2023 Edition

Background

The region of present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, treaties signed by the Afar sultans with the French allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885. Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. The ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory’s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia’s trade. Djibouti’s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as does the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.

Area

land

23,180 sq km

total

23,200 sq km

water

20 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Elevation

highest point

Moussa Ali 2,021 m

lowest point

Lac Assal -155 m

mean elevation

430 m

Geographic coordinates

11 30 N, 43 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Eritrea 125 km; Ethiopia 342 km; Somalia 61 km

total

528 km

Land use

agricultural land

73.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.)

forest

0.2% (2018 est.)

other

26.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floodsvolcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active

Natural resources

potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Population distribution

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Age structure

0-14 years

28.65% (male 140,365/female 139,299)

15-64 years

67.21% (male 284,488/female 371,529)

65 years and over

4.15% (2023 est.) (male 17,757/female 22,705)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

22 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

1.4%

women married by age 18

6.5% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.2% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19% (2012)

Current health expenditure

2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

Djibouti is a poor, predominantly urban country, characterized by high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and childhood malnutrition. Approximately 70% of the population lives in cities and towns (predominantly in the capital, Djibouti). The rural population subsists primarily on nomadic herding. Prone to droughts and floods, the country has few natural resources and must import more than 80% of its food from neighboring countries or Europe. Health care, particularly outside the capital, is limited by poor infrastructure, shortages of equipment and supplies, and a lack of qualified personnel. More than a third of health care recipients are migrants because the services are still better than those available in their neighboring home countries. The nearly universal practice of female genital cutting reflects Djibouti’s lack of gender equality and is a major contributor to obstetrical complications and its high rates of maternal and infant mortality. A 1995 law prohibiting the practice has never been enforced. Because of its political stability and its strategic location at the confluence of East Africa and the Gulf States along the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Djibouti is a key transit point for migrants and asylum seekers heading for the Gulf States and beyond. Each year some 100,000 people, mainly Ethiopians and some Somalis, journey through Djibouti, usually to the port of Obock, to attempt a dangerous sea crossing to Yemen. However, with the escalation of the ongoing Yemen conflict, Yemenis began fleeing to Djibouti in March 2015, with almost 20,000 arriving by August 2017. Most Yemenis remain unregistered and head for Djibouti City rather than seeking asylum at one of Djibouti’s three spartan refugee camps. Djibouti has been hosting refugees and asylum seekers, predominantly Somalis and lesser numbers of Ethiopians and Eritreans, at camps for 20 years, despite lacking potable water, food shortages, and unemployment.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.9

potential support ratio

14.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.6

youth dependency ratio

47.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 59.3% of population

improved: total

total: 90.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 40.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 9.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Ethnic groups

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)

Gross reproduction rate

1.05 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

38.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

53.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

46 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.3 years

male

63 years

total population

65.6 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

600,000 DJIBOUTI (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

27.6 years

male

24.1 years

total

26 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Djiboutian

noun

Djiboutian(s)

Net migration rate

4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

13.5% (2016)

Physicians density

0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

976,143 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.93% (2023 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 24.2% of population

improved: total

total: 73.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 87.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 75.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 26.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 12.3% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

7 years (2011)

male

7 years

total

7 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.77 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.83 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Capital

etymology

the origin of the name is disputed; multiple descriptions, possibilities, and theories have been proposed

geographic coordinates

11 35 N, 43 09 E

name

Djibouti

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the mother must be a citizen of Djibouti

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; Assembly consideration of proposals requires assent of at least one third of the membership; passage requires a simple majority vote by the Assembly and approval by simple majority vote in a referendum; the president can opt to bypass a referendum if adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of Djibouti, its republican form of government, and its pluralist form of democracy cannot be amended; amended 2006, 2008, 2010

history

approved by referendum 4 September 1992

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Djibouti

conventional short form

Djibouti

etymology

the country name derives from the capital city of Djibouti

former

French Somaliland, French Territory of the Afars and Issas

local long form

Republique de Djibouti (French)/ Jumhuriyat Jibuti (Arabic)

local short form

Djibouti (French)/ Jibuti (Arabic)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Mario FERNANDEZ (since 10 June 2023)

email address and website

DjiboutiACS@state.govhttps://dj.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Lot 350-B Haramouss, B.P. 185

FAX

[253] 21-45-31-29

mailing address

2150 Djibouti Place, Washington DC  20521-2150

telephone

[253] 21-45-30-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1156 15th Street NW, Suite 515, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed Siad DOUALEH (28 January 2016)

email address and website

info@djiboutiembassyus.orghttps://www.djiboutiembassyus.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 331-0302

telephone

[1] (202) 331-0270

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)

election results

2021: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fifth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 97.4%, Zakaria Ismael FARAH (MDEND) 2.7%2016: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 87%, Omar Elmi KHAIREH (CDU) 7.3%, other 5.6%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 9 April 2021 (next to be held in April 2026); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013)

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, ATMIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM), a 10-member body consisting of 4 judges, 3 members (non parliamentarians and judges) appointed by the president, and 3 appointed by the National Assembly president or speaker; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional Council magistrate appointments - 2 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by the CSM; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms

subordinate courts

High Court of Appeal; 5 Courts of First Instance; customary courts; State Court (replaced sharia courts in 2003)

Legal system

mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, formerly the Chamber of Deputies (65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 58, UDJ 7; composition - men 48, women 17, percent of women 26.2%

elections

last held on 24 February 2023 (next to be held in February 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH

name

"Jabuuti" (Djibouti)

note

note: adopted 1977

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

National symbol(s)

red star; national colors: light blue, green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique) or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]National Democratic Party or PND [Aden Robleh AWALEH]People's Rally for Progress or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party)Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Hasna Moumin BAHDON]Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Ilya Ismail GUEDI Hared]Union for the Presidential Majority coalition or UMP [collective leadership] (electoral coalition includes FRUD, PND, RPP, PPSD, and UPR)Union of Reform Partisans or UPR [Ibrahim Daoud CHEHEM]note: only parties with seats in the National Assembly included

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

vegetables, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons, limes, goat meat, mutton, beans, tomatoes

Budget

expenditures

$754 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$725 million (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$563.976 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$366.358 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$225.106 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$1.519 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$1.954 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

food import-dependent Horn of Africa economy driven by various national military bases and port-based trade; fairly resilient from COVID-19 disruptions; major re-exporter; increasing Ethiopian and Chinese trade relations; investing in infrastructure

Exchange rates

Currency

Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

177.721 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

177.721 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

177.721 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

177.721 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

177.721 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$5.15 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$3.695 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$5.16 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

palm oil, chlorides, sheep and goats, kidney beans, industrial fatty acids/oils, coffee (2021)

Exports - partners

Saudi Arabia 42%, India 15%, China 14%, Egypt 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

38.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

29.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

56.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-66.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

41.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.4% (2017 est.)

industry

17.3% (2017 est.)

services

80.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.323 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

41.6 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.9% (2002)

lowest 10%

2.4%

Imports

Imports 2019

$4.764 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$3.425 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$5.483 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron sheeting, cars, palm oil (2019)

Imports - partners

China 43%, United Arab Emirates 15%, India 7%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-4.43% (2020 est.)

Industries

construction, agricultural processing, shipping

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

0.15% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.32% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.78% (2020 est.)

Labor force

240,500 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

21.1% (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

31.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$5.121 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$5.182 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$5.432 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

5.55% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

1.2% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.81% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$4,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$4,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$501.858 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$686.339 million (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$588.418 million (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

35.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

26.36% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

28.39% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

28.39% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

82.2%

male

78.6%

total

79.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

-62.6 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

130,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

120 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

36.5% (2021)

electrification - total population

65.4% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

73.4% (2019)

population without electricity

(2020) less than 1 million

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

98.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

8.869 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

4,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

403 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

6,692 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2020 est.)

total

25,053 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the only 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet country code

.dj

Internet users

percent of population

69% (2021 est.)

total

759,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

about 2 per 100 fixed-line teledensity and nearly 44 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

Djibouti remains one of the last bastions where the national telco has a monopoly on all telecom services, including fixed lines, mobile, internet, and broadband; despite the country benefiting from its location as a hub for international submarine cables, prices for telecom services remain relatively high, and out of reach for a number of customers, weighing on market advancement; the Djibouti government is aiming to sell a minority stake in the incumbent telco (retaining some control of decisions) while securing the financial backing and the management acumen of a foreign operator; this is part of a larger plan to modernize the country’s economy more generally; the state expects to conduct a sale of up to 40% of the company to an international investor (2023)

international

country code - 253; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3 & 5, EASSy, Aden-Djibouti, Africa-1, DARE-1, EIG, MENA, Bridge International, PEACE Cable, and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems providing links to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

27,326 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

489,339 (2021 est.)

Airports

13 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

3

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

10

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J2

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 4, oil tanker 15, other 21

total

42 (2022)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

4

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Djibouti

Railways

standard gauge

97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

total

97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)

Roadways

total

2,893 km (2013)

Military - note

Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, including counterterrorism; China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance (note – France has multiple bases and hosts troop contingents from Germany and Spain); the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2023)

Military and security forces

Djibouti Armed Forces (Force Armée Djiboutienne or FAD): Army, Navy, Air Force; Djibouti Coast GuardMinistry of Interior: National Gendarmerie, National Police (2023)

note

note: the National Police is responsible for security within Djibouti City and has primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points, while the National Gendarmerie is responsible for all security outside of Djibouti City, as well as for protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 2,000 Gendarmerie (2023)

Military deployments

approximately 960 Somalia (ATMIS; note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024); Djibouti has about 200 police deployed to the Central African Republic under MINUSCA (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAD's inventory includes mostly older French and Soviet-era weapons systems, although in recent years it has received limited amounts of more modern, but largely secondhand equipment from a variety of other countries, including China, the Netherlands, and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

2.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

2.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

3.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

3.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2021)

Disputes - international

Djibouti-Somalia: Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia Djibouti-Eritrea: in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea, sparking a brief conflict; Qatar mediated and provided peacekeepers until 2017; Djibouti accused Eritrea of reoccupying the area in 2017 after Qatari troops were withdrawn; Djibouti and Eritrea agreed to normalize relations in 2018 Djibouti-Ethiopia: the Ethiopia-Djibouti relationship has been relatively harmonious, and there have been no major disputes along their shared border

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

13,434 (Somalia) (2023); 6,518 (Yemen) (mid-year 2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Djibouti does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; Djibouti partnered with international experts to expand training, formalized standard operating procedures for victim identification, enhanced a partnership with an international organization to develop victim referral procedures for transiting migrants, appointed a government focal point and inter-ministerial task force to combat human trafficking, and conducted awareness campaigns; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to improve its anti-trafficking capacity; the government did not convict any traffickers for the fifth consecutive year, and judges continue to use outdated versions of the penal code that do not include the 2016 anti-trafficking law; officials did not identify any trafficking victims for the third consecutive year and lacked formal services for victims; despite training, some front-line officials’ limited understanding of trafficking continued to inhibit law enforcement and victim identification; for the seventh consecutive year, the government only partially implemented its 2015-2022 national action plan; therefore, Djibouti remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Djibouti, and to a lesser extent, traffickers exploit victims from Djibouti abroad; adults and children, primarily undocumented economic migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia, transit Djibouti en route to Yemen and other locations in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia; a number of these migrants are exploited in forced labor and sex trafficking at their intended destinations, and they are also vulnerable to trafficking at various transit points, particularly Yemen; economic migrants who transit Djibouti to return to their home countries are vulnerable to trafficking; Djibouti—with a population of less than one million—hosts more than 35,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, and many of them have endured and remained vulnerable to trafficking; Djiboutian and migrant women and children living in the streets face exploitation in sex trafficking or forced labor; traffickers, including family members, may exploit local and migrant children in forced begging; foreign workers—including Ethiopians, Yemenis, Indians, Pakistanis, and Filipinos—may be exploited in forced labor in domestic servitude, construction, and food service sectors; Cuban medical professionals in Djibouti may have been forced to work by the Cuban government (2022)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Shabaab

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

0.62 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.52 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

19.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Environment - current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species

Environment - international agreements

party to

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

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to unfavorable weather and high food prices - about 250,000 people were estimated to have faced acute food insecurity between March and June 2023, mainly due to the lingering impact of a prolonged and severe drought between late 2020 and early 2023, and high food prices (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

73.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.)

forest

0.2% (2018 est.)

other

26.4% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

114,997 tons (2002 est.)