Editing Aruba (section)

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Aruba}}

{{bar box
|title=National origins<ref name="cia.gov"/>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Nationality
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars= 
{{bar percent|Aruban|Blue|66}}
{{bar percent|[[Colombians|Colombian]]|Orange|9.1}}
{{bar percent|Other|Grey|6.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Dutch people|Dutch]]|black|4.3}}
{{bar percent|[[People of the Dominican Republic|Dominican]]|Yellow|4.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Venezuelans|Venezuelan]]|Green|3.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Curaçaoans|Curaçaoan]]|Orange|2.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Haitians|Haitian]]|Purple|1.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Surinamese people|Surinamese]]|Red|1.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Peruvians|Peruvian]]|Pink|1.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Chinese people|Chinese]]|White|1.1}}
}}
In terms of country of birth, the population is estimated to be 66% Aruban, 9.1% [[Colombians|Colombian]], 4.3% [[Dutch people|Dutch]], 5.1% [[People of the Dominican Republic|Dominican]], 3.2% [[Venezuelans|Venezuelan]], 2.2% [[Curaçaoans|Curaçaoan]], 1.5% [[Haitians|Haitian]], 1.2% [[Surinamese people|Surinamese]], 1.1% [[Peruvians|Peruvian]], 1.1% [[Chinese people|Chinese]], 6.2% from other backgrounds.<ref name="cia.gov"/> In terms of nationality, the population is estimated to be 78.7% [[Dutch people|Dutch]], 6.6% [[Colombians|Colombian]], 5.5% [[Venezuelans|Venezuelan]], 2.8% [[People of the Dominican Republic|Dominican]]; 1.3% [[Haitians|Haitian]], and 5.1% from other backgrounds ({{As of|2020}}).<ref>{{Citation |title=Aruba |date=2023-08-29 |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/aruba/#people-and-society |work=The World Factbook |access-date=2023-09-13 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> In 2019, recently arrived Venezuelan refugees were estimated to number around 17,000 on Aruba, accounting for some 15% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aruba |url=https://hias.org/where/aruba/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=HIAS |language=en-US}}</ref>

The majority of Arubans are of [[Multiracial people|mixed]] ancestry including European, Amerindian and African roots (some may also have [[Asian people|Asian]] ancestry).<ref>{{Cite web |title=People of Aruba - Facts about the locals |url=https://www.aruba.com/uk/our-island/history-and-culture/the-people-of-aruba |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.aruba.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> Various minorities of other ethnic groups and over 100 nationalities also reside on the island.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-21 |title=A multicultural society – Central Bureau of Statistics |url=https://cbs.aw/wp/index.php/2022/09/21/country-of-birth-and-nationality/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Aruba's population has strong [[Arawak]] heritage compared to most Caribbean islands, although there are no full-blooded [[Native American (Americas)|Aboriginals]] remaining. The islanders' features clearly reflect their genetic Arawak heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255649566|title=Mitochondrial DNA Analysis in Aruba}}</ref> Aruba's population is primarily descended from Caquetío Indians, Dutch settlers, Spanish settlers, enslaved Africans and to a lesser extent various other groups who have settled on Aruba over time, including Venezuelans, Colombians, Dominicans, Portuguese, Greeks, Italians, English, French, Germans, West Indians, Indo-Caribbeans, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Javanese, Levantine Arabs and Sephardic Jews.

{{Multiple image
| image1            = Total-population 1972-2022-(Aruba).jpg
| caption1          = 
| align             = right
| image2            = Natural-growth-of-the-population-and-migration-1972-2022-(Aruba).jpg
| caption2          = 
| total_width       = 400
| footer            = In Aruba, population development is primarily influenced by net migration due to the relatively low number of births and deaths (1972-2022). ''<small>Source: [[Central Bureau of Statistics (Aruba)|Central Bureau of Statistics]], and Civil Registry and Population Office.</small>''<ref name="cbs.aw">{{Cite web |date=2022-11-24 |title=The development of the population of Aruba – Central Bureau of Statistics |url=https://cbs.aw/wp/index.php/2022/11/24/test-births/ |access-date=2023-09-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>
}}

The population experienced fluctuations between 1972 and 2022, primarily influenced by net migration. While there have been periods of growth, there have also been declines, especially during economic challenges. Notably, between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled. However, in 2017, a decline occurred, breaking almost three decades of continuous growth. The first three years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) also contributed to a population decrease, mainly due to reduced births and emigration.

