Eritrea

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.

land

101,000 sq km

total

117,600 sq km

water

16,600 sq km

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)

highest point

Soira 3,018 m

lowest point

near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m

mean elevation

853 m

15 00 N, 39 00 E

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

210 sq km (2012)

border countries

Djibouti 125 km; Ethiopia 1,033 km; Sudan 682 km

total

1,840 km

agricultural land

75.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)

forest

15.1% (2018 est.)

other

9.8% (2018 est.)

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

Africa

territorial sea

12 nm

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarmsvolcanism: 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 on 12 June 2011

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

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

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

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)

beer

0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

26.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

NA

NA

4.1% of GDP (2020)

52.3% (2023 est.)

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end, Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy – doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years – in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be more than 75% in 2018; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea’s growing population because of repeated droughts, dwindling arable land, overgrazing, soil erosion, and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government’s emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity. Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s, when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom, educational and job opportunities, or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea’s large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances, funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country’s GDP annually since it became independent. In the last few years, Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert, where they are victims of organ harvesting, rape, extortion, and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia, while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea’s borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013, according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

elderly dependency ratio

7.1

potential support ratio

14 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

77.9

youth dependency ratio

70.8

improved: rural

rural: 53.3% of population

improved: total

total: 57.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 73.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 46.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 26.8% of population

NA

Tigrinya 50%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Afar 4%, Kunama 4%, Bilen 3%, Hedareb/Beja 2%, Nara 2%, Rashaida 1% (2021 est.)

note

note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

1.69 (2024 est.)

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

female

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

46.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

39.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

female

70.2 years

male

64.9 years

total population

67.5 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

68.9% (2018)

male

84.4%

total population

76.6%

1.073 million ASMARA (capital) (2023)

322 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

21.8 years

male

20.8 years

total

21.3 years (2024 est.)

21.3 years (2010 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

-8.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

5% (2016)

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

3,221,523 (2024 est.)

male

3,122,433

total

6,343,956

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

1.12% (2024 est.)

Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

improved: rural

rural: 7.3% of population

improved: total

total: 15.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 44.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 92.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 84.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 55.5% of population

female

7 years (2015)

male

8 years

total

8 years

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

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

0.2% (2020 est.)

male

14.7% (2020 est.)

total

7.5% (2020 est.)

3.43 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

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)

etymology

the name means "they [women] made them unite," which according to Tigrinya oral tradition refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara area who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy; the name has also been translated as "live in peace"

geographic coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

name

Asmara

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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

history

ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (never implemented)

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

etymology

the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation "Erythra Thalassa" meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

Hagere Ertra

local short form

Ertra

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Leslie FRERIKSEN (since 18 July 2022)

email address and website

consularasmara@state.govhttps://er.usembassy.gov/

embassy

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

FAX

[291] (1) 12-75-84

mailing address

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC  20521-7170

telephone

[291] (1) 12-00-04

chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Berhane Gebrehiwet SOLOMON (since 15 March 2011)

email address and website

embassyeritrea@embassyeritrea.orghttps://us.embassyeritrea.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

chief of state

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 24 May 1993)

election results

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

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term), according to the constitution; the only election held was on 24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next postponed indefinitely)

head of government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country

note

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu

presidential republic

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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

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

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

description

National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (seats - NA; members to be directly elected to serve 5-year terms)

election results

NA

elections

NA

note

note: in 1997, after the new constitution was adopted, the government formed a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly could be held; the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all National Assembly members will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia; as of 2024, no sitting legislative body exists

lyrics/music

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

name

"Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)

note

note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

selected World Heritage Site locales

Asmara: A Modernist African City

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

camel; national colors: green, red, blue

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

18 years of age; universal

sorghum, milk, barley, vegetables, root vegetables, cereals, pulses, millet, wheat, beef (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$549 million (2018 est.)

revenues

$633 million (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2016

-$105 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$137 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external 2022

$471.009 million (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Currency

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

15.075 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

15.075 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.075 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

15.075 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

15.075 (2023 est.)

Exports 2016

$485.4 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$624.3 million (2017 est.)

zinc ore, gold, copper ore, wheat, garments (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 52%, UAE 33%, South Korea 9%, Japan 2%, Madagascar 2% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

10.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

24.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

80.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-22.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

6.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

agriculture

11.7% (2017 est.)

industry

29.6% (2017 est.)

services

58.7% (2017 est.)

$5.813 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2016

$1.048 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$1.127 billion (2017 est.)

ships, sorghum, wheat, construction vehicles, other foods (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 34%, UAE 26%, Turkey 12%, US 7%, India 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

9% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

9% (2017 est.)

1.8 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt 2017

131.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$8.791 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$8.953 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$9.702 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5% (2017 est.)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2015

$1,500 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$1,500 (2016 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2017

$1,600 (2017 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017

$143.412 million (2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$163.034 million (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$191.694 million (2019 est.)

34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

6.34% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.94% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.87% (2023 est.)

female

11.3% (2023 est.)

male

8.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

10% (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

671,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

671,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

337.42 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

219,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

50.261 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

36%

electrification - total population

55.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

75.5%

fossil fuels

96.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

3.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

2.53 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

5,000 (2020 est.)

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)

.er

percent of population

22% (2021 est.)

total

792,000 (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line subscribership is less than 2 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is just over 50 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Eritrea’s telecom sector operates under a state-owned monopoly for fixed and mobile services; as a result of such restrictions on competition, the country has the least developed telecommunications market in Africa; mobile penetration stands at only about 20%, while fixed-line internet use barely registers; this is exacerbated by the very low use of computers, with only about 4% of households having a computer, and most of these being in the capital, Asmara; the 3G network continues to rollout which provides basic internet access to a limited number of Eritreans who can afford the expensive services; investment in telecom infrastructure is still required to improve the quality of services; the government has embarked on a work program to do exactly that, specifically aimed at extending services to remote areas, improving the quality of services, and ensuring that more telecoms infrastructure is supported by solar power to compensate for the poor state of the electricity network (2022)

international

country code - 291 (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

66,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

1.801 million (2021 est.)

10 (2024)

E3

by type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

total

9 (2023)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

102,729 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

1

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

key ports

Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

2 (2024)

narrow gauge

306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

total

306 km (2018)

paved

1,600 km (2000)

total

16,000 km (2018)

unpaved

14,400 km (2000)

the military’s primary responsibilities are external defense, border security, and providing the regime a vehicle for national cohesion; the Army is the dominant service; it is a large, conscript-based force and estimated to have more than 20 infantry divisions, including some that are mechanized, as well as a division of commandos/special forcessince 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 widespread human rights abuses (2023)

Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF): Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force); People's Militia (aka People's Army or Hizbawi Serawit) (2023)

note

note: police are responsible for maintaining internal security, but the government sometimes used the armed forces, reserves, demobilized soldiers, or civilian militia to meet domestic as well as external security requirements; the armed forces have authority to arrest and detain civilians

available information varies widely; estimated 150,000-200,000 personnel (2024)

the EDF's inventory is comprised primarily of Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2024)

Military Expenditures 2015

10.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

10.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

10.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

10.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

10% of GDP (2019 est.)

Eritrea mandates military service for all citizens age 18-40; 18-month conscript service obligation, which 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 55 eligible for recall during mobilization (2023)

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/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/eritrea/

carbon dioxide emissions

0.71 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.48 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

22.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Paris Agreement

agricultural land

75.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)

forest

15.1% (2018 est.)

other

9.8% (2018 est.)

7.32 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

726,957 tons (2011 est.)