2015 Edition

Background

North Yemen became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis, a Zaydi Shia minority, began in 2004 and has since resulted in six rounds of fighting that ended in early 2010 with a cease-fire. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster. In in late April 2011. the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed the GGC Initiative, an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to further violence. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling for an end to the violence and completing a power transfer deal. In late November 2011, SALIH signed the GCC Initiative to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following HADI's election victory in February 2012, SALIH formally transferred his powers. In accordance with the GCC initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in January 2014. Subsequent steps in the transition process include constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections. Since the Arab Awakening in 2011, the Huthis have expanded their influence, culminating in a major offensive against military units and tribes affiliated with their Yemeni rivals and enabling their forces to overrun the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014. In January 2015, the Huthis attacked the presidential palace and President HADI's residence and surrounded key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to submit their resignations. HADI fled to Aden, and in late February he rescinded his resignation. He subsequently escaped to Saudi Arabia and asked the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen to protect the legitimate government from the Huthis. In late March, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched Operation Decisive Storm, a series of airstrikes against Huthi and Huthi-affiliated forces. In late April, the Saudi Government announced completion of the operation and initiated Operation Restoring Hope, which focuses on humanitarian aid and a return to political dialogue. As of late April 2015, the Huthis controlled much of western Yemen.

Area

land

527,968 sq km

note

includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

total

527,968 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Climate

mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Coastline

1,906 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

lowest point

Arabian Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

162.4 cu m/yr (2005)

total

3.57 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 48 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

Irrigated land

6,801 sq km (2004)

Land boundaries

border countries (2)

Oman 294 km, Saudi Arabia 1,307 km

total

1,601 km

Land use

arable land 2.2%; permanent crops 0.6%; permanent pasture 41.7%

agricultural land

44.5%

forest

1%

other

54.5% (2011 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

sandstorms and dust storms in summer

volcanism

limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (elev. 244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Terrain

narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Total renewable water resources

2.1 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.09% (male 5,588,316/female 5,399,365)

15-24 years

21.12% (male 2,865,453/female 2,782,109)

25-54 years

31.33% (male 4,280,258/female 4,096,280)

55-64 years

3.79% (male 468,869/female 543,336)

65 years and over

2.67% (male 330,966/female 382,365) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

29.98 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

23% (2006 est.)

total number

1,334,288

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

35.5% (2011)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

27.7% (2006)

Death rate

6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9%

potential support ratio

20.4% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

75.6%

youth dependency ratio

70.7%

Drinking water source

urban: 72% of population

rural: 46.5% of population

total: 54.9% of population

urban: 28% of population

rural: 53.5% of population

total: 45.1% of population (2012 est.)

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans

Health expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.05% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

300 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,200 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

44.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

53.14 deaths/1,000 live births

total

48.93 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official)

note

a distinct Socotri language is widely used on the Socotra Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen

Life expectancy at birth

female

67.41 years (2015 est.)

male

63.05 years

total population

65.18 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

55% (2015 est.)

male

85.1%

total population

70.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2013)

Major urban areas - population

SANAA (capital) 2.962 million; Aden 882,000 (2015)

Median age

female

19 years (2015 est.)

male

18.8 years

total

18.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Yemeni

noun

Yemeni(s)

Net migration rate

1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

14.2% (2014)

Physicians density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

26,737,317 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.47% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 92.5% of population

rural: 34.1% of population

total: 53.3% of population

urban: 7.5% of population

rural: 65.9% of population

total: 46.7% of population (2012 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2011)

male

11 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.86 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.91 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

74% (2010 est.)

male

26%

total

33.7%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

34.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

21 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) and 1 municipality*; Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City)*, 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz

