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
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

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

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)

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.)

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: 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.)

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)

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.)

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

Industries: tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

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

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.)

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.)

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.)

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

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

Airports: 1 (2025)

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