Eritrea is a low-income country with a population of 3.54M people. The capital and largest city is Asmara, with 963K residents. Eritrea shares land borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti.
Eritrea ranks 179/197 by GDP ($2.07B) and 188/197 by GDP per capita ($689). The top export category is animal & marine products, while the top import is raw agricultural goods.
Main facts and rankings
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Population |
3667774
|
131/197 |
| GDP |
$2.07B
2011 |
179/197 |
| GDP per capita |
$689
2011 |
188/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$1,742
2011 |
190/197 |
| Government debt |
$3.54B
2011 |
151/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
260.4%
2019 |
1/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$1,182
2011 |
137/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,342
2025 |
189/197 |
| Land area | 46,787 sq mi | 96/197 |
| Population density | 75.6 ppl/mi² | 157/197 |
| Fertility rate | 3.71 | 37/196 |
| Median age | 19.9 years | 168/196 |
| Life expectancy | 69.2 years | 143/197 |
Eritrea trends dashboard: time-series charts
| Year | GDP |
|---|---|
| 1992 | $477,101,652 |
| 1993 | $467,872,715 |
| 1994 | $531,688,312 |
| 1995 | $578,015,625 |
| 1996 | $693,535,954 |
| 1997 | $686,490,090 |
| 1998 | $745,523,117 |
| 1999 | $688,918,537 |
| 2000 | $706,370,816 |
| 2001 | $752,371,689 |
| 2002 | $729,321,680 |
| 2003 | $870,248,268 |
| 2004 | $1,109,054,005 |
| 2005 | $1,098,424,686 |
| 2006 | $1,211,161,880 |
| 2007 | $1,317,974,491 |
| 2008 | $1,380,188,800 |
| 2009 | $1,856,695,551 |
| 2010 | $1,589,515,447 |
| 2011 | $2,065,001,626 |
| Year | GDP per capita |
|---|---|
| 1992 | $265.2 |
| 1993 | $252.1 |
| 1994 | $277.8 |
| 1995 | $285.4 |
| 1996 | $326 |
| 1997 | $319 |
| 1998 | $342 |
| 1999 | $311 |
| 2000 | $314 |
| 2001 | $325 |
| 2002 | $305 |
| 2003 | $349 |
| 2004 | $427 |
| 2005 | $413 |
| 2006 | $448 |
| 2007 | $480 |
| 2008 | $490 |
| 2009 | $643 |
| 2010 | $540 |
| 2011 | $689 |
Eritrea's life expectancy calculator
| Year | Life expectancy, years |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 33.3 |
| 1951 | 33.6 |
| 1952 | 34 |
| 1953 | 34.4 |
| 1954 | 34.8 |
| 1955 | 35.2 |
| 1956 | 35.6 |
| 1957 | 30.4 |
| 1958 | 30.9 |
| 1959 | 37 |
| 1960 | 37.4 |
| 1961 | 37.9 |
| 1962 | 38.3 |
| 1963 | 38.8 |
| 1964 | 39.2 |
| 1965 | 39.6 |
| 1966 | 37.6 |
