2023 Edition

Background

After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. 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 December 2000. A subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation was rejected by Ethiopia. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 after the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia, Eritrean leaders 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 November 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, with increased air transport, trade, tourism, and port activities, until late 2020, but the economy remains agriculture-dependent, and Eritrea 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; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

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

75.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)

forest

15.1% (2018 est.)

other

9.8% (2018 est.)

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 swarmsvolcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

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

36.27% (male 1,145,134/female 1,130,829)

15-64 years

59.73% (male 1,842,953/female 1,904,677)

65 years and over

4% (2023 est.) (male 100,158/female 151,045)

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

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

4.1% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Demographic profile

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.1

potential support ratio

14 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

77.9

youth dependency ratio

70.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 53.3% of population

improved: total

total: 57.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 73.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 46.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 26.8% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

Gross reproduction rate

1.73 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

33.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

47.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.9 years

male

64.6 years

total population

67.2 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

68.9% (2018)

male

84.4%

total population

76.6%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

1.073 million ASMARA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

21.5 years

male

20.5 years

total

21 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 years (2010 est.)

note

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

Nationality

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

Net migration rate

-9.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5% (2016)

Physicians density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

6,274,796 (2023 est.)

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

Population growth rate

1.08% (2023 est.)

Religions

Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 7.3% of population

improved: total

total: 15.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 44.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 92.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 84.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 55.5% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

7 years (2015)

male

8 years

total

8 years

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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.2% (2020 est.)

male

14.7% (2020 est.)

total

7.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.5 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.4%

male

13.1%

total

14.6% (2021 est.)

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

geographic coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

name

Asmara

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

amendments

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

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

etymology

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

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

Hagere Ertra

local short form

Ertra

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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

email address and website

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

embassy

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

FAX

[291] (1) 12-75-84

mailing address

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC  20521-7170

telephone

[291] (1) 12-00-04

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.orghttps://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); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

election results

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

elections/appointments

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

head of government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

Flag description

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

note

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

Government type

presidential republic

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 legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (150 seats; 75 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

NA

elections

in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia, and as of 2023, there was no sitting legislative body

National anthem

lyrics/music

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

name

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

note

note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

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; national colors: green, red, blue

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sorghum, milk, vegetables, barley, cereals, pulses nes, roots/tubers nes, wheat, millet, beef

Budget

expenditures

$549 million (2018 est.)

revenues

$633 million (2018 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$105 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$137 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$875.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$792.7 million (31 December 2017 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 2017

15.075 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

15.075 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

15.075 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

15.075 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.075 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$485.4 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$624.3 million (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

zinc, copper, gold, clothing, stone grinders (2021)

Exports - partners

China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

10.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

24.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

80.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-22.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

6.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

11.7% (2017 est.)

industry

29.6% (2017 est.)

services

58.7% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.813 billion (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$1.048 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$1.127 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

5.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

9% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

9% (2017 est.)

Labor force

1.675 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

80%

industry

20% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2004 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

131.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$8.791 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$8.953 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$9.702 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

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

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2015

$1,500 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$1,500 (2016 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2017

$1,600 (2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$143,412,400 (31 December 2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018

$163,033,700 (31 December 2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$191,694,400 (31 December 2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.99% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

7.86% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

8.05% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.4%

male

13.1%

total

14.6% (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

798,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

798,000 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

394.46 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

228,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

61 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

35.7% (2021)

electrification - total population

52.5% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

75.6% (2019)

population without electricity

3 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

93.8% 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

5.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

3.217 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

5,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,897 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

5,000 (2020 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

22% (2021 est.)

total

792,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

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

general assessment

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

international

country code - 291 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

66,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

1.8 million (2021 est.)

Airports

13 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

4

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

9

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

E3

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

total

9 (2022)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

102,729 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

1

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Assab, Massawa

Railways

narrow gauge

306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

total

306 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

1,600 km (2000)

total

16,000 km (2018)

unpaved

14,400 km (2000)

Military - note

the military’s primary responsibilities are external defense, border security, and providing the regime a vehicle for national cohesion; the Army is the dominant service; it is a large, conscript-based force and estimated to have more than 20 infantry divisions, including some that are mechanized, as well as a division of commandos/special forces; the Air Force has a small number of Soviet-era combat aircraft and helicopters, while the Navy maintains a limited number of coastal patrol vessels 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 widespread human rights abuses including executions, rape, and torture of civilians within Ethiopia (2023)

Military and security forces

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

note

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

Military and security service personnel strengths

limited available information; estimated 150,000-200,000 personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the EDF inventory is comprised primarily of older Russian and Soviet-era systems; Eritrea was under a UN arms embargo from 2009 to 2018; from the 1990s to 2008, Russia was the leading supplier of arms to Eritrea, and in recent years, Eritrea has expressed interest in purchasing additional Russian equipment; in 2022, it reportedly received some UAVs from Russia (2023)

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 between the ages of 18 and 40; 18-month conscript service obligation, which includes 4-6 months of military training and 12 months of military or other national service (military service is most common); in practice, military and national service is often extended indefinitely; citizens up to the age of 55 eligible for recall during mobilization (2023)

note

note: as of 2020, women were estimated to make up as much as 30% of the Eritrean military

Disputes - international

Eritrea-Ethiopia: both agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation StatementEritrea-Sudan: Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groupsEritrea-Djibouti: in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

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; a government policy or pattern of human trafficking existed; the government continued to exploit its nationals in forced labor in its compulsory national service and citizen militia by forcing them to serve indefinitely or for arbitrary periods; the government did not demonstrate any efforts to address human trafficking (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic victims in Eritrea and abroad; National Service is mandatory at age 18 and may take a variety of forms, including military service and physical labor but also government office jobs and teaching; the 18-month limit on compulsory national service was suspended since the 1998-2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian border conflict, blocking the demobilization of most individuals who are forced to serve indefinitely under threats of detention, torture, or familial reprisal; Eritreans who flee the country, usually with the aim of reaching Europe, seek the help of paid smugglers and are vulnerable to trafficking when they cross the border clandestinely into Sudan and Ethiopia; Eritreans are subject to forced labor and sex trafficking mainly in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.71 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.48 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

22.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

75.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)

forest

15.1% (2018 est.)

other

9.8% (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

7.32 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

726,957 tons (2011 est.)