As of the 3rd quarter in 2024, the population stood at 108,027 people, marking a modest 0.4% growth compared to the previous year.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> This increase was driven by a significant rise in immigration, which saw a 20.4 percent uptick.<ref name="cbs.aw">{{Cite web |date=2022-11-24 |title=The development of the population of Aruba – Central Bureau of Statistics |url=https://cbs.aw/wp/index.php/2022/11/24/test-births/ |access-date=2023-09-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Language===
{{main|Languages of Aruba|Caquetío language|List of newspapers in Aruba}}
{{bar box
|title=Primary Language of Arubans
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Languages
|right1=percent
|float=right
|caption=Housing census 2010<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-06 |title=Census 2010 – Central Bureau of Statistics |url=https://cbs.aw/wp/index.php/2012/07/06/census-2010/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|bars=
{{bar percent|Papiamento|darkgreen|63.3}}
{{bar percent|Dutch|black|15}}
{{bar percent|Spanish|purple|11.5}}
{{bar percent|English|red|5}}
{{bar percent|Chinese|orange|1.4}}
{{bar percent|None|darkblue|1.5}}{{bar percent|Other|green|1.7}}
{{bar percent|Not Stated|maroon|0.4}}
}}Aruba is a multilingual society.<ref>{{Cite web |title=(PDF) Language and education in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300471435_Language_and_education_in_Aruba_Bonaire_and_Curacao |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320070900/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300471435_Language_and_education_in_Aruba_Bonaire_and_Curacao |archive-date=20 March 2025 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=ResearchGate |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The Official languages are [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[Papiamento]]. While Dutch is the sole language for all administration and legal matters,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/about-us/the-dutch-caribbean |title=About Us |website=DutchCaribbeanLegalPortal.com |access-date=20 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620052254/http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/about-us/the-dutch-caribbean |archive-date=20 June 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Papiamento is the predominant language used in Aruba. Papiamento is a [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]/[[Spanish language|Spanish]] based [[creole language]], spoken on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao that also incorporates words from the [[Caquetío language|Caquetio]] language, Dutch, various West African languages and English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aruba, Our History and Culture |url=https://www.aruba.com/us/our-island/history-and-culture/papiamento}}</ref> English and Spanish are also widely spoken on the island, their usage having grown due to tourism and immigration.<ref name="Britannica"/><ref name="autogenerated2"/> Other common languages spoken, based on the size of their community, include Portuguese, Cantonese, French and German.

In recent years, the government has shown an increased interest in acknowledging the cultural and historical importance of Papiamento. Although spoken Papiamento is fairly similar among the several Papiamento-speaking islands, the [[Papiamento orthography|orthography differs per island]], with Aruba using etymological spelling (Papiamento), and Curaçao and Bonaire a phonetic spelling (Papiamentu).

The book ''[[History of the Buccaneers of America|Buccaneers of America]]'', first published in 1678, states through eyewitness account that the natives on Aruba spoke Spanish already.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Aruba in Timeline - Popular Timelines|url=https://populartimelines.com/t/690/Aruba|website=populartimelines.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref> Spanish became an important language in the 18th century due to the close economic ties with Spanish colonies in what are now Venezuela and Colombia.<ref>Dede pikiña ku su bisiña: Papiamentu-Nederlands en de onverwerkt verleden tijd. van Putte, Florimon., 1999. Zutphen: de Walburg Pers</ref> Venezuelan TV networks are received on the island, and there are significant communities of Venezuelans and Colombians on Aruba.<ref name=CIAFactBook>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/aruba/#people-and-society|website=www.CIA.gov/the-world-factbook|title=Aruba-People and Society|year=2022|author=CIA.gov|access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Around 13% of the population today speaks Spanish natively.<ref name=cia>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Aruba|access-date=6 June 2011}}</ref> Use of English dates to the early 19th century, when the British ruled Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire. When Dutch rule resumed in 1815, officials already noted wide use of the language.<ref name="Putte">''Dede pikiña ku su bisiña: Papiamentu-Nederlands en de onverwerkt verleden tijd''. van Putte, Florimon., 1999. Zutphen: de Walburg Pers</ref> There is also a little studied native variety of [[English Creole]] spoken in [[San Nicolaas]], known as [[San Nicolaas English]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.academia.edu/26789758 | title=The English Creole of Aruba: A Community-Based Description of the San Nicolas Variety | last1=Devonish | first1=Hubert | last2=Richardson | first2=Gregory }}</ref>