| 1967 | 40.2 |
| 1968 | 40.5 |
| 1969 | 40.8 |
| 1970 | 41.2 |
| 1971 | 41.5 |
| 1972 | 40.7 |
| 1973 | 41.1 |
| 1974 | 39 |
| 1975 | 39 |
| 1976 | 42.6 |
| 1977 | 43 |
| 1978 | 43.4 |
| 1979 | 43.8 |
| 1980 | 44.6 |
| 1981 | 45 |
| 1982 | 44.9 |
| 1983 | 37.2 |
| 1984 | 37.7 |
| 1985 | 38.6 |
| 1986 | 39.5 |
| 1987 | 47.4 |
| 1988 | 48.1 |
| 1989 | 47.8 |
| 1990 | 49.7 |
| 1991 | 50.5 |
| 1992 | 52.4 |
| 1993 | 53.2 |
| 1994 | 54 |
| 1995 | 54.8 |
| 1996 | 55.5 |
| 1997 | 56.2 |
| 1998 | 50 |
| 1999 | 44.5 |
| 2000 | 56.3 |
| 2001 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 58.9 |
| 2003 | 59.5 |
| 2004 | 60.1 |
| 2005 | 60.6 |
| 2006 | 61.5 |
| 2007 | 62 |
| 2008 | 62.4 |
| 2009 | 63.2 |
| 2010 | 63.7 |
| 2011 | 64.2 |
| 2012 | 64.7 |
| 2013 | 65 |
| 2014 | 65.5 |
| 2015 | 65.9 |
| 2016 | 66.2 |
| 2017 | 66.6 |
| 2018 | 67 |
| 2019 | 67.3 |
| 2020 | 67 |
| 2021 | 66.9 |
| 2022 | 67.8 |
| 2023 | 68.6 |
| 2024 | 68.9 |
| 2025 | 69.2 |
Eritrea's population clock and projection
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 972,547 |
| 1961 | 995,573 |
| 1962 | 1,019,788 |
| 1963 | 1,045,092 |
| 1964 | 1,071,287 |
| 1965 | 1,098,335 |
| 1966 | 1,124,957 |
| 1967 | 1,152,339 |
| 1968 | 1,181,737 |
| 1969 | 1,212,005 |
| 1970 | 1,243,453 |
| 1971 | 1,276,154 |
| 1972 | 1,309,235 |
| 1973 | 1,342,669 |
| 1974 | 1,375,688 |
| 1975 | 1,408,210 |
| 1976 | 1,443,807 |
| 1977 | 1,482,565 |
| 1978 | 1,522,378 |
| 1979 | 1,563,332 |
| 1980 | 1,605,797 |
| 1981 | 1,649,939 |
| 1982 | 1,695,461 |
| 1983 | 1,736,160 |
| 1984 | 1,771,730 |
| 1985 | 1,807,816 |
| 1986 | 1,845,164 |
| 1987 | 1,888,669 |
| 1988 | 1,938,255 |
| 1989 | 1,987,017 |
| 1990 | 2,032,737 |
| 1991 | 1,919,571 |
| 1992 | 1,798,748 |
| 1993 | 1,856,006 |
| 1994 | 1,913,915 |
| 1995 | 2,025,267 |
| 1996 | 2,128,464 |
| 1997 | 2,152,135 |
| 1998 | 2,180,419 |
| 1999 | 2,212,780 |
| 2000 | 2,247,031 |
| 2001 | 2,312,079 |
| 2002 | 2,392,978 |
| 2003 | 2,493,903 |
| 2004 | 2,598,284 |
| 2005 | 2,661,215 |
| 2006 | 2,703,502 |
| 2007 | 2,743,222 |
| 2008 | 2,816,327 |
| 2009 | 2,887,885 |
| 2010 | 2,945,186 |
| 2011 | 2,998,485 |
| 2012 | 3,036,988 |
| 2013 | 3,074,360 |
| 2014 | 3,095,173 |
| 2015 | 3,105,546 |
| 2016 | 3,124,698 |
| 2017 | 3,150,347 |
| 2018 | 3,192,760 |
| 2019 | 3,240,194 |
| 2020 | 3,291,271 |
| 2021 | 3,350,183 |
| 2022 | 3,409,447 |
| 2023 | 3,470,390 |
| 2024 | 3,535,603 |
