP (8); FUTURO (3); PPA (1) percentage of women in chamber: 38.1% expected date of next election: by December 2028

National anthem(s)

title: "Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Sweet Land) lyrics/music: Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER history: national anthem adopted 1976 _____ title: Het Wilhelmus lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown history: official anthem, as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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

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.

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)

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

total dependency ratio: 52.3 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 26.3 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 26.1 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 3.8 (2024 est.)

Education expenditure

3.6% of GDP (2021 est.) 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.) note: data represent population by nationality

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births

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

total population: 78.5 years (2024 est.) male: 75.4 years female: 81.6 years

Major urban areas - population

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 41.2 years (2025 est.) male: 39.3 years female: 42.4 years

Nationality

noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch

Net migration rate

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

Population

total: 125,063 (2024 est.) male: 59,101 female: 65,962

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

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

total: 98.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 1.2% of population (2022 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 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

P4

Merchant marine

total: 1 (2023) by type: other 1

Ports

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Paardenbaai (Oranjestad), Sint Nicolaas Baai