May, 2nd 2014

Aruba is a small island located nearly 1,600 kilometers west of the Lesser Antilles and 27 kilometers north of Venezuela. Along with Bonaire and Curacao, it forms the ABC islands. Aruba is one of 4 constituent countries that create the Kingdom of the Netherlands, thus its citizens are Dutch. The estimated 2014 population of Aruba is 102,900. This makes Aruba the 197th most populous country in the world.

Despite having one of the world's smallest populations, Aruba does have a high population density at 575 people per square kilometer (or 1,490 per square mile). This ranks Aruba 22nd in the world.

Aruba Demographics

Aruba's population is believed to be 80% mixed Black/White/Caribbean Amerindian and 20% other ethnicities. The Arawak heritage is especially strong on the island. The Arawak are a group of people indigenous to the Caribbean and are believed to be the natives whom Christopher Columbus encountered in 1492. While there are no full-blooded aboriginals remaining, the features of many islanders shows their heritage. Most of the population descended from the Arawak, as well as Spanish, Italian, Dutch, French, British, Portuguese and African ancestors.

Many people in Aruba are descended from Venezuelan immigrants due to the island's close proximity to the country, and many Venezuelans own vacation homes on the island. The majority (81%) of Arubans are Roman Catholic.

Aruba Population Growth

Aruba has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean area with a low unemployment rate and well paying jobs, which means immigration to the area has been so strong the country had to pass legislation to limit immigration. Still, Aruba is a small country and it's population cannot exceed a certain level.

After a sharp increase in population in the early 1990's, the population growth rate has since varied and is currently increasing very slowly with an annual growth rate of 0.4%.