Eritrea's birth and fertility rates
| Year | Fertility rate |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.48 |
| 1961 | 6.47 |
| 1962 | 6.5 |
| 1963 | 6.48 |
| 1964 | 6.49 |
| 1965 | 6.49 |
| 1966 | 6.5 |
| 1967 | 6.5 |
| 1968 | 6.5 |
| 1969 | 6.5 |
| 1970 | 6.54 |
| 1971 | 6.54 |
| 1972 | 6.54 |
| 1973 | 6.55 |
| 1974 | 6.57 |
| 1975 | 6.59 |
| 1976 | 6.6 |
| 1977 | 6.61 |
| 1978 | 6.61 |
| 1979 | 6.62 |
| 1980 | 6.61 |
| 1981 | 6.62 |
| 1982 | 6.63 |
| 1983 | 6.65 |
| 1984 | 6.62 |
| 1985 | 6.59 |
| 1986 | 6.56 |
| 1987 | 6.52 |
| 1988 | 6.47 |
| 1989 | 6.41 |
| 1990 | 6.34 |
| 1991 | 6.24 |
| 1992 | 6.16 |
| 1993 | 6.07 |
| 1994 | 6.01 |
| 1995 | 5.94 |
| 1996 | 5.84 |
| 1997 | 5.74 |
| 1998 | 5.63 |
| 1999 | 5.52 |
| 2000 | 5.4 |
| 2001 | 5.31 |
| 2002 | 5.23 |
| 2003 | 5.14 |
| 2004 | 5.04 |
| 2005 | 4.93 |
| 2006 | 4.88 |
| 2007 | 4.81 |
| 2008 | 4.74 |
| 2009 | 4.66 |
| 2010 | 4.57 |
| 2011 | 4.49 |
| 2012 | 4.41 |
| 2013 | 4.34 |
| 2014 | 4.27 |
| 2015 | 4.22 |
| 2016 | 4.16 |
| 2017 | 4.11 |
| 2018 | 4.06 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 3.93 |
| 2021 | 3.87 |
| 2022 | 3.79 |
| 2023 | 3.71 |
| Year | Median age, years |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.8 |
| 1961 | 18.9 |
| 1962 | 18.9 |
| 1963 | 19 |
| 1964 | 19 |
| 1965 | 19 |
| 1966 | 19 |
| 1967 | 18.9 |
| 1968 | 18.9 |
| 1969 | 18.8 |
| 1970 | 18.6 |
| 1971 | 18.5 |
| 1972 | 18.3 |
| 1973 | 18.2 |
| 1974 | 18.2 |
| 1975 | 18.1 |
| 1976 | 18 |
| 1977 | 17.9 |
| 1978 | 17.8 |
| 1979 | 17.8 |
| 1980 | 17.8 |
| 1981 | 17.7 |
| 1982 | 17.7 |
| 1983 | 17.7 |
| 1984 | 17.8 |
| 1985 | 17.8 |
| 1986 | 17.9 |
| 1987 | 17.9 |
| 1988 | 17.8 |
| 1989 | 17.7 |
| 1990 | 17.6 |
| 1991 | 17.6 |
| 1992 | 17.5 |
| 1993 | 17.6 |
| 1994 | 17.6 |
| 1995 | 18.1 |
| 1996 | 18.4 |
| 1997 | 18 |
| 1998 | 17.8 |
| 1999 | 17.5 |
| 2000 | 17.4 |
| 2001 | 17.5 |
| 2002 | 17.7 |
| 2003 | 18 |
| 2004 | 18.3 |
| 2005 | 18.3 |
| 2006 | 18.2 |
| 2007 | 18.1 |
| 2008 | 18.2 |
| 2009 | 18.4 |
| 2010 | 18.4 |
| 2011 | 18.5 |
| 2012 | 18.5 |
| 2013 | 18.5 |
| 2014 | 18.5 |
| 2015 | 18.4 |
| 2016 | 18.4 |
| 2017 | 18.5 |
| 2018 | 18.7 |
| 2019 | 18.9 |
| 2020 | 19.1 |
| 2021 | 19.3 |
| 2022 | 19.5 |
| 2023 | 19.7 |
| 2024 | 19.9 |
Eritrea vs. World: Interactive Maps
Use the buttons below to toggle between world maps that display different statistics comparing Eritrea with other countries.
GDP per capita
GDP
Life expectancy
Population
Population density
Fertility rate
Median age
Land area
Eritrea: National Statistics
Finance
|
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| GNI, Atlas method |
$1.94B
2011 |
178/194 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
31.3%
2019 |
90/195 |
| Education expenditure, % of GDP |
2.13%
2006 |
171/193 |
| Military expenditure, % of GDP |
20.9%
2003 |
2/163 |
| Armed forces personnel |
202,000
2020 |
31/174 |
| Deficit/surplus, % of GDP |
+2.72%
2019 |
9/188 |
| Unemployment rate |
5.8%
2017 |
82/196 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
21.8%
2009 |
120/194 |
| Economic freedom index |
38.6
2025 |
188/197 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$192M
2019 |
170/177 |
| Personal remittances received |
$0
2023 |
184/190 |
| International tourist arrivals |
142,000
2016 |
156/188 |
| International tourism as share of exports |
36.8%
2000 |
20/184 |
Energy
|
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy use, kg of oil equivalent per capita |
289.5 kg
2022 |
161/177 |
| GDP PPP per kg equivalent of energy use |
$6.73
2011 |
157/173 |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions |
0.67 megatons
2023 |
166/187 |
| CO2 emissions per capita |
0.19 tons
2023 |
172/187 |
| Fossil fuel energy use share |
22.4%
2022 |
130/176 |
| Renewable energy use share |
80.7%
2021 |
15/193 |
| Alternative and nuclear energy use share |
0.1%
2022 |
135/147 |
| Net energy imports use share |
34.8%
2004 |
62/144 |
| Electric power consumption per capita |
102.4 kWh
2022 |
138/147 |
| Renewable electricity output share |
5.79%
2021 |
156/192 |
| Hydroelectric share |
0%
2021 |
162/192 |
| Nuclear share |
0%
2021 |
80/192 |
| Electricity access |
54.4%
2023 |
172/195 |
Society
|
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world population |
0.04%
2024 |
131/197 |
| Annual migration change |
-12,696
2024 |
142/196 |
| Urban population |
43.9%
2024 |
146/195 |
| Male:Female ratio |
50:50
2024 |
N/A |
| Average male height |
5.6 ft
2025 |
124/190 |
| Average female height |
5.17 ft
2025 |
150/190 |
| Quality of life index |
8.3
2025 |
192/197 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index |
13
2024 |
191/197 |
| Higher education index |
5
2025 |
175/183 |
| Homicides per 100K people |
14.6
2012 |
24/197 |
| Road traffic mortality per 100K people |
37.9
2019 |
5/197 |
| Visa free countries |
51
2025 |
186/195 |
| Adult literacy rate |
76.6%
2018 |
160/196 |
| English speaking |
0%
2025 |
195/197 |
| People using the Internet |
20%
2023 |
183/195 |
Health
|
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Government health expenditure per capita |
$27.1
2022 |
185/191 |
| Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita |
$14.7
2022 |
165/191 |
| Life expectancy |
69.2 years
2025 |
143/197 |
| Foreign aid share of health expenditure |
22.5%
2022 |
34/178 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people |
0.07
2022 |
184/193 |
| Age at first childbirth |
21.3 years
2025 |
92/137 |
| Maternal mortality per 100K births |
291
2023 |
24/193 |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births |
35.4
2023 |
54/192 |
| Obesity rate |
4.94%
2022 |
184/189 |
| Diabetes prevalence |
4.4%
2024 |
180/195 |
| Air quality index |
30
2025 |
139/197 |
| Pure alcohol consumption per capita |
1.07 liters
2020 |
150/186 |
Territory
|
Eritrea
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world land |
0.08%
2025 |
96/197 |
| Land area per capita |
13,233 sq mi
2024 |
41/197 |
| Agricultural land area |
29,313 sq mi
2025 |
79/194 |
| Forest area |
4,038 sq mi
2025 |
123/196 |
| Roads length |
9,942 mi
2018 |
105/175 |
Compare Eritrea with other countries
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Eritrea topic pages:
Facts comparisons
