2022 Edition

Background

The Kingdom of Yemen (colloquially known as North Yemen) became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic. 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 the People's Republic of Southern Yemen (colloquially known as South Yemen). Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation and changed the country's name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. 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 Muslim minority, continued intermittently from 2004 to 2010, and then again from 2014-present. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2007. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President Ali Abdallah SALIH - inspired by similar Arab Spring 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 April 2011, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed the GCC 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 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 uncontested election victory in February 2012, SALIH formally transferred all presidential 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 and planned to begin implementing subsequent steps in the transition process, including constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections. The Huthis, perceiving their grievances were not addressed in the NDC, joined forces with SALIH and expanded their influence in northwestern Yemen, which culminated in a major offensive against military units and rival tribes and enabled their forces to overrun the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. In January 2015, the Huthis surrounded the presidential palace, HADI's residence, and key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to submit their resignations. HADI fled to Aden in February 2015 and rescinded his resignation. He subsequently escaped to Oman and then moved to Saudi Arabia and asked the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen to protect the legitimate government from the Huthis. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia assembled a coalition of Arab militaries and began airstrikes against the Huthis and Huthi-affiliated forces. Ground fighting between Huthi-aligned forces and anti-Huthi groups backed by the Saudi-led coalition continued through 2016. In 2016, the UN brokered a months-long cessation of hostilities that reduced airstrikes and fighting, and initiated peace talks in Kuwait. However, the talks ended without agreement. The Huthis and SALIH’s political party announced a Supreme Political Council in August 2016 and a National Salvation Government, including a prime minister and several dozen cabinet members, in November 2016, to govern in Sanaa and further challenge the legitimacy of HADI’s government. However, amid rising tensions between the Huthis and SALIH, sporadic clashes erupted in mid-2017, and escalated into open fighting that ended when Huthi forces killed SALIH in early December 2017. In 2018, anti-Huthi forces made the most battlefield progress in Yemen since early 2016, most notably in Al Hudaydah Governorate. In December 2018, the Huthis and Yemeni Government participated in the first UN-brokered peace talks since 2016, agreeing to a limited cease-fire in Al Hudaydah Governorate and the establishment of a UN Mission to monitor the agreement. In April 2019, Yemen’s parliament convened in Say'un for the first time since the conflict broke out in 2014. In August 2019, violence erupted between HADI's government and the pro-secessionist Southern Transition Council (STC) in southern Yemen. In November 2019, HADI's government and the STC signed a power-sharing agreement to end the fighting between them, and in December 2020, the signatories formed a new cabinet. In 2020 and 2021, fighting continued on the ground in Yemen as the Huthis gained territory, and also conducted regular UAV and missile attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia. 

Area

land

527,968 sq km

note

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

highest point

Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m

lowest point

Arabian Sea 0 m

mean elevation

999 m

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

6,800 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Oman 294 km; Saudi Arabia 1,307 km

total

1,601 km

Land use

agricultural land

44.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.)

forest

1% (2018 est.)

other

54.5% (2018 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 summervolcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (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

Population distribution

the vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country

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

Age structure

0-14 years

39.16% (male 5,711,709 /female 5,513,526)

15-24 years

21.26% (male 3,089,817 /female 3,005,693)

25-54 years

32.78% (male 4,805,059 /female 4,591,811)

55-64 years

4% (male 523,769 /female 623,100)

65 years and over

2.8% (male 366,891 /female 435,855) (2018 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

24.64 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

39.9% (2013)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

33.5% (2013)

Current health expenditure

4.3% of GDP (2015)

Death rate

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.7

potential support ratio

19.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

71.7

youth dependency ratio

69.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 84.2% of population

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 15.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 10.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.5% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asian, European

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

(2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

40.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

51.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

46.54 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official); note - a distinct Socotri language is widely used on Socotra Island and Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.94 years (2022 est.)

male

65.19 years

total population

67.51 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

55% (2015)

male

85.1%

total population

70.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Asia; Yemen is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

3.292 million SANAA (capital), 1.080 million Aden, 941,000 Taiz, 772,000 Ibb (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

19.9 years

male

19.6 years

total

19.8 years (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.8 years (2013 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Yemeni

noun

Yemeni(s)

Net migration rate

-0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.1% (2016)

Physicians density

0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

30,984,689 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

the vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country

Population growth rate

1.88% (2022 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) (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 44.2% of population

improved: total

total: 59.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 83.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 55.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 40.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 16.5% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.84 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.69 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

8.1% (2020 est.)

male

32.5% (2020 est.)

total

20.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.01 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

