Eritrea

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

Land

101,000 sq km

Total

117,600 sq km

Water

16,600 sq km

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

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

Africa

Highest point

Soira 3,018 m

Lowest point

near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m

Mean elevation

853 m

15 00 N, 39 00 E

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes

210 sq km (2012)

Border countries

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

number of neighbors

3

Total

1,840 km

Agricultural land

62.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 56.9% (2023 est.)

arable land

5.69%

Forest

12% (2023 est.)

Other

25.3% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.02%

No

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

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/HRyqUpnPwwG6jY5j6

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/296961

Africa

Territorial sea

12 nm

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

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

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

Eastern Africa

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

UTC+03:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

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

15-64 years

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

65 years and over

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

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.)

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

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

adult female

159 per 1,000

adult male

217 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

6.6 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

15.1 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

64.2 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

57.6 (2025 est.)

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

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

1.65 (2025 est.)

4 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

2.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.18%

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

Female

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

46.6 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

16 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

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

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

languages

Arabic, English, Tigrinya

number of languages

3

Female

70.2 years

Male

64.9 years

Total population

67.5 years (2024 est.)

1.073 million ASMARA (capital) (2023)

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

Female

21.8 years

Male

20.8 years

Total

21.7 years (2025 est.)

21.3 years (2010 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Adjective

Eritrean

Noun

Eritrean(s)

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

5% (2016)

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Female

3,258,154

Male

3,158,281

Total

6,416,435 (2025 est.)

1.16% (2025 est.)

Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

Female

7 years (2015 est.)

Male

9 years (2015 est.)

Total

8 years (2015 est.)

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

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

Female

0.2% (2020 est.)

Male

14.7% (2020 est.)

Total

7.5% (2020 est.)

3.35 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

43.3% of total population (2023)

measles

93%

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

Etymology

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

Geographic coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

Name

Asmara

Time difference

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

Citizenship 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

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/er.svg

Amendment process

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

History

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

alternative spellings

ER, State of Eritrea, ሃገረ ኤርትራ, Dawlat Iritriyá, ʾErtrā, Iritriyā

Conventional long form

State of Eritrea

Conventional short form

Eritrea

Etymology

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

FIFA code

ERI

Former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Local long form

Hagere Ertra

local long form (ara)

دولة إرتريا

Local short form

Ertra

Chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Christine E. MEYER (since July 2025)

Email address and website

<br>consularasmara@state.gov<br><br>https://er.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

FAX

[291] (1) 12-75-84

Mailing address

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-7170

Telephone

[291] (1) 12-00-04

Chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d'Affaires Berhane Gebrehiwet SOLOMON (since 15 March 2011)

Email address and website

<br>embassyeritrea@embassyeritrea.org<br><br>https://us.embassyeritrea.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

Telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

Cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

Chief of state

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 24 May 1993)

Election results

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

Election/appointment process

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

Expected date of next election

postponed indefinitely

Head of government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

Most recent election date

24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia

Note

<strong>note 1: </strong>Eritrea’s authoritarian regime is controlled entirely by the president, who heads the sole political party, which has ruled the country since 1991; national elections have not taken place since 1991 and the constitution has not been implemented.<strong><br><br>note 2:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

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

note

<strong>note:</strong> one of four national flags that reflect the country's shape in the flag design; the others are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu

The flag of Eritrea comprises three triangles — a large red isosceles triangle with its base spanning the hoist end and its apex at the midpoint on the fly end, and a green and blue right-angled triangle above and beneath the red triangle. On the hoist side of the red triangle is a golden vertical olive branch encircled by a golden olive wreath.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/er.svg

authoritarian

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

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

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

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

mixed system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito)

Most recent election date

2/1/1994

Note

<strong>note:</strong> in 1997, after the new constitution was adopted, the government formed a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly could be held; the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all National Assembly members 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; as of 2025, no sitting legislative body exists

Number of seats

150 (all indirectly elected)

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

4 years

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

green, red, blue

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Asmara: A Modernist African City

Total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

camel

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

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

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

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$549 million (2018 est.)

Revenues

$633 million (2018 est.)

code

ERN

name

Eritrean nakfa (ERN) [Nfk]

$693.28 million

Debt - external 2023

$461.376 million (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Currency

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

15.075 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.075 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

15.075 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

15.075 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

15.075 (2024 est.)

Exports 2011

$374.898 million (2011 est.)

Exports 2016

$485.4 million (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$624.3 million (2017 est.)

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$-27,949,590

$2.535 billion (2024 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports 2009

$435.275 million (2009 est.)

Imports 2010

$494.229 million (2010 est.)

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

5.6% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.6% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.4% (2022 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> annual % change based on consumer prices

1.71 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

1.76 million persons

agriculture

55.48%

industry

12.74%

services

31.78%

Public debt 2016

132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.398 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.465 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$2.534 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5% (2017 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> data in 2015 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$700 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$700 (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017

$143.412 million (2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$163.034 million (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$191.694 million (2019 est.)

5.98%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

5.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

5.6% (2024 est.)

Female

10.5% (2024 est.)

Male

8.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

9.4% (2024 est.)

Consumption

388.987 million kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

102 kWh

Installed generating capacity

243,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

51.528 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - rural areas

36%

Electrification - total population

55.4% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

75.5%

Fossil fuels

89.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

0%

nuclear

0%

renewable

5.79%

Solar

10.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Wind

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

290 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

2.977 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

80.7%

per 100 inhabitants

0 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

Total

6,000 (2022 est.)

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)

.er

Percent of population

20% (2023 est.)

+291

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

68,200 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100

59 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

59 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

2.02 million (2022 est.)

11 (2025)

E3

Right

By type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4

Total

9 (2023)

Key ports

Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

2

Small

2

Total ports

2 (2024)

Very small

0

Narrow gauge

306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

Total

306 km (2018)

ER

armored vehicles

tanks

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

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

active duty personnel

202,000

note

<strong>note: </strong>police are responsible for maintaining internal security, but the government sometimes uses 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

percent of total labor force

13.29 %

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

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

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.)

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

PowerIndex score

2.6841

Refugees

119 (2024 est.)

Tier rating

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

From petroleum and other liquids

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

Total emissions

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

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

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

Agriculture

117.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Energy

15.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Other

2.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste

20.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

22.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

0 % of total land area

6 % of total

7.315 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

21 % of internal resources

Agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

31 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

727,000 tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

6.8% (2022 est.)