Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Aruba
North AmericaRegional Champion
Aruba tops North America for internet access. How does it compare to its neighbors?
Aruba tops North America for internet access. Neighbors look to it as a regional benchmark. How does it compare to its neighbors?
12.5, -70.0 - North America
Area
180 km²
Pop.
125.1K
Stats
63
Reality brief
Aruba is a country in North America with a population of 125.1K and an area of 180 km². Life expectancy is 76.4 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Population Density
596.44 /km²#15globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Internet Users (%)
97%#19globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
8.5 t/person/yr#32globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$50,649.3#47globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$40,516.81#55globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
76.4 years#90globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Aruba
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Papiamento (official) (a creole language that mixes Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and more.
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Country of Aruba.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Electricity Access (%)
100%#9globallyTop stat
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Government Debt (% GDP)
84.7% of GDP#32globallyTop stat
Central government debt as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Lowest Elevation
0 m#46globally
Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Median Age
41.0 years#50globally
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #182 in merchant fleet size
#1821.0Merchant Fleet Size
Number of merchant marine ships from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Only ranks #205 in forest area
#2054.2 km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Only ranks #203 in land area
#203180 km²Land Area
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Only ranks #214 in airports
#2141.0Airports
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Only ranks #214 in highest elevation
#214188 mHighest Elevation
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Compared with the region
How Aruba Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Aruba
North America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $50,649.3
- Region avg
- $38,271.63
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Aruba$50,649.3
North America$38,271.63
World$31,844.55
+59% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 76.4 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Aruba76.4 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+4% above worldWB 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 97%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Aruba97%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+38% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Aruba
Country briefing
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636.
Read the full Factbook note
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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
- Climate
- tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain
- flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
- Natural Resources
- NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism
- Natural Hazards
- hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than Washington, D.C.
People & Culture4 facts
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Dutch 78.7%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 5.5%, Dominican 2.8%, Haitian 1.3%, other 5.1% (2020 est.)
- Major Cities
- 30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)
Government & History9 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Capital
- Oranjestad
- Capital Coordinates
- 12 31 N, 70 02 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Country of Aruba
- Name Origin
- 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)
- Independence
- none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- National Symbols
- Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill
- National Anthem
- "Het Wilhelmus"
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- 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
- Industries
- tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking
- Agricultural Products
- aloes; livestock; fish
- Export Partners
- Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense3 facts
- Military Forces
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- 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.)
- Broadcast Media
- freedom of the press respected, as guaranteed under Dutch law; newspapers are in the Papiamento language; 2 commercial TV stations, with a cable TV subscription service providing access to foreign channels; wide range of commercial radio stations available (2023)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Environment7 statsBest: #9
Wealth & Economy8 statsBest: #15
Demographics12 statsBest: #15
Population Density
Median Age
Elderly Population (%)
Death Rate
Urban Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Teen Birth Rate
Birth Rate
Dependency Ratio
Youth Population (%)
Population
Land Area
Technology3 statsBest: #19
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #46
Lowest Elevation
0 m#46
Land Border Length
0 km#169
Coastline Length
68.5 km#170
Highest Elevation
188 m#214
Health & Survival1 statsBest: #90
Life Expectancy
Education & Future2 statsBest: #114
Energy1 statsBest: #162
Electric Generating Capacity
305.0K kW#162
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #182
Airports
Merchant Fleet Size
1.0#182
Keep exploring
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Aruba
#15 in Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Top 10% globally
596.44 /km²
Frequently Asked Questions about Aruba
What is the population of Aruba?
Aruba has a population of 125.1K, ranking #186 globally by population.
What continent is Aruba in?
Aruba is located in North America. It has an area of 180 km².
What is the life expectancy in Aruba?
Life expectancy in Aruba is 76.4 years, ranking #90 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Aruba?
Aruba's GDP per capita (PPP) is $50,649.3, ranking #47 globally.
What is Aruba known for in global statistics?
Aruba ranks particularly high in Population Density (#15), Internet Users (%) (#19), CO2 Per Capita (#32).
How densely populated is Aruba?
Aruba has a population density of 596.4 people per km², ranking #15 globally.