Demographics of Aruba

This is a demography of the population of Aruba including population density, ethnicity, nationality language use, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Having poor soil and aridity, Aruba was largely detached from plantation economics and the slave trade. In 1515, the Spanish transported the entire population to Hispaniola to work in the copper mines; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out. The Dutch, who took control a century later, left the Arawaks to graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The Arawak (namely Caquetío) heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands.

The population is estimated to be 75% mixed European/Amerindian/African, 15% Black and 10% other ethnicities (including Asians and Europeans). Although no full-blooded Aboriginals remain, the features of half of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic Indigenous Arawak heritage^{[citation needed]}. The average Aruban has high degrees of European, Amerindian ancestry and to a lesser extent African ancestry. Some Arubans may also have varying degrees of Asian ancestry.

Aruba's population is very ethnically diverse, international and multicultural, descending from a mix of various people groups and being home to over 120+ nationalities. The population of the island has grown significantly in the last 50 years, mainly due to immigration. The population is mostly descended from Caquetio Indians, Dutch, Spanish, Afro-Caribbeans and to a lesser extent from the Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Lebanese, East Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, Filipino and various other diasporas.

Recently, there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring mainland American and Caribbean nations, possibly attracted by higher paying jobs, namely in the tourism industry. In 2007, new immigration laws were introduced to help control the growth of the population by restricting foreign workers to a maximum of three years residency on the island.

Due to strong historical and cultural ties to its neighbors, Aruba has always been heavily influenced culturally, linguistically and demographically by Latin-America over the centuries. In recent decades, immigration from Latin-America to Aruba has increased significantly. Many of Aruba's families are partially or fully descended from Venezuelan immigrants. Due to Aruba's proximity to Colombia, many Colombians and their descendants live in Aruba. Communities of Dominicans, Ecuadorians, Peruvians and other Latin-Americans reside on the island as well.

Many Asian immigrants and their descendants (Asian-Arubans) also live in Aruba, namely those of Chinese, Filipino, East-Indian and Javanese descent. Many are descendants of colonial era contract workers and recent immigrants to Aruba.

A significant minority of the population is descended from the British West-Indies, many living in the town of San Nicolas. Aruba also receives European immigration, namely from the Netherlands and Southern-Europe.

Most people on Aruba are multilingual, being able to speak three to four (or more) languages. The two official languages of Aruba are Dutch and the pre-dominant, national language Papiamento. Papiamento is a Portuguese-based creole, formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese with influences from Spanish, Dutch and several other languages. Spanish and English are also widely known and spoken due to proximity to Latin-America and North-American tourism. There are also communities of speakers of other languages on the island, such as Portuguese, French, Sranan Tongo, Tagalog and Chinese.

Children in Aruba are known to start school by the age of four and are commonly known to be multilingual by this time. Although the official languages of Aruba are Papiamento and Dutch, English and Spanish is taught through education when reaching the sixth grade. French is also taught as an optional subject in higher levels of education.

Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, practiced by about 75% of the population. Various Protestant denominations are also present on the island.^[2]