Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
One of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its own parliament and government. Defense, foreign affairs and nationality are matters for the Kingdom.
National Identity
- Official name
- Aruba
- Official name (in Papiamento)
- Pais Aruba
- Official name (in Dutch)
- Land Aruba
- Name 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)
Sources:- Constitution of Aruba ↗ - Government of Aruba - Government Information Agency
- The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- Aruba Dushi Tera2:07
- Title (in Papiamento)
- Aruba Dushi Tera
- Title (in English, translated)
- Aruba Sweet Land
- Lyrics
1Aruba patria aprecia nos cuna venera chikito y simpel bo por ta pero si respeta.
Chorus: O, Aruba, dushi tera nos baranca tan stima nos amor p’abo t’asina grandi cu n’tin nada pa kibre cu n’tin nada pa kibre
2Bo playanan tan admira cu palma tu dorna bo escudo y bandera ta orgullo di nos tur!
:3Grandeza di bo pueblo ta su gran cordialidad cu Dios por guia y conserva su amor pa libertad!
:Source: - Citizens
- Arubans
- Official name:Constitution of Aruba ↗ - Government of Aruba - Government Information Agency
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
- Total area
- 180 km²
- Land area
- 180 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 68.5 km
- Terrain
Flat with a few hills; scant vegetation - Highest point
- 188 mCeru Jamanota
- Lowest point
- 0 mCaribbean Sea
- Climate
Tropical marine little seasonal temperature variation - Avg. temperature
- 26.7 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 26.1 to 27.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 650 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 26.2 25.8 25.2 42 February 26 25.6 25.1 23 March 26.1 25.7 25.3 20 April 26.6 26.3 25.8 27 May 27.1 26.8 26.4 35 June 27.4 27.1 26.6 28 July 27.4 27 26.4 30 August 27.9 27.5 26.9 33 September 28.4 27.8 27.1 72 October 28.2 27.6 26.7 119 November 27.7 27 26.1 145 December 26.9 26.4 25.7 76 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable11.1%Forest2.7%Other86.2%
- Arable land
- 2,000 hectares (11.1%)
- Forest
- 490 hectares (2.7%)
- Other land
- 15,510 hectares (86.2%)
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.02% per year+17 people/yearWorld Rank174thof 237
- Birth rate
- 9.5 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 10.2 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +0.7 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 41.7 yearsWorld Rank50thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years16.2%15-64 years65.3%65 years +18.5%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 18.5%
- Share aged under 18
- 20.0%
- Total dependency ratio
- 53
- Youth dependency ratio
- 25
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 28
- Sex ratio
- 0.9 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.9% 1.7% 70-79 3.9% 5.1% 60-69 6.6% 8.1% 50-59 6.5% 7.9% 40-49 5.8% 7.0% 30-39 5.9% 6.1% 20-29 6.2% 5.8% 10-19 6.4% 6.2% 0-9 5.1% 4.9% - 2026
- 0.49 below the replacement level for Aruba ()1.61 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank149thof 237
- 0.77 daughters per woman0.23 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −0.8 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 0.8 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- +0.7 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 61.7% live in 66,746 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2020
- Oranjestad, Sint NicolaasRankUrban AreaPopulation (2020 census)1Oranjestad81,9152Sint Nicolaas25,823Source:
- Central Bureau of Statistics, Aruba (2020 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- 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.