39.8% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

34.6% (2014 est.)

male

23.5%

total

24.5%

Administrative divisions

22 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 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

etymology

the name is reputed to mean "well-fortified" in Sabaean, the South Arabian language that went extinct in Yemen in the 6th century A.D.

geographic coordinates

15 21 N, 44 12 E

name

Sanaa

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Yemen; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

amended several times, last in 2009

history

adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); note - after the National  Dialogue ended in January 2015, a Constitutional Drafting Committee appointed by the president worked to prepare a new draft constitution that was expected to be put to a national referendum before being adopted; however, the start of the current conflict in early 2015 interrupted the process

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Yemen

conventional short form

Yemen

etymology

name derivation remains unclear but may come from the Arab term "yumn" (happiness) and be related to the region's classical name "Arabia Felix" (Fertile or Happy Arabia); the Romans referred to the rest of the peninsula as "Arabia Deserta" (Deserted Arabia)

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 Steven H. FAGIN (since 1 June 2022); note - the embassy closed in March 2015; Yemen Affairs Unit currently operates out of US Embassy Riyadh

email address and website

YemenEmergencyUSC@state.govhttps://ye.usembassy.gov/

embassy

previously - Sa'awan Street, Sanaa

FAX

US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-488-7360

mailing address

6330 Sanaa Place, Washington DC  20521-6330

telephone

US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-488-3800previously - [967] 1 755-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohammed Al-HADHRAMI (since 2019)

email address and website

Information@yemenembassy.orghttps://www.yemenembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 337-2017

telephone

[1] (202) 965-4760

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

Chairperson, Presidential Council Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI, Dr. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Sultan al-ARADA (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Faraj Salmin al- BAHSANI, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Abdullah Al-Alimi BA WAZIR (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Uthman Hussain Faid al-MUJALI (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council TARIQ Muhammad Abdallah Salih, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council 'Abd-al-Rahman ABU ZARA'A al-Muharrami al-Yafai, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Aydarus Qasim al-ZUBAYDI, Maj. Gen. (since 19 April 2022)

election results

2012: in a special election held on 21 February 2012, Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) was elected as a consensus president

elections/appointments

formerly, the president was directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 February 2012 (next election NA); note - a special election was 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

Chairperson, Presidential Council Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI, Dr. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Sultan al-ARADA (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Faraj Salmin al- BAHSANI, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Abdullah Al-Alimi BA WAZIR (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Uthman Hussain Faid al-MUJALI (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council TARIQ Muhammad Abdallah Salih, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council 'Abd-al-Rahman ABU ZARA'A al-Muharrami al-Yafai, Brig. Gen. (since 19 April 2022); Vice Chairperson, Presidential Council Aydarus Qasim al-ZUBAYDI, Maj. Gen. (since 19 April 2022)

note

note: on 7 April 2022, President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI announced the dismissal of Vice President ALI MUHSIN al-Ahmar and the formation of a Presidential Council, an eight-member body chaired by former minister Rashad AL-ALIMI; on 19 April 2022, the Council was sworn in before Parliament and began assuming the responsibilities of the president and vice president and carrying out the political, security, and military duties of the government

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

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

in transition

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]); notable earlier dates: North Yemen became independent on 1 November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate on 27 September 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, UNMHA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNVIM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the court president, 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, which is chaired by the president of the republic and includes 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges serve 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 (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of:Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora (111 seats; members appointed by the president; member tenure NA)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

percent of vote by party - GPC 58.0%, Islah 22.6%, YSP 3.8%, Unionist Party 1.9%, other 13.7%; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 46, YSP 8, Nasserist Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party 2, independent 4

elections

Shura Council - last appointments NA (next appointments NA)House of Representatives - last held in April 2019 (next to be held NA)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI

name

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

note

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

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Walled City of Shibam (c); Old City of Sana'a (c); Historic Town of Zabid (c); Socotra Archipelago (n)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)

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 (3 factions: pro-Hadi [Abdrabbi Mansur HADI], pro-Houthi [Sadeq Ameen Abu RAS], pro-Saleh [Ahmed SALEH]Nasserist Unionist People's Organization [Abdulmalik al-MEKHLAFI]National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party [Qassem Salam SAID]Southern Transitional Council or STC [Aidarus al-ZOUBAIDA] Yemeni Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah al-YADUMI]Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Dr. Abd al-Rahman Umar al-SAQQAF]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

mangoes/guavas, potatoes, sorghum, onions, milk, poultry, watermelons, grapes, oranges, bananas

Budget

expenditures

4.458 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

2.821 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$1.868 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.236 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$6.805 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$7.181 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Economic overview