Capital

geographic coordinates

15 21 N, 44 12 E

name

Sanaa

time difference

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

Constitution

adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); amended several times, last in 2009; note - between March 2014 and January 2015, a presidentially formed Constitutional Drafting Committee drafted a new constitution and President Hadi reviewed it; the draft was slated for final revision by the National Authority, followed by a national referendum; however, with the resignation of the government in late January 2015, constitutional formation has been stalled (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Yemen

conventional short form

Yemen

former

Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah

local short form

Al Yaman

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER (since 10 June 2014)

embassy

Sa'awan Street, Sanaa

FAX

[967] (1) 303-182

mailing address

P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa

note

US embassy operations suspended on 10 February 2015 amid growing violence; in March 2015, a team of US diplomats established the Yemen Affairs Unit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

telephone

[967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ahmed Awad AHMED bin Mubarak (since 3 August 2015)

FAX

[1] (202) 337-2017

telephone

[1] (202) 965-4760

Executive branch

cabinet

appointed by the president

chief of state

President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (since 21 February 2012); note - President HADI submitted his resignation in late January 2015, but Parliament did not convene to accept it; he later rescinded his resignation and remains the internationally recognized President of Yemen; he fled to Saudi Arabia in late March 2015 but returned in September after government loyalist forces aided by a Saudi-led coalition regained control of Aden from Huthi rebels in July

election results

Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) elected as a consensus president with about 50% popular participation; no other candidates

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 21 February 2012 (next election NA); note - a special election held on 21 February 2012 to remove Ali Abdallah SALIH under the terms of a Gulf Cooperation Council-mediated deal during the political crisis of 2011; vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Khalid Mahfuz BAHAH; note - BAHAH submitted his resignation in late January 2015, but Parliament did not convene to accept it; BAHAH later rescinded his resignation and remains prime minister; on 13 April he was named vice president, but continues to be the prime minister

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

note

similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

Government type

republic

Independence

22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, EITI (temporarily suspended), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the president of the Court, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, chaired by the president of the republic and consisting of 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts

appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of the Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora (111 seats; members appointed by the president; member tenure NA) and the House of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwaab (301 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms)

election results

House of Representatives percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 47, YSP 6, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 5

elections

last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed until February 2015)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI

name

"al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida" (United Republic)

note

adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990

National holiday

Unification Day, 22 May (1990)

National symbol(s)

golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black

Political parties and leaders

General People's Congress or GPC [Ali Abdallah SALIH]

Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah al-YADUMI, Abdul Wahab al-ANSI]

Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdallah NU'MAN]

Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Dr. Abd al-Rahman Umar al-SAQQAF]

note

there are at least seven more active political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Houthis

Muslim Brotherhood

Women National Committee

other

conservative tribal groups; southern secessionist groups; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

Budget

expenditures

$14.34 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$10.26 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

20% (31 December 2014 est.)

22% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$681 million (2014 est.)

-$1.422 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$8.002 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.708 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.7 (2005)

33.4 (1998)

Economy - overview

Yemen is a low-income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Oil and gas revenues account for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources and continuing attacks on its oil pipelines by diversifying its economy through a 2006 reform program that was designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aimed to support Yemen's efforts toward economic and political reform. In 2012, the Friends of Yemen pledged nearly $7 billion in assistance to Yemen. The Yemeni Government also endorsed a Mutual Accountability Framework to facilitate the efficient implementation of donor aid. The unrest that began in early 2011 caused GDP to plunge almost 11% in that year. Progress toward achieving stability has been slow and uneven. Yemen continues to face difficult long-term challenges, including declining water resources, high unemployment, severe food scarcity, and a high population growth rate. The Yemeni Government regularly faces annual budget shortfalls. In July 2014, the government eliminated some fuel subsidies that accounted for approximately 25% of government spending in 2013; and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen. Deteriorating security restricts economic growth and the provision of government services.

Exchange rates

Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

214.9 (2014 est.)

214.89 (2013 est.)

214.35 (2012 est.)

213.8 (2011 est.)

219.59 (2010 est.)

Exports

$7.041 billion (2014 est.)

