Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Aruba instead of Netherlands, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years less

In Netherlands, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022. In Aruba, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 40.4% less money

Netherlands has a GDP per capita of $69,300 as of 2023, while in Aruba, the GDP per capita is $41,300 as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Netherlands, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Aruba, that number is 7.7% as of 2016.

pay a 13.5% higher top tax rate

Netherlands has a top tax rate of 52.0% as of 2016. In Aruba, the top tax rate is 59.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 3.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Netherlands, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Aruba, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 17.0% more on education

Netherlands spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Aruba spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 84.8% less coastline

Netherlands has a total of 451 km of coastline. In Aruba, that number is 68 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, Ministerio di Finansas, Comunicacion, Utilidad y Energia.

Aruba: At a glance

Aruba is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 180 sq km. Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
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How big is Aruba compared to Netherlands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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