Yemen is a low-income country that faces difficult long-term challenges to stabilizing and growing its economy, and the current conflict has only exacerbated those issues. The ongoing war has halted Yemen’s exports, pressured the currency’s exchange rate, accelerated inflation, severely limited food and fuel imports, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure. The conflict has also created a severe humanitarian crisis - the world’s largest cholera outbreak currently at nearly 1 million cases, more than 7 million people at risk of famine, and more than 80% of the population in need of humanitarian assistance.   Prior to the start of the conflict in 2014, Yemen was highly dependent on declining oil and gas resources for revenue. Oil and gas earnings accounted for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. The Yemeni Government regularly faced annual budget shortfalls and tried to diversify the Yemeni economy through a reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In July 2014, the government continued reform efforts by eliminating some fuel subsidies and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen.   However, the conflict that began in 2014 stalled these reform efforts and ongoing fighting continues to accelerate the country’s economic decline. In September 2016, President HADI announced the move of the main branch of Central Bank of Yemen from Sanaa to Aden where his government could exert greater control over the central bank’s dwindling resources. Regardless of which group controls the main branch, the central bank system is struggling to function. Yemen’s Central Bank’s foreign reserves, which stood at roughly $5.2 billion prior to the conflict, have declined to negligible amounts. The Central Bank can no longer fully support imports of critical goods or the country’s exchange rate. The country also is facing a growing liquidity crisis and rising inflation. The private sector is hemorrhaging, with almost all businesses making substantial layoffs. Access to food and other critical commodities such as medical equipment is limited across the country due to security issues on the ground. The Social Welfare Fund, a cash transfer program for Yemen’s neediest, is no longer operational and has not made any disbursements since late 2014.   Yemen will require significant international assistance during and after the protracted conflict to stabilize its economy. Long-term challenges include a high population growth rate, high unemployment, declining water resources, and severe food scarcity.

Exchange rates

Currency

Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

214.89 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

228 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

214.9 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

214.9 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

275 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$940 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$384.5 million (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, gold, fish, industrial chemical liquids, scrap iron (2019)

Exports - partners

China 53%, Saudi Arabia 10%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Australia 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

7.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

17.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

116.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-43.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

2.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

20.3% (2017 est.)

industry

11.8% (2017 est.)

services

67.9% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$54.356 billion (2018 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1999

37.3 (1999 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

36.7 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.3% (2008 est.)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2016

$3.117 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$4.079 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

wheat, refined petroleum, iron, rice, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

China 25%, Turkey 10%, United Arab Emirates 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, India 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

8.9% (2017 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-12.6% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

24.7% (2017 est.)

Labor force

7.425 million (2017 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

Population below poverty line

48.6% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

68.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

74.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$90.63 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$78.28 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$73.63 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-16.7% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-13.6% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-5.9% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2015

$3,200 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$2,700 (2016 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2017

$2,500 (2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$592.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$245.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2003

35% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate 2014

27% (2014 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

34.6% (2014 est.)

male

23.5%

total

24.5%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

79,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

183,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

9.896 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

10.158 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

22,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

22,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

2,677,920,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.772 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

753 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

31% (2019)

electrification - total population

47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

72% (2019)

population without electricity

16 million (2019)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

84.6% 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

15.4% 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

5.453 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

89.906 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

89.906 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

478.554 billion 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

3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

75,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

70,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

12,670 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

75,940 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

20,180 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

391,000 (2020 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

Internet country code

.ye

Internet users

percent of population

27% (2019 est.)

total

7,873,719 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line teledensity remains low by regional standards at roughly 4 per 100 but mobile cellular use expanding at over 55 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

Yemen continues to provide an exceptionally challenging market for telcos; civil unrest has caused havoc and devastation across most parts of the country, while the threat of sanctions has also made it a challenging environment in which to operate; a large proportion of the population requires humanitarian assistance, and there is little disposable income for services upon which telcos can generate revenue; essential telecom infrastructure, such as mobile towers and fiber cabling, has often been targeted, destroyed, or damaged by the opposing sides in the ongoing conflict; these difficulties have proved to be a disincentive to telcos investing in infrastructure, with the result that the country lacks basic fixed-line infrastructure, and mobile services are based on outdated GSM; this has prevented the development of a mobile broadband sector, or the evolution of mobile data services; the ownership of telecommunication services, and the scrutiny of associated revenues and taxes, have become a political issue in Yemen; until telecom infrastructure can be improved across Yemen, and until civil unrest eases, there will be little progress for the sector (2022)

international

country code - 967; landing points for the FALCON, SeaMeWe-5, Aden-Djibouti, and the AAE-1 international submarine cable connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Southeast Asia; 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 (2020)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