Aruba has newspapers published in Papiamento: ''[[Diario (Aruba)|Diario]]'', ''Bon Dia'', ''Solo di Pueblo'', and ''Awe Mainta''; English: ''Aruba Daily'', ''Aruba Today'', and ''The News''; and Dutch: ''[[Amigoe]]''. There are 18 radio stations (two AM and sixteen FM) and two local television stations ([[Telearuba]] and Channel 22).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aruba - arubanoasis|url=http://www.arubanoasis.com/about/aruba|website=arubanoasis.com|access-date=2020-05-29|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726100325/http://www.arubanoasis.com/about/aruba|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religions of Aruba<ref name="cia.gov"/>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religions
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Roman Catholic]]|DodgerBlue|75.3}}
{{bar percent|None|Black|5.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestant]]|SkyBlue|4.9}}
{{bar percent| Other |pink|4.4}}
{{bar percent|[[Jehovah's Witness]]|teal|1.7}}
{{bar percent|Unspecified|LightGrey|0.5}}
}}
[[Roman Catholicism]] is the dominant religion, followed by approximately 75% of the population.<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="autogenerated2"/> In addition to Catholicism, there is a diverse range of religions practiced<ref name="autogenerated2"/><ref name="Britannica"/> including [[Protestantism]], [[Islam]], [[Hinduism]], [[Judaism]], and [[African diaspora religions]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Practiced religions in Aruba - Churches, Temples & Holy Places {{!}} Aruba.com |url=https://www.aruba.com/us/our-island/history-and-culture/religion |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=www.aruba.com |language=en-us}}</ref>[[File:BNA-DIG-MEINERS-0143 - Landschap - Seroe Pretoe, Grot van Onze lieve Vrouwe van Lourdes 630700 c.jpg|thumb|Shrine at Sero Preto, San Nicolas (1963)]]
The [[Lourdes grotto|Lourdes Grotto]], named after the famous French religious pilgrimage site, was constructed in 1958 by a priest named Erkamp and his parishioners. This shrine is nestled into the rocks of [[Seroe Preto]], just off the main road to San Nicolas. Inside the cave, there is a {{Convert|700|kg|lb}} statue of the Virgin Mary, easily visible from the main road. Each year, on February 11 (the feast of [[Our Lady of Lourdes|Lady Lourdes]]), a procession departs from [[St. Theresita Church]] in San Nicolas and heads to the grotto, where a [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] is held.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lourdes Grotto Aruba - Rooms-Katholiek Schrijn in de Rotsen |url=https://www.aruba.com/nl/ontdek/lourdes-grot |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=www.aruba.com |language=nl}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| image1            = San Francisco di Asis Pro-Cathedra.jpg
| image2            = Protestant church (Oranjestad) 17 59 57 986000.jpeg
| align             = center
| caption1          = [[St. Francis of Assisi Church, Oranjestad|St. Francis of Assisi Church]]
| caption2          = [[Protestant Church (Aruba)|Protestant church]]
| image3            = St.Ann's Catholic church1.jpg
| image4            = Santa Filomena Catholic Parish.jpg
| total_width       = 600
| image5            = Alto Vista Chapel @ Sunrise.jpg
| caption4          = [[St. Philomena's Church, Paradera|St. Philomena's Church]]
| caption5          = [[Alto Vista Chapel]]
| caption3          = [[St Ann's Church, Aruba|St Ann's Church]]
}}