Eritrea
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 3.6M (2025). World rank 131 of 216; in Africa, 40 of 54. Area: 117,600 km². World rank 102 of 249; in Africa, 38 of 59. Life expectancy: 68.9 years (2024). World rank 161 of 216 (1 = best); in Africa, 12 of 54. From 2015 to 2025: population 3.1M → 3.6M. Better than all its neighbours (Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan): life expectancy.
State
- Official name
- State of Eritrea
- Local name
- إريتريا
- Capital
- Asmara
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Authoritarian regime
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Isaias Afwerki
- Head of government
- Isaias Afwerki
- Independence
- May 24, 1993
- Women in parliament
- 22% 2019
Key figures
- Population
- 3,607,003 2025
- Area
- 117,600 km²
- GDP
- $2.1B 2011
- GDP per person
- $689 2011
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Arabic, English, Tigrinya
- Currency
- Eritrean Nakfa (ERN)
- Time zones
- UTC+3
- Calling code
- +291
- Emergency numbers
- 113, 114, 116
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, L
- Mains voltage
- 230 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 2,234
- Neighbours
- Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan
- Agricultural land
- 62.8% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Emba Soira, 3,018 m
- Lowest point
- Lake Kulul, -75 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 853
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 23
- Warmest month in the capital
- June, 27°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- January, 20°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 384 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 30.7 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2% 2025
- Living in cities
- 34.5% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -6.7K 2025
- Born in another country
- 0.4% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 37.6% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 58.2% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 4.3% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 70.9 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 66.8 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 3.7 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 28.7 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 6 2024
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 29.5 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 15.6 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 21.1 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 19.2 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 14.6 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $1,742 2011
- GDP growth per year
- +8.7% 2011
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Low income
- Gross national income per person
- $650 2011
- Price level, USA = 100
- 33 2021
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 14.1% 2009
- Industry, share of GDP
- 21.8% 2009
- Unemployment
- 6% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 10.2% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 72.8% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 18.2% 2011
- Imports, share of GDP
- 29.2% 2011
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -14.8% 2000
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +0.3% 2011
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 0.5% 2000
Education
- Adult literacy
- 64.7% 2008
- Primary school enrolment
- 89.7% 2022
- Secondary school enrolment
- 44% 2022
- Higher education enrolment
- 3.2% 2016
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 2.1% 2006
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 3.7% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $28 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 48.5% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.1 2022
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.5 2022
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 1 2023
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 93% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 24.7 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 34.3 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 291 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.4% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 4.4% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 17.2% 2022
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 51.9% 2016
- Access to basic sanitation
- 11.9% 2016
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 21% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 15.6 2012
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 37.9 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 13.2 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 55.1 2025
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes, volcanoes, and droughts
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 33.7 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.2 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 1.9 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 12% 2024
- Protected areas
- 0% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 821 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 11.2% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 14.4% 2020
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 59 2022
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 0.2 2022
- Internet domain
- .er
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 55.3% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 128 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 80.7% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 5% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 90% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 45,104 2020
- Airports
- 11 2025
- Railways, km
- 306 2018
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 29 2023