Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy,
although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also
important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade
has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities.
Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985
level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in
1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has
further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than 1%
unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job
vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (1998 est.)

3% (1998)

purchasing power parity - $22,800 (1998 est.)

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

2% (1999 est.)

41,501 (1997 est.)

most employment is in wholesale and
retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants (1997
est.)

0.6% (1996 est.)

revenues: $NA
expenditures: $541 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

NA%

475 million kWh (1998)

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

442 million kWh (1998)

0 kWh (1998)

0 kWh (1998)

aloes; livestock; fish

$1.17 billion (including oil reexports)(1998)

transport equipment, live animals and animal
products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment

US 53.2%, Colombia 14.9%, Netherlands 8.8% (1998)

$1.52 billion (1998)

machinery and transport equipment, crude oil
for refining and reexport; foodstuffs

US 55.5%, Netherlands 12.3%, Japan 3.5% (1998)

$285 million (1996)

$26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands
provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996

1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate
since 1986)

calendar year