Capital

Aruba

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

Citizenship

Aruba

see the Netherlands

Legal system

Aruba

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

Suffrage

Aruba

18 years of age; universal

Area

Aruba

total: 180 sq km

land: 180 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Aruba

agricultural land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 2.3% (2018 est.)

other: 86.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Aruba

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Age structure

Aruba

0-14 years: 17.32% (male 10,745/female 10,677)

15-64 years: 66.11% (male 39,490/female 42,284)

65 years and over: 16.58% (2023 est.) (male 8,237/female 12,269)

Birth rate

Aruba

11.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Aruba

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Aruba

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the 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.)

Life expectancy at birth

Aruba

total population: 78.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 75.2 years

female: 81.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Aruba

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

Median age

Aruba

total: 40.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 39 years

female: 42.2 years

Net migration rate

Aruba

8.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Aruba

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

Population growth rate

Aruba

1.11% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Aruba

1.82 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Aruba

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Aruba

5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Aruba

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 14 years (2012)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Aruba

-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Aruba

NA

Labor force

Aruba

51,610 (2007 est.)

note: of the 51,610 workers aged 15 and over in the labor force, 32,252 were born in Aruba and 19,353 came from abroad; foreign workers are 38% of the employed population

Population below poverty line

Aruba

NA

Unemployment rate

Aruba

7.7% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Aruba

86% of GDP (2017 est.)

84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Aruba

4.26% (2019 est.)

3.63% (2018 est.)

-1.03% (2017 est.)

Exports

Aruba

$2.201 billion (2021 est.)

$1.444 billion (2020 est.)

$2.562 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Aruba

Malaysia 57%, United States 11%, Netherlands 6%, Jordan 6%, Venezuela 5% (2019)

Imports

Aruba

$1.947 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.644 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.24 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Aruba

United States 48%, Netherlands 16% (2019)

Airports

Aruba

1 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Aruba

total: 19,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Aruba

total: 106,800 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 97% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Aruba

total: 1,000 km (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

Aruba

total subscriptions: 35,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Aruba

total subscriptions: 140,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 130 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Aruba

none identified