1.24 million (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

55.18 (2019)

total subscriptions

15,357,900 (2019)

Airports

total

57 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

9

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2021)

over 3,047 m

4

total

17

Airports - with unpaved runways

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

under 914 m

9 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7O

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 2, oil tanker 4, other 28 (2021)

total

34

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

3.27 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

336,310 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

8

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla

Roadways

paved

6,200 km (2005)

total

71,300 km (2005)

unpaved

65,100 km (2005)

Maritime threats

the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued Maritime Advisory 2022-003 (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean-Violence Due to Regional Conflict and Piracy) effective 28 February 2022, which states in part the "Conflict in Yemen continues to pose potential risk to US flagged commercial vessels transiting the southern Red Sea, Bab al Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden. Threats may come from a variety of different sources including, but not limited to, missiles, rockets, projectiles, mines, small arms, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, or waterborne improvised explosive devices. These threat vectors continue to pose a direct or collateral risk to US flagged commercial vessels operating in the region. Additionally, piracy poses a threat in the Gulf of Aden, Western Arabian Sea, and Western Indian Ocean."

Military - note

in 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened militarily in Yemen in support of the Republic of Yemen Government against the separatist Huthis; as of 2022, Saudi military forces continued to conduct operations in Yemen; Saudi Arabia also has raised and equipped paramilitary/militia security forces in Yemen based largely on tribal or regional affiliation to deploy along the Saudi-Yemen border, especially the areas bordering the governorates of Saada and Al-Jawfthe United Arab Emirates (UAE) intervened in Yemen in 2015 as part of the Saudi-led coalition with about 3,500 troops, as well as supporting air and naval forces; UAE withdrew its main military force from Yemen in 2019, but has retained a smaller military presence while working with proxies in southern Yemen, most notably the Southern Transitional Council (STC); as of 2021, UAE had recruited, trained, and equipped an estimated 150-200,000 Yemeni fighters and formed them into dozens of militia and paramilitary units Iran has provided some military and political support to the Huthis (2022)

Military and security forces

Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces; Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (government-backed tribal militia); Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (deployed along the Saudi-Yemen border, especially the areas bordering the governorates of Saada and Al-Jawf) United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally-based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates):  Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami “Elite” Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint ForcesHuthi: ground, aerospace (air, missile), naval/coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, and militia/tribal auxiliary forces (2022)

note

note 1: under the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, the STC forces were to be incorporated into Yemen’s Ministries of Defense and Interior under the authority of the HADI government note 2: a considerable portion--up to 70 percent by some estimates--of Yemen’s military and security forces defected in whole or in part to former president SALAH and the Huthi opposition in 2011-2015

Military and security service personnel strengths

information limited and widely varied; Yemen Government: up to 300,000 estimated military, paramilitary, militia, and other security forces; UAE- and Saudi-backed forces: estimated 150-200,000 trained militia and paramilitary fighters; Huthis: up to 200,000 estimated fighters (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the Yemeni Government forces consists primarily of Russian and Soviet-era equipment, although much of it has been lost in the current conflict; since the start of the civil war in 2014, it has received limited amounts of donated equipment from some Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia and UAE Huthi forces are armed largely with weapons seized from Yemeni Government forces; they are also reported to have received military hardware from Iran (2022)

Military expenditures

prior to the start of the civil war in 2014, annual military expenditures were approximately 4-5% of Yemen's GDP 

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war in 2014) (2021)

Disputes - international

Yemen-Oman: none identified Yemen-Saudia Arabia: in 2004, Saudi Arabia reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities, including militants and arms; in 2013 and 2015, Saudi Arabia again erected fences  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

4,288,739 (conflict in Sa'ada Governorate; clashes between al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and government forces) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

69,671 (Somalia), 18,968 (Ethiopia) (2022)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

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

10.61 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

8.03 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

44.96 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

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, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to conflict, poverty, floods, high food and fuel prices - the number of food insecure people was projected to increase by over 1 million to 17.4 million between January and May 2022, increasing to 19 million starting from June until the end of the year; economic conditions in the country remain dire; the conflict is further hampering the already constrained livelihood activities and humanitarian access; income earning opportunities have declined due to COVID‑19‑related business disruptions (2022)

Land use

agricultural land

44.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.)

forest

1% (2018 est.)

other

54.5% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Asia; Yemen is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.235 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

65 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

265 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

39.8% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,836,820 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

386,946 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

8% (2016 est.)