Statistical information Eritrea 2016

Eritrea in the World

Eritrea - Introduction 2016

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Background: After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule particularly since 2001 has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked 'to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900 1902 and 1908) and applicable international law.' The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's 'virtual demarcation' decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (from 2009 2011 and 2012) imposing various military and economic sanctions in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.

Eritrea - Geography 2016

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Location: Eastern Africa bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 39 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 117,600 km²
Land: 101,000 km²
Water: 16,600 km²
Rank: 101
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1840 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 125 km; Ethiopia 1033 km; Sudan 682 km

Coastline: 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1151 km islands in Red Sea 1083 km)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: hot dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Terrain: dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands descending on the east to a coastal desert plain on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Elevation
Mean elevation: 853 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m: highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources: gold potash zinc copper salt possibly oil and natural gas fish

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 75.1%

arable land: 6.8%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pasture: 68.3%

Forest: 15.1%
Other: 9.8%

Irrigated land: 210 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent droughts rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms
Volcanism: Dubbi which last erupted in 1861 was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

Geography
Note: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

Eritrea - People 2016

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Population: 5,869,869 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 113
Growth rate: 0.81% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 136
Below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean
Adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55% Tigre 30% Saho 4% Kunama 2% Rashaida 2% Bilen 2% other (Afar Beni Amir Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

Languages: Tigrinya (official) Arabic (official) English (official) Tigre Kunama Afar other Cushitic languages

Religions: Muslim Coptic Christian Roman Catholic Protestant

Demographic profile:

Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy – doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years – in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be almost 74% in 2015; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea’s growing population because of repeated droughts dwindling arable land: overgrazing soil erosion and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government’s emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity.
Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993 Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan Ethiopia Yemen Egypt or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom educational and job opportunities or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea’s large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country’s GDP annually since it became independent.
In the last few years Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert where they are victims of organ harvesting rape extortion and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea’s borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013 according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.66%
15-24 years: 19.39%
25-54 years: 32.33%
55-64 years: 3.73%
65 years and over: 3.9% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 83.2%
Youth dependency ratio: 78.4%
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.8%
Potential support ratio: 20.7%

Median age
Total: 19.4 years
Male: 19 years
Female: 19.9 years
Rank: 200

Population growth rate: 0.81% (2016 est.)
Rank: 136

Birth rate: 30.1 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 40

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 119

Net migration rate: -14.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 219

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 22.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 5.11% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: ASMARA (capital) 804,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male/female
25-54 years: 0.97 male/female
55-64 years: 0.74 male/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.3
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 45.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 52.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 38.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 42

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.9 years
Male: 62.4 years
Female: 67.5 years
Rank: 180

Total fertility rate: 4.07 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 35

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

urban: 73.2% of population
rural: 53.3% of population
total: 57.8% of population
urban: 26.8% of population
rural: 46.7% of population
total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 44.5% of population
rural: 7.3% of population
total: 15.7% of population
urban: 55.5% of population
rural: 92.7% of population
total: 84.3% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.61% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 56
People living with hivaids: 14,100 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 86
Deaths: 500 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 78

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.4% (2014)
Rank: 188

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 38.8% (2010)
Rank: 7

Education expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 165

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 73.8%
Male: 82.4%
Female: 65.5%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 5 years
Male: 6 years
Female: 4 years

Youth unemployment

Eritrea - Government 2016

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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Eritrea
Conventional short form: Eritrea
Local long form: Hagere Ertra
Local short form: Ertra
Former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Etymology: the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation 'Erythra Thalassa' meaning Red Sea which is the major water body bordering the country

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Asmara
Geographic coordinates: 15 20 N 38 56 E
Time difference: UTC+3

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (zobatat singular - zoba); Anseba Debub (South) Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea) Gash Barka Ma'akel (Central) Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday: Independence Day 24 May (1991)

Constitution: adopted 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented); note - drafting of a new constitution which began in 2014 continued into 2016 (2016)

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil customary and Islamic religious law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 20 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki ; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
Head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term ; the only election was held on 8 June 1993 following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely)
Election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95% other 5%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Hagerawi Baito
Elections: in May 1997 following the adoption of the new constitution 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia

Judicial branch
Highest court: High Court
Judge selection and term of office: High Court judges appointed by the president
Subordinate courts: regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts ; military courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government)
Note: a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001 but the full National Assembly never debated or voted on it

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS (observer) ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS (observer) MIGA NAM OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011)
In the us chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] 319-1991
In the us FAX: [1] 319-1304
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Louis MAZEL (since 10 July 2014)
From the us embassy: 179 Ala Street Asmara
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 211 Asmara
From the us telephone: [291] 120,004
From the us FAX: [291] 127,584

Flag description

: red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country
Note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil and Vanuatu

