2020 Edition

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.

Area

land

2,381,740 sq km

total

2,381,740 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

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

Coastline

998 km

Elevation

highest point

Tahat 2,908 m

lowest point

Chott Melrhir -40 m

mean elevation

800 m

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 3 00 E

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

Irrigated land

13,819 sq km (2019)

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

total

6,734 km

Land use

agricultural land

17.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 13.8% (2023 est.)

forest

0.7% (2023 est.)

other

81.9% (2023 est.)

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Major aquifers

Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft Basin

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive fishing zone

32-52 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

Terrain

mostly high plateau and desert; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Age structure

0-14 years

30.8% (male 7,411,337/female 7,062,794)

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

0% (2019)

women married by age 18

3.8% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.7% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

55.5% (2019 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.5 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

8.7 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.5 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

48.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 90.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 94.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 96.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 9.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.5% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab-Amazigh 99%, European less than 1%

Gross reproduction rate

1.42 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.5% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

5.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

19.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Tamazight (official) (dialects include Kabyle (Taqbaylit), Shawiya (Tacawit), Mzab, Tuareg (Tamahaq))

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.7 years

male

77.2 years

total population

77.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

74.2% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

2.902 million ALGIERS (capital), 936,000 Oran (2022)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

29.4 years

male

28.8 years

total

29.3 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Algerian

noun

Algerian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.4% (2016)

Physician density

1.66 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

23,516,017

male

24,219,668

total

47,735,685 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.47% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 91.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 96.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 98.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 3.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2023 est.)

male

15 years (2023 est.)

total

15 years (2023 est.)

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

0.6% (2025 est.)

male

41.6% (2025 est.)

total

21.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.91 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

75.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger (Algiers), Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Beni Abbes, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djanet, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Meghaier, El Meniaa, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Ouled Djellal, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Touggourt

Capital

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

geographic coordinates

36 45 N, 3 03 E

name

Algiers

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the mother must be a citizen of Algeria

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

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&rsquo; liberties and rights cannot be amended

history

several previous; latest approved by referendum 1 November 2020

Country name

conventional long form

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

conventional short form

Algeria

etymology

the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah

local short form

Al Jaza'ir

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Elizabeth Moore AUBIN (since 9 February 2022)

email address and website

algierspd@state.gov https://dz.usembassy.gov/

embassy

05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030, Alger

FAX

[213] (0) 770-08-2299

mailing address

6030 Algiers Place, Washington DC 20521-6030

telephone

[213] (0) 770-08-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sabri BOUKADOUM (since 27 February 2024)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

mail@algerianembassy.org https://www.algerianembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 986-5906

telephone

[1] (202) 265-2800

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)

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%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament

expected date of next election

2029

head of government

Prime Minister Sifi GHRIEB (since 28 August 2025)

most recent election date

7 September 2024

Flag

description: two equal vertical bands of green (left) and white; a red, five-pointed star inside a red crescent, centered over the two-color boundary  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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

5 July 1962 (from France)

International law organization participation

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

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)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Le Cour Supr&ecirc;me, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman)

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

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

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament (Barlaman)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Chaabi Al-Watani)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

June 2026

most recent election date

6/12/2021

number of seats

407 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

National Liberation Front (FLN) (98); Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) (65); National Democratic Rally (RND) (58); El-Moustakbel Front (Future", FM) (48); El Binaa Movement (39); Independents (84); Other (15)

percentage of women in chamber

7.9%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Council of the Nation (Majlis al-Oumma)

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

January 2028

most recent election date

3/9/2025

number of seats

174 (116 indirectly elected; 58 appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

2.5%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces

lyrics/music

Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI

title

"Kassaman" (We Pledge)

National color(s)

green, white, red

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)

total World Heritage Sites

7 (6 cultural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

National symbol(s)

five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon; fennec fox

Political parties

Algerian National Front or FNA 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

potatoes, watermelons, wheat, milk, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, oranges, dates, barley (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

37.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$64.728 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$55.185 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$4.513 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$19.433 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$6.359 billion (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$4.764 billion (2023 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

