Eritrea

State of Eritrea

Africa Asmara

Population

6.42M

Area

117,600 km²

GDP

$2.54B

GDP Per Capita

$700

Pop. Density

55/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

NfkEritrean nakfa(ERN)

Calling Code

+291

Timezone

UTC+03:00

Languages

Arabic, English, Tigrinya

Driving Side

right

Demonym

Eritrean

Background

Eritrea won independence from Italian colonial control in 1941, but the UN only established it as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952, after a decade of British administrative control. 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 2000. Ethiopia rejected a subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 when the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Eritrean leaders then 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 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, but the level of air transport, trade, and tourism have remained roughly the same since late 2020.

The Eritrean economy remains agriculture-dependent, and the country 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.

Historical Trends

GDP (USD)

↑70.5% since 2006

$1B (2006)$2B (2011)

Population

↑30.8% since 2006

2.7M (2006)3.5M (2024)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Latest: 68.6 years

2006: 61.5 years2023: 68.6 years

Data source: World Bank Open Data

Geography17

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total : 117,600 sq km
land: 101,000 sq km
water: 16,600 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries

total: 1,840 km
border countries: 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

62.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 56.9% (2023 est.)

forest

12% (2023 est.)

other

25.3% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

210 sq km (2012)

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 population distribution map

Natural hazards

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms

volcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life in 2011

Geography - note

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes

People & Society29

Population

total: 6,416,435 (2025 est.)
male: 3,158,281
female: 3,258,154

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.)

Languages

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

Religions

Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.7% (male 1,138,382/female 1,123,925)
15-64 years: 60.3% (male 1,882,547/female 1,944,266)
65 years and over: 4% (2024 est.) (male 101,504/female 153,332)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 64.2 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 57.6 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.6 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 15.1 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 21.7 years (2025 est.)
male: 20.8 years
female: 21.8 years

Population growth rate

1.16% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

25.92 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-7.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 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 population distribution map

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)

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 (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2010 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

291 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 46.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 64.9 years
female: 70.2 years

Total fertility rate

3.35 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.65 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 4.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 2.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years (2015 est.)
male: 9 years (2015 est.)
female: 7 years (2015 est.)

Government24

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 name Erythra Thalassa, meaning "Red Sea," the body of water that borders the country

Government type

authoritarian

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's origin is unclear; according to Tigrinya oral tradition, the name is part of a phrase meaning "the women made them unite," referring to a group of women who made four clans unite to defeat a common enemy; asmara also means "flowery wood" in the Tigrinya language

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)

Legal system

mixed system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Constitution

history: ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (never implemented)
amendment process: 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

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)

head of government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term), according to the constitution

most recent election date

24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia

election results

1993: ISAIAS Afwerki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afwerki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%

expected date of next election

postponed indefinitely

Legislative branch

legislature name

National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito)

legislative structure

unicameral

number of seats

150 (all indirectly elected)

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

2/1/1994

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ (the only party recognized by the government)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Berhane Gebrehiwet SOLOMON (since 15 March 2011)
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
email address and website:
embassyeritrea@embassyeritrea.org

https://us.embassyeritrea.org/

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Christine E. MEYER (since July 2025)

embassy

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

mailing address

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC  20521-7170

telephone

[291] (1) 12-00-04

FAX

[291] (1) 12-75-84

email address and website

consularasmara@state.gov

https://er.usembassy.gov/

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

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

Flag

description: a red isosceles triangle (based on the left side) divides the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower is blue; a gold wreath around a gold olive branch is on the left side of the red triangle

meaning: green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red for the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue for the sea's bounty; the shape of the red triangle mimics the country's shape

National symbol(s)

camel

National color(s)

green, red, blue

National coat of arms

Eritrea adopted its coat of arms on May 24, 1993, when it won independence from Ethiopia; the camel was used to transport supplies and goods during the war, and it became a symbol of the country’s success; the olive wreath represents peace, reconciliation, and harmony; under the camel is name of the country in its three official languages: Tigrinya, English, and Arabic

National anthem(s)

title: "Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion
history: adopted 1993, after gaining independence from Ethiopia

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Asmara: A Modernist African City

Economy22

Economic 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)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $2.534 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $2.465 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $2.398 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017: 5% (2017 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2016: 1.9% (2016 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2015: 2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $700 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.535 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 6.6% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 5.6% (2020 est.)

Agricultural products

sorghum, milk, barley, vegetables, root vegetables, cereals, pulses, wheat, beef, maize (2023)

Industries

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

Labor force

1.71 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024: 5.6% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 5.6% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 5.7% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 9.4% (2024 est.)
male: 8.5% (2024 est.)
female: 10.5% (2024 est.)

Budget

revenues: $633 million (2018 est.)
expenditures: $549 million (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016: 132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017: $624.3 million (2017 est.)
Exports 2016: $485.4 million (2016 est.)
Exports 2011: $374.898 million (2011 est.)

Exports - partners

China 67%, UAE 26%, Philippines 5%, Italy 1%, Croatia 1% (2023)

Exports - commodities

copper ore, zinc ore, gold, garments, liquor (2023)

Imports

Imports 2010: $494.229 million (2010 est.)
Imports 2009: $435.275 million (2009 est.)

Imports - partners

China 32%, UAE 27%, Turkey 9%, USA 7%, Italy 5% (2023)

Imports - commodities

trucks, sorghum, construction vehicles, wheat flours, other foods (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019: $191.694 million (2019 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018: $163.034 million (2018 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017: $143.412 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023: $461.376 million (2023 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

15.075 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

15.075 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

15.075 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.075 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

15.075 (2020 est.)

Energy5

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 55.4% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 75.5%
electrification - rural areas: 36%

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 243,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 388.987 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 51.528 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 89.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 10.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 2.977 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 68,200 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2.02 million (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59 (2022 est.)

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

Internet users

percent of population: 20% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 6,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Transportation5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

11 (2025)

Railways

total: 306 km (2018)
narrow gauge: 306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

Merchant marine

total: 9 (2023)
by type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

Ports

total ports

2 (2024)

large

medium

small

very small

ports with oil terminals

key ports

Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

Military & Security6

Military and security forces

Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF): Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force; People's Militia (aka People's Army or Hizbawi Serawit) (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019: 10% of GDP (2019 est.)
Military Expenditures 2018: 10.2% of GDP (2018 est.)
Military Expenditures 2017: 10.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
Military Expenditures 2016: 10.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Military Expenditures 2015: 10.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

available information varies widely; estimated 150,000-200,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the EDF's inventory is comprised primarily of Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2025)

Military service age and obligation

Eritrea mandates military service for all citizens age 18-40; 18-month conscript service obligation, which reportedly 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 59 eligible for recall during mobilization (2025)

Military - note

the military’s primary responsibilities are external defense, border security, and providing the regime a vehicle for national cohesion; the conscript-based Army is the dominant service

since the country's independence in 1991, the Eritrean military has participated in numerous conflicts, including the Hanish Island Crisis with Yemen (1995), the First Congo War (1996-1997), the Second Sudanese Civil War (1996-1998), the Eritrea-Ethiopia War (1998-2000), the Djiboutian-Eritrean border conflict (2008), and the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia (2020-2022); during the Tigray conflict, the Eritrean Defense Forces were accused of human rights abuses; in recent years, it has provided training support to the military of Somalia (2025)

Transnational Issues2

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 119 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 3 — Eritrea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore Eritrea remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/eritrea/

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