ORANJESTAD – The total government debt of Aruba has declined to nearly 5 billion florins as of the beginning of 2026, according to new data published by the Centrale Bank van Aruba. The reduction follows a steady downward trend in recent years.
According to the report on pending government debt, the total debt decreased from more than 5.7 billion florins in 2022 to over 5.1 billion by the end of 2025. The first quarter of 2026 saw a further decrease, bringing the national debt close to the 5 billion florin threshold.
The external debt portion experienced a sharp decline during this period, falling from more than 3.5 billion florins in 2022 to nearly 2.9 billion at the start of this year. This reduction includes a decrease in debt owed to the Netherlands, which dropped from approximately 1.45 billion to 1.25 billion florins. Similarly, debt to the United States fell from over 800 million to roughly 720 million florins.
In contrast, local debt remained relatively stable at around 2 billion florins. However, the Centrale Bank noted that Aruba is increasingly relying on local government obligations for financing. The value of outstanding government obligations has risen in recent years to almost 1.6 billion florins.
The data further reveals that short-term debt has decreased considerably. This development indicates that the government is becoming less dependent on temporary financing and outstanding payment obligations. It is important to note that these figures do not include pending government guarantees and are calculated based on current exchange rates.
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