National symbols: camel; national colors: green red blue

National anthem
Name: 'Ertra Ertra Ertra'
Lyrics and music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion
Note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

National heritage

Eritrea - Economy 2016

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Economy overview:

Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993 Eritrea has faced many economic problems including lack of financial resources and chronic drought which have been exacerbated by restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Like the economies of many African nations a large share of the population - nearly 80% in Eritrea - is engaged in subsistence agriculture but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output.
Since the conclusion of the Ethiopia-Eritrea war in 2000 the government has expanded use of military and party-owned businesses to complete President ISAIAS's development agenda. The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners including a number of large international mining ventures which began production in 2013. In late 2015 the government of Eritrea introduced a new currency retaining the name nakfa and restricted the amount of hard currency individuals could withdraw from banks per month. The changeover has resulted in exchange fluctuations and the scarcity of hard currency available in the market.
While reliable statistics on food security are difficult to obtain erratic rainfall and the percentage of the labor force tied up in national service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper potash and gold production are likely to drive economic growth and government revenue over the next few years but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans. Eritrea's economic future will depend on market reform international sanctions global food prices and success at addressing social problems such as refugee emigration.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$8.713 billion (2015 est.)
$8.316 billion (2014 est.)
$7.921 billion (2013 est.)

Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 162

Real gdp growth rate:

4.8% (2015 est.)
5% (2014 est.)
3.1% (2013 est.)

Rank: 52

Real gdp per capita:

$1300 (2015 est.)
$1300 (2014 est.)
$1300 (2013 est.)

Note: data are in 2015 US dollars; estimates for the size of the Eritrean population vary widely from 3 to 6 million
Rank: 219

Gross national saving:

4.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
2% of GDP (2014 est.)
6.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Rank: 172

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 81.7%
Government consumption: 22.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 10.2%
Investment in inventories: -0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 9.4%
Imports of goods and services: -23.7%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.5%
Industry: 27.5%
Services: 60%

Agriculture products: sorghum lentils vegetables corn cotton tobacco sisal; livestock goats; fish

Industries: food processing beverages clothing and textiles light manufacturing salt cement

Industrial production growth rate: -1% (2015 est.)
Rank: 170

Labor force: 2.542 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 114
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20%

Labor force

Unemployment rate:

8.6% (2013 est.)
10% (2012 est.)

Rank: 97

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.216 billion
Expenditures: $1.834 billion
Surplus or deficit: -13.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 209

Taxes and other revenues: 26.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 111

Public debt:

121.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
120.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Rank: 7

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

9.8% (2015 est.)
10.1% (2014 est.)

Rank: 206

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of narrow money:

$2.386 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$2.118 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 121

Stock of broad money:

$5.523 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$4.494 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 129

Stock of domestic credit:

$4.774 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$4.221 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 127

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

-$102 million (2015 est.)
$23 million (2014 est.)

Rank: 68

Exports:

$415.3 million (2015 est.)
$496.3 million (2014 est.)

Rank: 177
Commodities: gold and other minerals livestock sorghum textiles food small industry manufactures

Imports:

$1.024 billion (2015 est.)
$1.131 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 179
Commodities: machinery petroleum products food manufactured goods

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$209.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$221.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 159

Debt external:

$831.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$908.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 169

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -
15.375 (2015 est.)
15.375 (2014 est.)
15.375 (2013 est.)
15.375 (2012 est.)
15.375 (2011 est.)

Eritrea - Energy 2016

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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 4,300,000
Access electrification total population: 32%
Access electrification urban areas: 86%
Access electrification rural areas: 17%
Production: 300 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 170
Consumption: 300 million kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 181
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 135
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 145
Installed generating capacity: 100,000 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 166
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 51
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 87
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 171
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 91

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 130
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 119
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 186
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 129

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 178
Products consumption: 3,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 178
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 178
Products imports: 3,539 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 170

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 182
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 139
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 94
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 192
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 134

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 800,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 174

Energy consumption per capita

Eritrea - Communication 2016

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 66,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 154
Mobile cellular total: 475,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7
Mobile cellular rank: 172

Telephone system
General assessment: woefully inadequate service provided by state-owned telecom monopoly; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; cell phone use only slowly increasing throughout the country
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is less than 10 per 100 persons
International: country code - 291

Broadcast media: government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)

Internet
Country code: .er
Users total: 71,000
Users percent of population: 1.1%
Users rank: 180

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Eritrea - Military 2016

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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Eritrea - Transportation 2016

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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: E3 (2016)

Airports: 13 (2013)
Rank: 151
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways total: 9
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 306 km
Narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge
Rank: 122

Roadways
Total: 4,010 km
Paved: 874 km
Unpaved: 3,136 km
Rank: 159

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 4
By type: cargo 2 petroleum tanker 1 roll on/roll off 1
Rank: 129

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Assab Massawa

Eritrea - Transnational issues 2016

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Disputes international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 2008 Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs