Algeria
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Population
47.74M
Area
2,381,740 km²
GDP
$263.62B
GDP Per Capita
$15,400
Pop. Density
20/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
د.جAlgerian dinar(DZD)
Calling Code
+213
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Languages
Arabic
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Algerian
Background
Algeria has known many empires and dynasties, including the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Amazigh dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. Under the Turks, the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping, from about 1500 until the French captured Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962.
Algeria's long-dominant political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since played a large role in politics, though it is falling out of favor with the youth and current President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first-round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the 1991 legislative election led the Algerian military to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. An army crackdown on the FIS escalated into an FIS insurgency and intense violence from 1992-98 that resulted in over 100,000 deaths, many of which were attributed to extremist groups massacring villagers. The government gained the upper hand by the late 1990s, and FIS’s armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in 2000. FIS membership is now illegal.
In 1999, Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA won the presidency with the backing of the military, in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud. He won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. Widespread protests against his decision to seek a fifth term broke out in early 2019. BOUTEFLIKA resigned in April 2019, and in December 2019, Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country’s new president. A longtime FLN member, TEBBOUNE ran for president as an independent. In 2020, Algeria held a constitutional referendum on governmental reforms, which TEBBOUNE enacted in 2021. Subsequent reforms to the national electoral law introduced open-list voting to curb corruption. The new law also eliminated gender quotas in Parliament, and the 2021 legislative elections saw female representation plummet. The referendum, parliamentary elections, and local elections saw record-low voter turnout.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑118.8% since 2006Population
↑39.2% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 76.3 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography19
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates
28 00 N, 3 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries
border countries: Libya 989 km; Mali 1,359 km; Mauritania 460 km; Morocco 1,941 km; Niger 951 km; Tunisia 1,034 km
Coastline
998 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
Climate
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain
mostly high plateau and desert; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
mean elevation: 800 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
13,819 sq km (2019)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Major aquifers
Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft Basin
Population distribution
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast
Natural hazards
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts
Geography - note
largest country in Africa but 80% desert; canyons and caves in the southern Hoggar Mountains and in the barren Tassili n'Ajjer area in the southeast of the country contain numerous examples of prehistoric art -- rock paintings and carvings depicting human activities and wild and domestic animals (elephants, giraffes, cattle) -- that date to the African Humid Period, roughly 5,000 to 11,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated
People & Society35
Population
male: 24,219,668
female: 23,516,017
Nationality
adjective: Algerian
Ethnic groups
Arab-Amazigh 99%, European less than 1%
Languages
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.
Religions
Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 14,846,102/female 14,441,034)
65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 1,597,382/female 1,663,824)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 48.9 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 11.5 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 8.7 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 28.8 years
female: 29.4 years
Population growth rate
1.47% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
19.62 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.902 million ALGIERS (capital), 936,000 Oran (2022)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
62 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 19.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 77.2 years
female: 78.7 years
Total fertility rate
2.91 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.42 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.4% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
1.66 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
27.4% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 41.6% (2025 est.)
female: 0.6% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.7% (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
55.5% (2019 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 3.8% (2019)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 15.5% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 15 years (2023 est.)
female: 16 years (2023 est.)
Government25
Country name
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: name derives from the Arabic al-jazair, meaning "the islands," and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast of the capital but joined to the mainland since 1525
Administrative divisions
Legal system
mixed system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens’ liberties and rights cannot be amended
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2024: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 94.7%, Abdelaali Hassani CHERIF (MSP) 3.2%, Youcef AOUCHICHE (FFS) 2.2%
2019: (FLN) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (El-Bina) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Talaie El Hurriyet) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals
Political parties
Algerian Popular Movement or MPA
Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ
Dignity or El Karama
El-Infitah
El Mostakbal (Future Front)
Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED
Equity and Proclamation Party or PEP
Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement
Justice and Development Front or FJD
Movement for National Reform or El Islah
Movement of Society for Peace or MSP
National Construction Movement or El-Bina (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani)
National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND
National Front for Social Justice or FNJS
National Liberation Front or FLN
National Militancy Front or FMN
National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD
National Republican Alliance or ANR
New Dawn Party (El-Fajr El-Jadid)
New Generation (Jil Jadid)
Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54
Party of Justice and Liberty or PLJ
Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD
Socialist Forces Front or FFS
Union for Change and Progress or UCP
Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS
Vanguard of Liberties (Talaie El Hurriyet)
Workers Party or PT
Youth Party or PJ
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission
chancery
telephone
FAX
email address and website
mail@algerianembassy.org
https://www.algerianembassy.org/
consulate(s) general
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
algierspd@state.gov
https://dz.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Independence
5 July 1962 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Flag
meaning: the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
National symbol(s)
five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon; fennec fox
National color(s)
green, white, red
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI
history: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Beni Hammad Fort (c); Djémila (c); Casbah of Algiers (c); M'zab Valley (c); Tassili n'Ajjer (m); Timgad (c); Tipasa (c)
Economy28
Economic overview
suffering oil and gas economy; lack of sector and market diversification; political instability chilling domestic consumption; poor credit access and declines in business confidence; COVID-19 austerity policies; delayed promised socio-economic reforms
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $699.818 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $672.256 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $15,200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $14,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$263.62 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 9.3% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 37.8% (2023 est.)
services: 45.6% (2023 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
potatoes, watermelons, wheat, milk, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, oranges, dates, barley (2023)
Industries
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Industrial production growth rate
3.9% (2023 est.)
Labor force
13.294 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 12.4% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 26.8% (2024 est.)
female: 45.8% (2024 est.)
Average household expenditures
on alcohol and tobacco: 1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $64.728 billion (2019 est.)
Public debt
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: $19.433 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$4.513 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $69.226 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $41.846 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Italy 29%, France 14%, Spain 13%, USA 6%, Netherlands 4% (2023)
Exports - commodities
natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron bars (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $46.613 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $44.287 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
China 24%, France 12%, Italy 8%, Turkey 7%, Brazil 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities
wheat, plastics, cars, milk, corn (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $81.217 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $71.852 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy7
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 99.3%
Electricity
consumption: 85.687 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 2.753 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 475.8 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 9.237 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
imports: 241,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 223 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 446,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 12.2 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
consumption: 52.831 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 51.566 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 4.504 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2024 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
Radio Algérienne is the state-run radio broadcast; the National Company of Television (Entreprise Nationale de Télévision (ENTV)) is the primary state-run public TV station (2024)
Internet country code
.dz
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2023 est.)
Transportation6
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
7T
Airports
95 (2025)
Heliports
11 (2025)
Railways
Merchant marine
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 4, general cargo 11, oil tanker 14, other 89
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 8% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 4.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 5.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 6.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; estimated 200,000 active ANP, including the National Gendarmerie (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Algerian military has traditionally been armed mostly with Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems and equipment; over the past decade, it has made investments in acquiring more modern armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia, its traditional supplier, but also China and Western European suppliers such as Germany (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19 years of age for mandatory national service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); 12 months national service obligation (2025)
Military - note
the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991; it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule; the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office (2024)
Transnational Issues2
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 25 (2024 est.)