Economy - overview:
Tourism, petroleum bunkering, hospitality, and financial and business services are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy.Tourism accounts for a majority of economic activity; as of 2014, over 1.7 million tourists visited Aruba annually, with the large majority of those from the US. The rapid growth of the tourism sector has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction continues to boom, especially in the hotel sector.Aruba is heavily dependent on imports and is making efforts to expand exports to improve its trade balance. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, the Netherlands, and Panama being the major suppliers.In 2016, Citgo Petroleum Corporation, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela SA, and the Government of Aruba signed an agreement to restart Valero Energy Corp.'s former 235,000-b/d refinery . Tourism and related industries have continued to grow, and the Aruban government is working to attract more diverse industries. Aruba's banking sector continues to be a strong sector; unemployment has significantly decreased.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
$2.516 billion (2009 est.)
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
$2.205 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
$2.516 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
2.4% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$25,300 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
household consumption: 60.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 26.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 22.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 70.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -79% (2014 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 0.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
aloes; livestock; fish
tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking
NA%
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
51,610
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 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade, followed by hotels and restaurants
6.9% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $695.4 million
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $794 million (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
27.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-3.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
67% of GDP (2013)
55% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 55
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
-0.1% (2017 est.)
-0.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
1% (31 December 2010)
3% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 127
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
8.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.83% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$1.257 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.257 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$2.328 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$2.126 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$1.848 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$246.3 million (2017 est.)
$283.1 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Colombia 23.4%, US 19.8%, Netherlands 16.9%, Venezuela 13.9% (2016)
$1.165 billion (2017 est.)
$1.142 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery and electrical equipment, refined oil for bunkering and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
US 55.4%, Netherlands 12.6% (2016)
$693.2 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$666.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar -
1.79 (2017 est.)
1.79 (2016 est.)
1.79 (2015 est.)
1.79 (2014 est.)
1.79 (2013 est.)