Map of Aruba | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 180 km²
Land: 180 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 68.5 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation
Highest point: Ceru Jamanota 188 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

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.)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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)


top of page


Population
Total: 125,063 (2024 est.)
Male: 59,101
Female: 65,962
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
Growth rate: 1.08% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

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.)

Demographic profile

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)

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.)

Median age
Total: 40.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 39.3 years
Female: 42.4 years

Population growth rate: 1.08% (2024 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate

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

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

Major urban areas
Population: 30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

Environment

Air pollutants

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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75.4 years
Female: 81.6 years

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name

Government type

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

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

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 2,028

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 2,028

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem
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 heritage


top of page


Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

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

Gross national saving

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

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $793 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $782 million (2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

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

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


top of page


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.)
Access electrification - total population: 99.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 100%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 83.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 13.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

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

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.163 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.163 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 153.952 million Btu/person (2023 est.)


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 35,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 141,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 97% (2017 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 19,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2022 est.)


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2025)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1 (2023)
By type: other 1

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs