Map of Eritrea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 conflict for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean fighters defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been characterized by highly autocratic and repressive actions. His government has created a highly militarized society by instituting an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service - divided between military and civilian service - 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 subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation was rejected by Ethiopia. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 after the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia, Eritrean leaders engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In November 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia led to a resumption of economic ties, with increased air transport, trade, tourism, and port activities, until late 2020, but the economy remains agriculture-dependent, and Eritrea is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Eritrea faced new international condemnation and US sanctions in mid-2021 for its participation in the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, where Eritrean forces were found to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As most Eritrean troops were departing northern Ethiopia in January 2023, ISAIAS began a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at bolstering Eritrea’s foreign partnerships and regional influence. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression and conscription and militarization continue.


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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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1,840 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 125 km; Ethiopia 1,033 km; Sudan 682 km

Coastline: 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 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
Highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
Mean elevation: 853 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 75.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)
Forest: 15.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 9.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 210 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 7.32 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms

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


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Population
Distribution: density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south as shown in this: 6,274,796 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.08% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean(s)
Adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: Tigrinya 50%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Afar 4%, Kunama 4%, Bilen 3%, Hedareb/Beja 2%, Nara 2%, Rashaida 1% (2021 est.)
Note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

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

Religions: Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

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 more than 75% in 2018; 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.27% (male 1,145,134/female 1,130,829)
15-64 years: 59.73% (male 1,842,953/female 1,904,677)
65 years and over: 4% (2023 est.) (male 100,158/female 151,045)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 77.9
Youth dependency ratio: 70.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.1
Potential support ratio: 14 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 21 years (2023 est.)
Male: 20.5 years
Female: 21.5 years

Population growth rate: 1.08% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 26.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -9.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south as shown in this

Urbanization
Urban population: 43.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.073 million ASMARA (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 22.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.71 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.48 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.3 years (2010 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 322 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 47.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 33.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 64.6 years
Female: 69.9 years

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 73.2% of population
Improved rural: 53.3% of population
Improved total: 57.8% of population
Unimproved urban: 26.8% of population
Unimproved rural: 46.7% of population
Unimproved total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 4.1% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 7.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 14.7% (2020 est.)
Female: 0.2% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.6%
Male: 84.4%
Female: 68.9% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 7 years (2015)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 14.6% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.1%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 16.4%


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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 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means "they [women] made them unite," which according to Tigrinya oral tradition refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara area who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy; the name has also been translated as "live in peace"

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); 'Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash-Barka, Ma'ikel (Central), Semienawi K'eyyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

Constitution
History: ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (never implemented)
Amendments: proposed by the president of Eritrea or by assent of at least one half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least an initial three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and, after one year, final passage by at least four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly

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 Afwerki (since 24 May 1993); 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 Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term), according to the constitution; the only election held was on 24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next postponed indefinitely)
Election results: ISAIAS Afwerki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afwerki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (150 seats; 75 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 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, and as of 2023, there was no sitting legislative body
Election results: NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)
Judge selection and term of office: High Court judges appointed by the president
Subordinate courts: regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afwerki] (the only party recognized by the government)

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé 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] (202) 319-1991
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Leslie FRERIKSEN (since 18 July 2022)
From the us embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara
From the us mailing address: 7,170 Asmara Place, Washington DC 20,521-7,170
From the us telephone: [291] (1) 12-00-04
From the us FAX: [291] (1) 12-75-84
From the us email address and website:

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" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
Lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion
Note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview: largely agrarian economy with a significant mining sector; substantial fiscal surplus due to tight controls; high and vulnerable debts; increased Ethiopian trade and shared port usage decreasing prices; financial and economic data integrity challenges

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 80.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 24.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 6.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 10.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -22.5% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 29.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sorghum, milk, vegetables, barley, cereals, pulses nes, roots/tubers nes, wheat, millet, beef

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 1.675 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 14.6% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.1%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 16.4%

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: $633 million (2018 est.)
Expenditures: $549 million (2018 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -9.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)
Commodities: zinc, copper, gold, clothing, stone grinders (2021)

Imports:
Partners: UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)
Commodities: machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 3 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 52.5% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 75.6% (2019)
Access electrification-rural areas: 35.7% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 228,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 394.46 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 61 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 93.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 5.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 5,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 3,897 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 798,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 798,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 3.217 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 66,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1.8 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; 2 state-owned radio networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2023)

Internet
Country code: .er
Users total: 792,000 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 22% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 5,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF): Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force); Hizbawi Serawit (aka People's Army or People's Militia) (2023)
Note: police are responsible for maintaining internal security, but the government sometimes used the armed forces, reserves, demobilized soldiers, or civilian militia to meet domestic as well as external security requirements; the armed forces have authority to arrest and detain civilians

Military service age and obligation: Eritrea mandates military service for all citizens between the ages of 18 and 40; 18-month conscript service obligation, which includes 4-6 months of military training and 12 months of military or other national service (military service is most common); in practice, military and national service is often extended indefinitely; citizens up to the age of 55 eligible for recall during mobilization (2023)
Note: as of 2020, women were estimated to make up as much as 30% of the Eritrean military

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 102,729 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: E3

Airports: 13 (2021)
With paved runways: 4
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 9
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports: 1 (2021)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 306 km (2018)
Narrow gauge: 306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

Roadways
Total: 16,000 km (2018)
Paved: 1,600 km (2000)
Unpaved: 14,400 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 9 (2022)
By type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Assab, Massawa


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs