2021 Edition

Background

Algeria has known many empires and dynasties starting with the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Berber dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. It was under the latter that the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping beginning in roughly 1500, peaking in the early to mid-17th century, until finally subdued by the French capture of Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of the entirety of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. The country was heavily colonized by the French in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics. 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 December 1991 legislative elections led the Algerian army 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. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud, and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies, while also increasing subsidies to the populace. Since 2014, Algeria’s reliance on hydrocarbon revenues to fund the government and finance the large subsidies for the population has fallen under stress because of declining oil prices. Protests broke out across the country in late February 2019 against President BOUTEFLIKA’s decision to seek a fifth term. BOUTEFLIKA resigned on 2 April 2019, and the speaker of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader BENSALAH, became interim head of state on 9 April. BENSALAH remained in office beyond the 90-day constitutional limit until Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country's new president in December 2019.

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 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated

Irrigated land

13,600 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

border countries

Libya 989 km, Mali 1359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1941 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1034 km

total

6,734 km

Land use

agricultural land

17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 13.8% (2018 est.)

forest

0.8% (2018 est.)

other

81.8% (2018 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 as shown in this population distribution map

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

29.58% (male 6,509,490/female 6,201,450)

15-24 years

13.93% (male 3,063,972/female 2,922,368)

25-54 years

42.91% (male 9,345,997/female 9,091,558)

55-64 years

7.41% (male 1,599,369/female 1,585,233)

65 years and over

6.17% (male 1,252,084/female 1,401,357) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

19.24 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.7% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

57.1% (2012/13)

Current Health Expenditure

6.2% (2018)

Death rate

4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

For the first two thirds of the 20th century, Algeria's high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962, the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria's population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women's rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women's education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman's age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s. Algeria's fertility rate experienced an unexpected upturn in the early 2000s, as the average woman's age at first marriage dropped slightly. The reversal in fertility could represent a temporary fluctuation in marriage age or, less likely, a decrease in the steady rate of contraceptive use. Thousands of Algerian peasants - mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region - faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (known as Harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers' decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification. Not until Algeria's civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria's construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe. Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara (today part of Morocco). More than 1000,000 Sahrawis are estimated to be living in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.8

potential support ratio

9.3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.1

youth dependency ratio

49.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97.4% of population

improved: total

total: 98.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.8% of population

Education expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

note

note: although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as primarily Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers and several other communities; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has officially recognized Berber languages and introduced them into public schools

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

18,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant mortality rate

female

17.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

22.36 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.23 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

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

79.33 years (2021 est.)

male

76.32 years

total population

77.79 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

75.3% (2018)

male

87.4%

total population

81.4%

Major urban areas - population

2.809 million ALGIERS (capital), 910,000 Oran (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

112 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

29.3 years (2020 est.)

male

28.6 years

total

28.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Algerian

noun

Algerian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.4% (2016)

Physicians density

1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

43,576,691 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.41% (2021 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 93.4% of population

improved: total

total: 96% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 6.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2011)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.55 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

82% (2017 est.)

male

33.1%

total

39.3%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

74.3% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, 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 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

amendments

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; amended 2002, 2008, 2016; last in 2020

history

several previous; latest approved by referendum 23 February 1989

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 (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Gautam RANA (since 20 January 2021)

email address and website

ACSAlgiers@state.govhttps://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 Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

mail@algerianembassy.orghttps://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

2019: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (Movement of National Construction) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Vanguard of Freedoms) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%2014: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Ayman BENABDERRAHMANE (since 7 July 2021); note - President TEBBOUNE appointed BENABDERRAHMANE as prime minister following the resignation of Prime Minister Abdelaziz DJERAD on 24 June     Abdelaziz DJERAD (since 28 December 2019)

Flag description

two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Cour Suprême, (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); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts

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 legal 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

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)National People's Assembly (lower house with 407 seats including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - in March 2021, President TEBBOUNE ordered the number of Assembly seats be reduced to 407 from 462

election results

Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 137, women 7, percent of women 5%,National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, EL Mostakbel 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 373, women 34, percent of women 8.4%; note - total Parliament percent of women 7.4%

elections

Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2018 (next to be held in December 2021)National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI

name

"Kassaman" (We Pledge)

note

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

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; national colors: green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES]Algerian Rally or RA [Ali ZAGHDOUD]Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL]Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Hamid FERHI]Dignity or El Karama [Aymene HARKATI]Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ]Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH]Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID]Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Mohamed DOUIBI]Justice and Development Front or FJD [Abdellah DJABALLAH]Movement of National Construction (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani) [Abdelkader BENGRINA]Movement of National Understanding or MENMovement for National Reform or Islah [Filali GHOUINI]Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MAKRI]National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA]National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA]National Liberation Front or FLN [Mohamed DJEMAI]National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD [Dalila YALAQUI]National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI]National Republican Alliance or ANR [Belkacem SAHLI]New Dawn Party or PFJ [Tahar BENBAIBECHE]New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI]Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE]Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID]Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS]Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hakim BELAHCEL]Union for Change and Progress or UCP [Zoubida Assoul]Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH]Vanguard of Freedoms (Talaie El Houriat) [Ali BENFLIS]Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA]Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]

note

note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

potatoes, wheat, milk, watermelons, barley, onions, tomatoes, oranges, dates, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

70.2 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

54.15 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$26.47 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$22.1 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$5.666 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$5.574 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. In recent years the Algerian Government has halted the privatization of state-owned industries and imposed restrictions on imports and foreign involvement in its economy, pursuing an explicit import substitution policy.Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 30% of GDP, 60% of budget revenues, and nearly 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world - including the 3rd-largest reserves of shale gas - and is the 6th-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in proven oil reserves. Hydrocarbon exports enabled Algeria to maintain macroeconomic stability, amass large foreign currency reserves, and maintain low external debt while global oil prices were high. With lower oil prices since 2014, Algeria’s foreign exchange reserves have declined by more than half and its oil stabilization fund has decreased from about $20 billion at the end of 2013 to about $7 billion in 2017, which is the statutory minimum.Declining oil prices have also reduced the government’s ability to use state-driven growth to distribute rents and fund generous public subsidies, and the government has been under pressure to reduce spending. Over the past three years, the government has enacted incremental increases in some taxes, resulting in modest increases in prices for gasoline, cigarettes, alcohol, and certain imported goods, but it has refrained from reducing subsidies, particularly for education, healthcare, and housing programs.Algiers has increased protectionist measures since 2015 to limit its import bill and encourage domestic production of non-oil and gas industries. Since 2015, the government has imposed additional restrictions on access to foreign exchange for imports, and import quotas for specific products, such as cars. In January 2018 the government imposed an indefinite suspension on the importation of roughly 850 products, subject to periodic review.President BOUTEFLIKA announced in fall 2017 that Algeria intends to develop its non-conventional energy resources. Algeria has struggled to develop non-hydrocarbon industries because of heavy regulation and an emphasis on state-driven growth. Algeria has not increased non-hydrocarbon exports, and hydrocarbon exports have declined because of field depletion and increased domestic demand.

Exchange rates

currency

Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

80.579 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

100.691 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

118.4617 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

119.775 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

131.085 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$44.39 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$38.32 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ammonia (2019)

Exports - partners

Italy 13%, France 13%, Spain 12%, United States 7%, United Kingdom 7%, India 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

23.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

42.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-35.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

38.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

11.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

13.3% (2017 est.)

industry

39.3% (2017 est.)

services

47.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$169.912 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

27.6 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.8% (1995)

lowest 10%

2.8%

Imports

Imports 2018

$60.05 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$54.26 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, wheat, packaged medical supplies, milk, vehicle parts (2019)

Imports - partners

China 18%, France 14%, Italy 8%, Spain 8%, Germany 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

0.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

5.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

4.2% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.9% (2019 est.)

Labor force

10.859 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

10.8%

industry

30.9%

services

58.4% (2011 est.)

Population below poverty line

5.5% (2011 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover central government debt as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt

Public debt 2016

20.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$491.63 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$495.56 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$468.4 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.7% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

1.4% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$11,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$11,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$10,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$114.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$97.89 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

32.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

10.5% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

11.7% (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

82% (2017 est.)

male

33.1%

total

39.3%

Crude oil - exports

756,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

5,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

1.259 million bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

12.2 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

55.96 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

641 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

257 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

19.27 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

66.89 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

97% (2019)

electrification - total population

99.4% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

99.6% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

41.28 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

53.88 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

93.5 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

4.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

405,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

578,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

82,930 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

627,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8.64 (2020 est.)

total

3,790,459 (2020)

Broadcast media

state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations

Internet country code

.dz

Internet users

percent of population

36% (2019 est.)

total

26.35 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

a limited network of fixed-lines with a teledensity of slightly less than 11 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; mobile-cellular teledensity was approximately 104 telephones per 100 persons in 2020 (2020)

general assessment

Algeria has a steadily developing telecom infrastructure through sound regulatory measures and government policies aimed at providing Internet connections across the country, including underserved areas; mobile penetration and LTE services are growing steadily; in common with other markets in the region, mobile connections account for the vast majority of Internet accesses; well served by satellite and submarine cable connections; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)

international

country code - 213; ALPAL-2 is a submarine telecommunications cable system in the Mediterranean Sea linking Algeria and the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca; ORVAL is a submarine cable to Spain; landing points for the TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/SeaMeWe-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; MED cable connecting Algeria with France; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; Algeria part of the 4,500 Km terrestrial Trans Sahara Backbone network which connects to other fiber networks in the region; Alcomstat-1 satellite offering  telemedicine network (2020)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10.91 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

4,784,306 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

103.9 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

45,555,673 (2020)

Airports

total

149 (2020)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

18

2,438 to 3,047 m

27

914 to 1,523 m

6

over 3,047 m

14

total

67

under 914 m

2 (2020)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

16

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

36

total

82

under 914 m

28 (2020)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7T

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, container ship 2, general cargo 11, oil tanker 11, other 89 (2021)

total

114

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

28.28 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

6,442,442 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

87

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

2600 km condensate, 16415 km gas, 3447 km liquid petroleum gas, 7036 km oil, 144 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Arzew, Bethioua, Skikda

major seaport(s)

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Railways

narrow gauge

1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

2,888 km 1.432-m gauge (283 km electrified) (2014)

total

3,973 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

71,656 km (2015)

total

104,000 km (2015)

unpaved

32,344 km (2015)

Military - note

the ANP has 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 in 2021, Algeria had the largest defense budget (approximately $9 billion) and one of the best-equipped militaries in Africa the ANP traditionally has focused on internal stability and on Morocco where relations as of 2021 remained tense over Western Sahara and Algerian accusations that Morocco supports the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK), a separatist group in Algeria’s Kabylie region; however, following the Arab Spring events of 2011 and a series of cross-border terrorist attacks emanating from Mali in 2012-2013, particularly the 2013 attack on a commercial gas plant by al-Qa’ida-linked terrorists that resulted in the deaths of 35 hostages and 29 jihadists, it has made a concerted effort to beef up security along its other borders and promote regional security cooperation; since 2013, additional Army and paramilitary forces were deployed to the borders with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamic militant groups; in addition, Algeria has provided security assistance to some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, and conducted joint military/counter-terrorism operations

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 (under ANP, but responsible to the President), National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 130,000 ANP personnel (110,000 Army; 6,000 Navy; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 130-140,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 200,000 General Directorate of National Security (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the ANP's inventory includes mostly Russian-sourced equipment; since 2010, China, Germany, and Russia are the leading suppliers of armaments to Algeria (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

6.6% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

5.8% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

5.5% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

6% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2021)

Disputes - international

Algeria and many other states reject Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; the Polisario Front, exiled in Algeria, represents the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" which Algeria recognizes; the Algerian-Moroccan land border remains closed; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km of southeastern Algeria and the National Liberation Front's (FLN) assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco.  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

more than 100,000 (Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) (2018); 6,627 (Syria) (2020)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims; Algerian women and girls are vulnerable to sex trafficking due to financial problems or after running away from home; undocumented sub-Saharan migrants are vulnerable to labor and sex trafficking and are exploited in restaurants, houses, and informal worksites; sub-Saharan men and women needing more funds for their onward journey to Europe work illegally in construction and commercial sex and are vulnerable to sex trafficking and debt bondage; foreign women and girls, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are subject to sex trafficking in bars and informal brothels; criminal begging rings that exploit sub-Saharan African migrant children are common

tier rating

Tier 3 — Algeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; authorities prosecuted fewer traffickers and identified fewer victims compared to last year and convicted no traffickers; the government continued to lack effective procedures and mechanisms to screen for, identify, and refer potential victims to protective services and punished some potential victims for unlawful acts traffickers forced them to commit; the government took some steps to combat trafficking, including prosecuting some traffickers, identifying some victims, and continuing to implement its 2019-2021 national anti-trafficking action plan (2020)

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)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

150.01 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

49.94 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

35.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

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

Environment - current issues

air pollution in major cities; soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 13.8% (2018 est.)

forest

0.8% (2018 est.)

other

81.8% (2018 est.)

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)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

11.667 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

6.671 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

191 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

3.6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

74.3% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

12,378,740 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

990,299 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

8% (2013 est.)