Eritrea
BASIC FACTS
Asmara
Area size
101000 sq. km
Area comparison
Slightly larger than Portugal
PEOPLE
Language
Tigrinya, Afar, Beni-Amir, Arabic and other local languages
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
Future population estimates
7.5 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
There are nine ethnic groups living in the country (Tigrinya, Tigray, Bilen, Afar, Saho, Kunama, Nara, Hidareb and Rashaida). Half a million Eritrean refugees live in Sudan.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Almost half of all Eritreans are Coptic Christians and most of the rest are Muslims. There are also Catholic and Protestant minorities.
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
Year women granted right to vote
1955
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
43 (2005)
Source: U.N. Educational
Percentage of population under 15
Tigrinya, Afar, Beni-Amir, Arabic and other local languages
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
| 2007 | 4.7 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006) |
| 2006 | 4.6 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2005 | 4.5 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2004 | 4.4 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2003 | 4.2 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2002 | 4.0 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2001 | 3.8 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2000 | 3.7 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
Future population estimates
7.5 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
There are nine ethnic groups living in the country (Tigrinya, Tigray, Bilen, Afar, Saho, Kunama, Nara, Hidareb and Rashaida). Half a million Eritrean refugees live in Sudan.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Almost half of all Eritreans are Coptic Christians and most of the rest are Muslims. There are also Catholic and Protestant minorities.
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
| 2007 | 20.2 percent | U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005 |
| 2006 | 19.8 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2005 | 19.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2004 | 19.0 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2003 | 18.7 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2002 | 18.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2001 | 18.1 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2000 | 17.8 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
Year women granted right to vote
1955
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
43 (2005)
Source: U.N. Educational
Percentage of population under 15
| 2004 | 44.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 44.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 45.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 45.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 43.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
USEFUL INFORMATION
Time zone
GMT +3
Climate description
Three climatic zones: central plateau, coastal zone and western lowlands, with large temperature differences between day and night. Two main rainy seasons: short rains between March and April and the long rains in June, and between December and February on the northern coast.
Currency
Nakfa
Telephone dialling code
(+) 291
Driving (left/right)
Right
GMT +3
Climate description
Three climatic zones: central plateau, coastal zone and western lowlands, with large temperature differences between day and night. Two main rainy seasons: short rains between March and April and the long rains in June, and between December and February on the northern coast.
Currency
Nakfa
Telephone dialling code
(+) 291
Driving (left/right)
Right
STANDARD OF LIVING
Average life expectancy
Life expectancy - male
Life expectancy - female
Infant mortality
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
Births attended by skilled personnel
Maternal mortality
630 per 100,000 live births (2000)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
Human development index (HDI rank)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
Percentage of undernourished population
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
Population with access to improved sanitation
Literacy - average
Literacy - male
Literacy - female
Landlines telephones
Cellular telephone subscribers
Internet users
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 145=most corrupt)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
| 2004 | 54.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 53.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 52.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 52.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 52.0 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - male
| 2004 | 52.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 51.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 51.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 50.9 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 50.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - female
| 2004 | 56.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 55.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 54.2 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 54.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 53.3 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Infant mortality
| 2005 | 50 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 52 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 45 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 47 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 72 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 73 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
| 2005 | 78 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 82 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 85 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 89 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | 114 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Births attended by skilled personnel
| 1996-2004 | 28 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 28 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 21 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2001 | 21 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | 21 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Maternal mortality
630 per 100,000 live births (2000)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
Human development index (HDI rank)
| 2004 | 157 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 161 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 156 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 155 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 157 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
| 1996-2005 | 40 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 1996-2004 | 40 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 40 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 44 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2001 | 44 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | 44 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Percentage of undernourished population
| 2002-2004 average | 75 percent | U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006 |
| 2001-2003average | 73 percent | FAO 2006 |
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
| 2004 | 60 percent | UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006 |
| 2002 | 57 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 46 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Population with access to improved sanitation
| 2004 | 9 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 13 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Literacy - average
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 56.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 56.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 56.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 55.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Literacy - male
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 68.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 38.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 68.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 67.3 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Literacy - female
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 45.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 45.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 45.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 44.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Landlines telephones
| 2005 | 9 per 1,000 people | International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2006 |
| 2004 | 9 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2003 | 9 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2002 | 9 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2001 | 8 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2000 | 8 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
Cellular telephone subscribers
| 2005 | 9 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2004 | 5 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2003 | No data available per 1,000 people | |
| 2002 | No data available per 1,000 people | |
| 2001 | No data available per 1,000 people | |
| 2000 | No data available per 1,000 people |
Internet users
| 2005 | 16 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2004 | 12 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2003 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2002 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2001 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
| 2000 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2006 |
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 145=most corrupt)
| 2006 | 93 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2005 | 107 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2004 | 102 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2003 | Not ranked | |
| 2002 | Not ranked | |
| 2001 | Not ranked | |
| 2000 | Not ranked |
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
ECONOMY & AID
International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb
Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
Annual GDP growth
Annual inflation
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
| 2005 | 170 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 160 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 160 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 170 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 180 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 180 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
| 2005 | 1.0 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 0.928 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006 |
| 2003 | 0.6 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 0.631 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006 |
| 2001 | 0.671 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006 |
| 2000 | 0.6 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Annual GDP growth
| 2005 | 0.5 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 1.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 6.1 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 0.7 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 9.2 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | -13.1 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Annual inflation
| 2005 | 14.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 22.3 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 11.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 15.3 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 13.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 25.0 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
HEALTH
Physicians
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country below 2200 metres. No risk in Asmara. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 1990-2004 | 5 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1990-2003 | 5 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1990-2002 | 5 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
| 2005 | 2.4 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2006 |
| 2003 | 2.4 percent | UNAIDS 2006 |
Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country below 2200 metres. No risk in Asmara. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2005 | 282 per 100,000 people | WHO 2007 |
| 2004 | 277 per 100,000 people | 277 |
| 2003 | 268 per 100,000 people | WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 268 per 100,000 people | WHO 2007 |
| 2001 | 261 per 100,000 people | WHO 2006 |
| 2000 | 260 per 100,000 people | WHO 2007 |
DISASTERS, CONFLICT & MIGRATION
Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Number of refugees originating here
Number of refugees residing here
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
Landmine casualties per year
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (2001)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
Percentage of GDP spent on education
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2005 | 143594 | Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| 2004 | 131119 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | 124121 | UNHCR |
| 2002 | 318176 | UNHCR |
| 2001 | 333229 | UNHCR |
| 2000 | 376851 | UNHCR |
Number of refugees residing here
| 2006 | 4621 | UNHCR |
| 2005 | 4418 | UNHCR |
| 2004 | 4240 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | 3889 | UNHCR |
| 2002 | 3619 | UNHCR |
| 2001 | 2272 | UNHCR |
| 2000 | 1984 | UNHCR |
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
| 2006 | 40000 - 45000 | Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2006 | |
| 2005 | 50509 | IDMC 2006 | |
Landmine casualties per year
| 2004 | 30 | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
| 2003 | 87 | Landmine Monitor Report 2004 |
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (2001)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 19.4 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
Percentage of GDP spent on education
| 2002-2004 | 3.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2000-2002 | 4.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1999-2001 | 2.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1998-2000 | 4.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2003-2004 | 2.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2002 | 3.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2001 | 3.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | 2.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
AlertNet makes every effort to ensure statistics are updated from the relevant sources as soon as they are available.