126.777 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

135.064 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

141.995 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

135.843 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

134.053 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$41.846 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$69.226 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$59.426 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron bars (2023)

Exports - partners

Italy 29%, France 14%, Spain 13%, USA 6%, Netherlands 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

23.6% (2023 est.)

government consumption

17.9% (2023 est.)

household consumption

40.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-20.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.8% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

4.9% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

13.1% (2023 est.)

industry

37.8% (2023 est.)

services

45.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$263.62 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$44.287 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$46.613 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$51.131 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

wheat, plastics, cars, milk, corn (2023)

Imports - partners

China 24%, France 12%, Italy 8%, Turkey 7%, Brazil 6% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

3.9% (2023 est.)

Industries

petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.3% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

4% (2024 est.)

Labor force

13.294 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2017

27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$672.256 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$699.818 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$722.912 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.6% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.3% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$14,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$15,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$15,400 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$71.852 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$81.217 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$83.007 billion (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

12.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

11.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

45.8% (2024 est.)

male

26.8% (2024 est.)

total

29.8% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

3,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

241,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

223 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

85.687 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

2.753 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

475.8 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

22.591 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

9.237 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.3%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

98.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

61.843 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

52.831 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

51.566 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

104.896 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

4.504 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

12.2 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

446,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

1.443 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

12 (2023 est.)

total

5.54 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

Radio Alg&eacute;rienne is the state-run radio broadcast; the National Company of Television (Entreprise Nationale de T&eacute;l&eacute;vision (ENTV)) is the primary state-run public TV station (2024)

Internet country code

.dz

Internet users

percent of population

77% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

6.93 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

54.1 million (2024 est.)

Airports

95 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7T

Heliports

11 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, container ship 4, general cargo 11, oil tanker 14, other 89

total

119 (2022)

Ports

key ports

Alger, Annaba, Arzew, Arzew El Djedid, Bejaia, Mers El Kebir, Oran, Port Methanier, Skikda

large

2

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

3

small

6

total ports

17 (2024)

very small

8

Railways

total

4,020 km (2019)

Military - note

the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities; key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco; Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK); border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel; the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamist militant groups; the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations 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)

Military and security forces

Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard, National Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2025)

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 expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

6.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

5.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

4.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

8% of GDP (2024 est.)

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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

25 (2024 est.)

refugees

188,206 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Algeria did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Algeria remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/algeria/

Key space-program milestones

2002 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (Alsat-1A) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia 2006 - announced a national space program 2010 and 2016 - first Algerian-designed and -built RS satellites (Alsat-2A and 2B) launched by India 2017 - first communications satellite (Alcomsat-1) built jointly with and launched by China; announced a 2040 national space plan 2026 - RS satellite (AlSat-3A) launched by China

Space agency/agencies

Algerian Space Agency (Agence Spatiale Alg&eacute;rienne, ASAL; established 2002) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

none; note - in 1947, Algeria began hosting a French military rocket test site known as the Centre Interarm&eacute;es d&rsquo;Essais d&rsquo;Engins Sp&eacute;ciaux (CIEES or Interarmy Special Vehicles Test Center); it was the continent of Africa's first rocket launch site and was in service until 1967

Space program overview

has a national space policy and space research program with stated goals of supporting internal development, managing resources, mastering space technology, and reinforcing national sovereignty; builds and operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; researching and developing a range of space-related capabilities, including satellites and satellite payloads, communications, RS, instrumentation, image processing, and geo-spatial information; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including Argentina, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, the UK, and other African countries; member of the African Space Agency and the Arab Space Coordination Group (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) – Algeria; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

741,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

105.125 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

57.795 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

163.661 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution in major cities; soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; river and coastal pollution from dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents; pollution in Mediterranean Sea from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate potable water

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Nuclear Test Ban

Methane emissions

agriculture

256 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

2,561.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

7.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

486.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

22.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

11.667 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

7.391 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial

181 million cubic meters (2022)

municipal

3.389 billion cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

12.379 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11% (2022 est.)