Map of Yemen | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Kingdom of Yemen (colloquially known as North Yemen) became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became the People's Republic of Southern Yemen (colloquially known as South Yemen). Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation and changed the country's name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. The exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states, which were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia Muslim minority, continued intermittently from 2004 to 2010, and then again from 2014 to the present. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2007. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President Ali Abdallah SALIH -- inspired by similar Arab Spring demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt -- slowly gained momentum in 2011, fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. Some protests resulted in violence, and the demonstrations spread to other major cities. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) mediated the crisis with the GCC Initiative, an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH eventually agreed to step down and transfer some powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. After HADI's uncontested election victory in 2012, SALIH formally transferred all presidential powers. In accordance with the GCC Initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in 2014 and planned to proceed with constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections. The Houthis, perceiving their grievances were not addressed in the NDC, joined forces with SALIH and expanded their influence in northwestern Yemen, which culminated in a major offensive against military units and rival tribes and enabled their forces to overrun the capital, Sana'a, in 2014. In 2015, the Houthis surrounded key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to resign. HADI fled first to Aden -- where he rescinded his resignation -- and then to Oman before moving to Saudi Arabia and asking the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen. Saudi Arabia assembled a coalition of Arab militaries and began airstrikes, and ground fighting continued through 2016. In 2016, the UN initiated peace talks that ended without agreement. Rising tensions between the Houthis and SALIH culminated in Houthi forces killing SALIH. In 2018, the Houthis and the Yemeni Government participated in UN-brokered peace talks, agreeing to a limited cease-fire and the establishment of a UN mission. In 2019, Yemen’s parliament convened for the first time since the conflict broke out in 2014. Violence then erupted between HADI's government and the pro-secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in southern Yemen. HADI's government and the STC signed a power-sharing agreement to end the fighting, and in 2020, the signatories formed a new cabinet. In 2020 and 2021, fighting continued as the Houthis gained territory and also conducted regular UAV and missile attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the UN brokered a temporary truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. HADI and his vice-president resigned and were replaced by an eight-person Presidential Leadership Council. Although the truce formally expired in 2022, the parties nonetheless refrained from large-scale conflict through the end of 2023. Saudi Arabia, after the truce expired, continued to negotiate with the Yemeni Government and Houthis on a roadmap agreement that would include a permanent ceasefire and a peace process under UN auspices.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 527,968 km²
Land: 527,968 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
Comparative: almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries
Total: 1,601 km
Border countries (2): (2) Oman 294 km; Saudi Arabia 1,307 km

Coastline: 1,906 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Terrain: narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Elevation
Highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m
Lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 999 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 41.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1% (2023 est.)
Other: 54.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 6,800 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, became active in 2007; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century

Geography
Note: strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and one of world's most active shipping lanes


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Population
Total: 32,140,443 (2024 est.)
Male: 16,221,139
Female: 15,919,304
Distribution: the vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country
Growth rate: 1.78% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages: Arabic (official)
Major-language sample(s): ; كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: a distinct Socotri language is widely used on Socotra Island and Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen

Religions: Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2020 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.4% (male 5,622,998/female 5,430,285)
15-64 years: 62.2% (male 10,112,603/female 9,865,805)
65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 485,538/female 623,214)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 71.3 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 66 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 18.6 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 22 years (2024 est.)
Male: 21.9 years
Female: 22.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.78% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 23.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: the vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country

Urbanization
Urban population: 39.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 3.292 million SANAA (capital), 1.080 million Aden, 941,000 Taiz, 772,000 Ibb (2023)

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 44.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 49.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 39 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 65.8 years
Female: 70.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.82 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 22.8% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 48.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 38.2% of population (2022 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 16.9% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 55.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 40.1% of population (2022 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 40.7% (2022 est.)

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 17.1% (2024 est.); 17.1% (2023 est.); 17.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: Sanaa
Geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name is reputed to mean 'fortified place' in an ancient language

Administrative divisions: 22 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City), 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law

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

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: Presidential Leadership Council Chairperson Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI (since 19 April 2022)
Head of government: Prime Minister Salim Salih BIN BURAYK (since 9 May 2025)
Cabinet: 24 members from northern and southern Yemen, with representatives from Yemen's major political parties
Election/appointment process: formerly, the president was directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 21 February 2012
2012: Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) elected consensus president
Note: on 7 April 2022, President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI announced his abdication, the dismissal of Vice President ALI MUHSIN al-Ahmar and the formation of a Presidential Leadership Council, an eight-member body chaired by former minister Rashad AL-ALIMI; on 19 April 2022, the Council was sworn in before Parliament and began assuming the responsibilities of the president and vice president and carrying out the political, security, and military duties of the government; in May 2025, Chairperson al-ALIMI made changes to his cabinet

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Majlis)
Legislative structure: bicameral
Note: the last legislative election occurred in 2003, and the six-year term for the House of Representatives expired in 2009. Ongoing instability, beginning in 2011, has since prevented new elections. A new Shura Council was appointed in 2021 and is currently chaired by Dr. Ahmed Obaid bin Dagher (as of Jan 2025).

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'Al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida' (United Republic)
Lyrics/music: Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI
History: adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.8% (2018 est.); -5.1% (2017 est.); -9.4% (2016 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 0.8% (2018 est.); -5.1% (2017 est.); -9.4% (2016 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.7% (2018 est.)
Industry: 25.4% (2018 est.)
Services: 41.8% (2018 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products

Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production

Industrial production growth rate: -1.1% (2018 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 7.848 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 17.1% (2024 est.); 17.1% (2023 est.); 17.4% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 17.1% (2024 est.); 17.1% (2023 est.); 17.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.207 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $3.585 billion (2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal 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: $384.5 million (2017 est.); $938.469 million (2016 est.); $1.867 billion (2015 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: gold, fish, scrap iron, shellfish, industrial acids/oils/alcohols (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $4.079 billion (2017 est.); $8.256 billion (2016 est.); $7.697 billion (2015 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: wheat, raw sugar, rice, iron bars, plastic products (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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
Installed generating capacity: 1.79 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 2.579 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 486.24 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 76% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 96.1%
Access electrification - rural areas: 65%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 83% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 17% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 27,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 36,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 58,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 10.286 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 10.286 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 478.555 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 8.193 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 93,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 8.08 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 21,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 2.987 million Btu/person (2023 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 728,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 20 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 46 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 14% (2020 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 486,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 37 (2025)

Heliports: 6 (2025)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 30 (2023)
By type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 27

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs