2020 Edition

Background

Eritrea won independence from Italian colonial control in 1941, but the UN only established it as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952, after a decade of British administrative control. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year conflict for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean fighters defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been characterized by highly autocratic and repressive actions. His government has created a highly militarized society by instituting an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service -- divided between military and civilian service -- of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in 2000. Ethiopia rejected a subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 when the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Eritrean leaders then engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia led to a resumption of economic ties, but the level of air transport, trade, and tourism have remained roughly the same since late 2020. The Eritrean economy remains agriculture-dependent, and the country is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Eritrea faced new international condemnation and US sanctions in mid-2021 for its participation in the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, where Eritrean forces were found to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As most Eritrean troops were departing northern Ethiopia in January 2023, ISAIAS began a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at bolstering Eritrea’s foreign partnerships and regional influence. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression, and conscription and militarization continue.

Area

land

101,000 sq km

total

117,600 sq km

water

16,600 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Coastline

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

Elevation

highest point

Soira 3,018 m

lowest point

near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m

mean elevation

853 m

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Geography - note

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes

Irrigated land

210 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

1,840 km

Land use

agricultural land

62.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 56.9% (2023 est.)

forest

12% (2023 est.)

other

25.3% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms volcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life in 2011

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

density is highest in the center of the country, in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Age structure

0-14 years

35.7% (male 1,138,382/female 1,123,925)

15-64 years

60.3% (male 1,882,547/female 1,944,266)

65 years and over

4% (2024 est.) (male 101,504/female 153,332)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

15.1 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

64.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

57.6 (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.65 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

2.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

female

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

46.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.2 years

male

64.9 years

total population

67.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.073 million ASMARA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

21.8 years

male

20.8 years

total

21.7 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

Net migration rate

-7.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5% (2016)

Physician density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

3,258,154

male

3,158,281

total

6,416,435 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.16% (2025 est.)

Religions

Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

7 years (2015 est.)

male

9 years (2015 est.)

total

8 years (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

0.2% (2020 est.)

male

14.7% (2020 est.)

total

7.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.35 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); 'Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash-Barka, Ma'ikel (Central), Semienawi K'eyyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Capital

etymology

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

geographic coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

name

Asmara

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

20 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the president of Eritrea or by assent of at least one half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least an initial three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and, after one year, final passage by at least four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

etymology

the country name derives from the ancient Greek name Erythra Thalassa, meaning "Red Sea," the body of water that borders the country

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

Hagere Ertra

local short form

Ertra

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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

email address and website

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

embassy

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

FAX

[291] (1) 12-75-84

mailing address

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC 20521-7170

telephone

[291] (1) 12-00-04

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

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

email address and website

embassyeritrea@embassyeritrea.org https://us.embassyeritrea.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

chief of state

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 24 May 1993)

election results

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

election/appointment process

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

expected date of next election

postponed indefinitely

head of government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

most recent election date

24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia

Flag

description: a red isosceles triangle (based on the left side) divides the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower is blue; a gold wreath around a gold olive branch is on the left side of the red triangle meaning: green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red for the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue for the sea's bounty; the shape of the red triangle mimics the country's shape

Government type

authoritarian

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)

judge selection and term of office

High Court judges appointed by the president

subordinate courts

regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts

Legal system

mixed system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito)

most recent election date

2/1/1994

number of seats

150 (all indirectly elected)

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1993, after gaining independence from Ethiopia

lyrics/music

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

title

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

National coat of arms

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

National color(s)

green, red, blue

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Asmara: A Modernist African City

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

National symbol(s)

camel

Political parties

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

$549 million (2018 est.)

revenues

$633 million (2018 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$461.376 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

largely agrarian economy with a significant mining sector; substantial fiscal surplus due to tight controls; high and vulnerable debts; increased Ethiopian trade and shared port usage decreasing prices; financial and economic data integrity challenges

Exchange rates

Currency

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

15.075 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.075 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

15.075 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

15.075 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

15.075 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2011

$374.898 million (2011 est.)

Exports 2016

$485.4 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$624.3 million (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

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

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.535 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2009

$435.275 million (2009 est.)

Imports 2010

$494.229 million (2010 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

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

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

5.6% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.6% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.4% (2022 est.)

Labor force

1.71 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.398 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.465 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$2.534 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$700 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$700 (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017

$143.412 million (2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$163.034 million (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$191.694 million (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

5.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

5.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10.5% (2024 est.)

male

8.5% (2024 est.)

total

9.4% (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

388.987 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

243,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

51.528 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

36%

electrification - total population

55.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

75.5%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

89.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

10.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

2.977 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total

6,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

government controls broadcast media, with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; 2 state-owned radio networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2023)

Internet country code

.er

Internet users

percent of population

20% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

68,200 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

59 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2.02 million (2022 est.)

Airports

11 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

E3

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

total

9 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

0

Railways

narrow gauge

306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

total

306 km (2018)

Military - note

the military’s primary responsibilities are external defense, border security, and providing the regime a vehicle for national cohesion; the conscript-based Army is the dominant service since the country's independence in 1991, the Eritrean military has participated in numerous conflicts, including the Hanish Island Crisis with Yemen (1995), the First Congo War (1996-1997), the Second Sudanese Civil War (1996-1998), the Eritrea-Ethiopia War (1998-2000), the Djiboutian-Eritrean border conflict (2008), and the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia (2020-2022); during the Tigray conflict, the Eritrean Defense Forces were accused of human rights abuses; in recent years, it has provided training support to the military of Somalia (2025)

Military and security forces

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

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

10.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

10.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

10.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

10.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

10% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

Eritrea mandates military service for all citizens age 18-40; 18-month conscript service obligation, which reportedly includes 4-6 months of military training and 12 months of military or other national service (military service is most common); in practice, military and national service is often extended indefinitely; citizens up to the age of 59 eligible for recall during mobilization (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

119 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

733,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

733,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

International environmental agreements

party to

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

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Paris Agreement

Methane emissions

agriculture

117.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

15.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

2.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

20.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

22.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

7.315 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

31 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

727,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

6.8% (2022 est.)