$8.136 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas

Exports - partners

China 28.3%, South Korea 23%, Thailand 11.2%, Japan 8.1%, UAE 5.3% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

18.5%

government consumption

15.7%

household consumption

70.6%

imports of goods and services

-28.5%

investment in fixed capital

19.6%

investment in inventories

4%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.2%

industry

26.8%

services

64% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,800 (2014 est.)

$3,800 (2013 est.)

$3,600 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.2% (2014 est.)

4.8% (2013 est.)

2.4% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$43.23 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$103.6 billion (2014 est.)

$103.8 billion (2013 est.)

$99.05 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

6.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

5% of GDP (2013 est.)

7% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.8% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.9%

Imports

$10.39 billion (2014 est.)

$11 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners

China 15.9%, UAE 14%, India 9.6%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, Kuwait 5%, Turkey 4.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.5% (2014 est.)

Industries

crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.2% (2014 est.)

11% (2013 est.)

Labor force

7.262 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

note

most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

54% (2014 est.)

Public debt

51% of GDP (2014 est.)

49.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.688 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.349 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$16.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$14.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$14.61 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$12.17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.845 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.196 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

27% (2014 est.)

35% (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

21.28 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

43,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

130,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

4.137 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.533 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

5.834 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

968.5 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

6.684 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

7.652 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

144,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

14,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

59,050 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

86,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed (2007)

Internet country code

.ye

Internet users

percent of population

19.1% (2014 est.)

total

5 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards

general assessment

since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network

international

country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti (2006)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

1.17 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

66 (2014 est.)

total

17.1 million

Television broadcast stations

3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)

Airports

57 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

9

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

over 3,047 m

4

total

17

Airports - with unpaved runways

9 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

7

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

914 to 1,523 m

16

over 3,047 m

3

total

40

Merchant marine

by type

chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1

registered in other countries

14 (Moldova 4, Panama 4, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 1, unknown 3) (2010)

total

5

Pipelines

gas 641 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,370 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla

Roadways

paved

6,200 km

total

71,300 km

unpaved

65,100 km (2005)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators reduced the incidence of piracy in that body of water by more than half in 2010

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

5,387,160 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

5,652,256

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

4,116,895 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

4,056,944

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

277,612 (2010 est.)

male

287,141

Military branches

Land Forces, Naval and Coastal Defense Forces (includes Marines), Air and Air Defense Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yemeniya), Border Guards, Strategic Reserve Forces (2013)

Military expenditures

4.02% of GDP (2012)

3.48% of GDP (2011)

4.02% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)

Disputes - international

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,439,118 (conflict in Sa'ada governorate; clashes between AQAP and government forces) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

5,934 (Ethiopia) (2014); 244,404 (Somalia) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Yemen is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; some Yemeni children, mostly boys, migrate to Yemeni cities or across the border to Saudi Arabia and, less frequently Oman, where they end up as beggars, prostitutes, or forced laborers in domestic service or small shops; other Yemeni children were recruited as combatants or checkpoint guards by armed groups and continues to be used in the government’s military forces; Yemen is also a source country for girls sex trafficked within country or to Saudi Arabia; thousands of Yemeni migrant workers deported from Saudi Arabia and Syrian refugees are vulnerable to trafficking; additionally, Yemen is a destination and transit country for women and children from the Horn of Africa who are looking for work or receive fraudulent job offers in the Gulf states but are subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor upon arrival; reports indicate that adults and children are still sold or inherited as slaves in Yemen

tier rating

Tier 3 – Yemen does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; prolonged political, economic, and security crises, as well as the continued conflation of trafficking and smuggling, impeded the government’s modest anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not institute formal procedures to identify and protect trafficking victims in 2013, nor did they investigate or prosecute officials complicit in trafficking-related crimes; the government did not report efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict trafficking offenses, and no known efforts were made to investigate or punish persons practicing chattel slavery; officials acknowledged the use of child soldiers and agreed to a UN action plan to eliminate it but did not make efforts to remove child soldiers from the military; draft anti-trafficking legislation still awaits parliamentary endorsement (2014)