Demographics of Aruba

The population is descended from the Caquetío Arawaks, Dutch, Spanish, Afro-Caribbeans and to a lesser extent from the Portuguese, Germans, French, British, Italians, Arabs, Jewish, Indians, Chinese, Indonesians, Filipinos and various other diasporas who have settled the island over time.

Aruba's population is very racially/ethnically diverse, international and multicultural, descending from a mix of various people groups and being home to over 140+ nationalities.

[2] In recent decades, there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring South-American and Caribbean nations, possibly attracted by higher paying jobs, namely in the tourism industry.

In 2007, new immigration laws were introduced and passed to help control the growth of the population by restricting foreign workers to a maximum of three years residency on the island.

Many descendants of Asian immigrants and contract workers live in Aruba as well, most notably those of Chinese, Filipino, Indian and Javanese descent.

Papiamento is a Portuguese-based creole, formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese with influences from Spanish, Dutch and several other languages.

Although the official languages of Aruba are Papiamento and Dutch, English and Spanish is taught through education when reaching the sixth grade.