Aruba - AW - ABW - ARU - Central America and the Caribbean

constituent country 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

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba

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)

12 30 N, 69 58 W

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.)

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

slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

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.

difficulty in properly disposing waste produced by large numbers of tourists; waste-burning that occurs in the landfill causes air pollution; ocean environmental damage due to plastic pollution

tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

aloes; livestock; fish

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)

revenues: $793 million (2019 est.)

expenditures: $782 million (2019 est.)

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

refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

68.5 km

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

Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
1.79 (2023 est.)
1.79 (2022 est.)
1.79 (2021 est.)
1.79 (2020 est.)
1.79 (2019 est.)

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)

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

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

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

 

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

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

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 11.1% (2022 est.)

arable land: 11.1% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest: 2.3% (2022 est.)

other: 86.6% (2022 est.)

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

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: 6/25/2021

parties elected and seats per party: MEP (9); AVP (7); ROOTS (2); MAS (2); Accion21 (1)

percentage of women in chamber: 38.1%

expected date of next election: June 2025

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.8%

male: 97.8%

female: 97.8% (2018)

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

noun: Aruban(s)

adjective: Aruban; Dutch

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

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)

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

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)

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)

domestic: 33 per 100 fixed-line telephone subscriptions and 130 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

international: country code - 297; landing points for the PAN-AM, PCCS, Deep Blue Cable, and Alonso de Ojeda submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from Trinidad and Tobago, Florida, Puerto Ricco, Jamaica, Guyana, Sint Eustatius & Saba, Suriname, Dominican Republic, BVI, USVI, Haiti, Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles,  through Aruba to Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2019)

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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)

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, meaning "well-situated," or a combination of two Carib Indian words, ora and oubao, respectively meaning "shell" and "island"

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Central America and the Caribbean

NA

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

percent of population: 97% (2017 est.)

.aw

$3.649 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 14 years (2012)

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Aruba observes freedom of the press, as guaranteed under Dutch law, the newspapers are in the Papiamento language, there are two commercial TV stations, a cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels and there are a wide range of commercial radio stations available

(2023)

improved:

urban: 98.1% of population

rural: 98.1% of population

total: 98.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: 1.9% of population

rural: 1.9% of population

total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)

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)

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

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

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

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.)

see the Netherlands

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

electrification - total population: 99.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 100%

P4

improved:

urban: 97.7% of population

rural: 97.7% of population

total: 97.7% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.3% of population

rural: 2.3% of population

total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

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

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.)

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.)

USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

refugees (country of origin): 17,085 (Venezuela) (2023)

highest point: Ceru Jamanota 188 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

NA

Fitch rating: BB (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB+ (2013)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

municipal solid waste generated annually: 88,132 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 9,695 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11% (2013 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.88 megatons (2016 est.)

imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

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.)

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

0.9 (2024 est.)

42.1% (2023 est.)

1.03% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.17% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.22% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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

8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 40.9 years (2024 est.)

male: 39.3 years

female: 42.4 years

$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

86% of GDP (2017 est.)

1.82 children born/woman (2024 est.)

7.7% (2016 est.)

total: 125,063 (2024 est.)

male: 59,101

female: 65,962

1.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

total : 180 sq km

land: 180 sq km

water: 0 sq km

25.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

$4.35 billion (2023 est.)
$4.172 billion (2022 est.)
$3.844 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

1 (2025)

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

total subscriptions: 141,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2021 est.)

4.26% (2019 est.)
3.63% (2018 est.)
-1.03% (2017 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

$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

$40,500 (2023 est.)
$38,900 (2022 est.)
$35,700 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 19,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2022 est.)

153.952 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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

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

installed generating capacity: 305,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 824.036 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 166.766 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 1 (2023)

by type: other 1

NA

$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

$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

total subscriptions: 35,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2022 est.)

total population: 78.5 years (2024 est.)

male: 75.4 years

female: 81.6 years

4.26% (2023 est.)
8.52% (2022 est.)
27.64% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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

0% of GDP (2017 est.)

5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

1.08% (2024 est.)