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.

Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 180 km²
Land: 180 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km

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: NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

Land use
Agricultural land: 11.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 2.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 86.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

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

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)

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

Nationality
Noun: Aruban(s)
Adjective: Aruban; Dutch

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

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.)

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: 47.8
Youth dependency ratio: 24.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 23
Potential support ratio: 4.4 (2021 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: 8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

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
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

Air pollutants
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.88 megatons (2016 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.)

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: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 98.1% of population
Unimproved rural: 1.9% of population
Unimproved total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved urban: 1.9% of population

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 97.7% of population
Improved rural: 97.7% of population
Improved total: 97.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.3% of population
Unimproved rural: 2.3% of population
Unimproved total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.8%
Male: 97.8%
Female: 97.8% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2012)

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 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'

Government type: parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Note: Aruba is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday: National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

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

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

Citizenship: see the Netherlands

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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 Evelyn WEVER-CROES (since 17 November 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten)
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)
Election results: as leader of the majority party of the ruling coalition, Evelyn WEVER-CROES (MEP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA

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)
Elections: last held on 6 December 2024 (next to be held in 2,028)
Elections 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%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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

Political parties and leaders: Accion21, Aruban People's Party or AVP, Democratic Network or RED, Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS, People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP, Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR, RAIZ (ROOTS)

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
From the us embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba

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

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

National anthem
Name: 'Aruba Deshi Tera' (Aruba Precious Country)
Lyrics/music: Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER
Note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 'Het Wilhelmus' is official (see Netherlands)

Economy 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $4.498 billion (2022 est.); $4.072 billion (2021 est.); $3.191 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 10.46% (2022 est.); 27.64% (2021 est.); -23.98% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $42,300 (2022 est.); $38,200 (2021 est.); $29,900 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 53.8% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 19.9% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 20.6% (2022 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 83.1% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -77.3% (2022 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: aloes; livestock; fish

Industries: tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Unemployment rate: 7.7% (2016 est.)

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

Taxes and other revenues: 25.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 86% of GDP (2017 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 0% of GDP (2017 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.26% (2019 est.); 3.63% (2018 est.); -1.03% (2017 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Current account balance: $230.556 million (2022 est.); $79.257 million (2021 est.); -$316.455 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $2.853 billion (2022 est.); $2.201 billion (2021 est.); $1.444 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Colombia 40%, US 12%, Jordan 11%, Guyana 8%, Netherlands 6% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: tobacco, liquor, refined petroleum, scrap iron, orthopedic appliances (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $2.429 billion (2022 est.); $1.947 billion (2021 est.); $1.644 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 39%, Netherlands 11%, Guyana 9%, Colombia 8%, China 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, tobacco, jewelry, other foods (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.544 billion (2022 est.); $1.513 billion (2021 est.); $1.213 billion (2020 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 99.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 100%
Access electrification rural areas: 100%
Installed generating capacity: 304,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 809.548 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 166.766 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 84.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 13.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 8,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.214 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.214 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 161.715 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 35,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 141,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2021 est.)

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)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 19
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 274,280 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: P4

Airports: 1 (2024)

Roadways
Total: 1,000 km (2010)

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 17,085 (Venezuela) (2023)

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