Aruba

parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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

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 2028

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 2028

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

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

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

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)

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)

$4.35 billion (2023 est.) $4.172 billion (2022 est.) $3.844 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$40,500 (2023 est.) $38,900 (2022 est.) $35,700 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4.3% (2023 est.) 8.5% (2022 est.) 24.1% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.3% (2019 est.) 3.6% (2018 est.) -1% (2017 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

84.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$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

$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

revenues: $793 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $782 million (2019 est.)

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

aloes; livestock; fish

total: 125,063 (2024 est.) male: 59,101 female: 65,962

1.05% (2025 est.)

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)

11.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 78.5 years (2024 est.) male: 75.4 years female: 81.6 years

urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 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

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.)

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.)

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

1 (2025)

total: 1 (2023) by type: other 1

total subscriptions: 140,815 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 131 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 97% (2017 est.)