- Ethnic groups2020
- Figures count nationality, not ethnicity.Dutch78.7%Colombian6.6%Venezuelan5.5%Dominican2.8%Haitian1.3%Other5.1%
- Religions2010
- Roman Catholic75.3%Protestant4.9%Jehovah's Witness1.7%Other12.0%None5.5%Unspecified0.5%
- Protestant
- 4.9%
- Methodist
- 0.9%
- Adventist
- 0.9%
- Anglican
- 0.4%
- Other Protestant
- 2.7%
Source:- The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Languages
- Papiamento (Papiamentu), Dutch (Nederlands)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Central Bureau of Statistics, Aruba (2020 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with the Netherlands: the monarch of the Netherlands is head of state.Aruba is one of four countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, whose Crown is hereditary; the King is represented in Aruba by a Governor whom he appoints and dismisses as head of the Kingdom (Statuut, Arts. 1, 1a, 2).Sources:
- Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, consolidated text ↗, Statuut, Arts. 1, 1a, 2
- Staatsregeling van Aruba (AB 1987 no. GT 1; AB 1997 no. GT 1) ↗, Statuut, Arts. 1, 1a, 2
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe government is the King and the ministers; the minister-president chairs a council of at most nine ministers appointed in consultation with the Staten (parliament), and a minister who loses the Staten's confidence places his office at their disposal (Staatsregeling, Arts. II.1, II.2, II.6).Sources:
- Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, consolidated text ↗, Staatsregeling, Arts. II.1, II.2, II.6
- Staatsregeling van Aruba (AB 1987 no. GT 1; AB 1997 no. GT 1) ↗, Staatsregeling, Arts. II.1, II.2, II.6
- Capital
- Oranjestad28,658 people(2020)
- National holidays
- 11 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- SunJan 25Betico Day
- MonFeb 16Monday before Ash Wednesday
- WedMar 18National Anthem and Flag Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- MonApr 27King's Day
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- ThuMay 14Ascension Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Second Day of Christmas
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- ASTAtlantic Standard TimeUTC−4
- Currency
- Aruban Florin (AWG)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +297
- Internet TLD
- .aw
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- AW, ABW
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 274,280 by the country's airlines(2018)
- Aircraft departures
- 2,276 by the country's airlines(2018)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- P4
Sources:- The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Aruba AirlinesPrivately owned
- Form of state, System of government:Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, consolidated text ↗ - Government of the Netherlands
- Form of state, System of government:Staatsregeling van Aruba (AB 1987 no. GT 1; AB 1997 no. GT 1) ↗ - Government of Aruba
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +3.7% per yearWorld Rank72ndof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $42,934 (34th in the world)
Source:- 2023
- Services76.3% of GDPIndustry10.8% of GDPAgriculture0% of GDPManufacturing2.4%part of industry
- Households
- +49.1%
- Government
- +17.9%
- Investment
- +25.7%
- Exports
- +86%
- Imports
- −78.2%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 1.8%up 1.7 percentage points1.7pp from 2025
- Budget balance2026
- 2.3% of GDP surplus
- Current account
- 10.5% of GDP, $492 million surplus
Source: - Debt2024
- Interest on debt4.1% of GDP
- Trade2023
- Goods$164.5 million5.2%
- Services$3 billion94.8%
- Total exports
- $3.2 billion
- Change from 2022
- up 10.5 percent on the previous year10.5%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- Gold reserves2025
- 3.1 tonnesWorth $436.8 million, 20% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
Society
- Literacy2010latest available
- 96.8% of adults
- Education expenditure2021
- 3.6% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 11%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Mobile subscriptions2022
- 140,815
- Fixed telephone lines
- 34,549
- Fixed broadband
- 17.5 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted2025
- 0 people
- Inbound tourists2022
- Official tourism site1.1 million arrivalsdown 2% against 20192% below 2019World Rank80thof 139
- Per resident
- 10.2 arrivals per resident
- Same-day visitors
- 610,000 arrivals
- $2.6 billion(2023)
- Share of GDP
- 21.2% tourism direct GDP(2017, latest available)
- $445.1 million(2023)
- Hotel beds
- 23,858(2021, latest available)
- Average hotel stay
- 6.9 nights(2021, latest available)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Homicide rate2014
- 1.9 per 100,000 peopleLow by global standards
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 1.9 2 2014 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 288.5 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 311
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 76.8 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 10.4 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.56 Mt per yearup 3.5 percent on the previous year3.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 5.1 t per personWorld Rank55thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0.02 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.01 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.59 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 6.2 µg/m³ of PM2.50.1 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted173rdof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- difficulty in properly disposing waste from tourists
- air pollution from waste-burning
- water pollution from plastics
- International agreements
- 0 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 2 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification not a party Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Aruba - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 164.1 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 3.4% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- 1 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 1 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.8 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 2012Consumption20247,642 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration