Eritrea: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income · capital Asmara
Eritrea has a GDP of $2.1B and a GDP per capita of $689, with a population of about 3.5 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 68.9 years. Among countries with data, Eritrea ranks #191 of 214 by GDP, #205 of 214 by GDP per capita, #131 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Eritrea at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $2.1B | 2011 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $689 | 2011 |
| Population, total | 3,535,603 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1.9% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 8.7% | 2011 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | — | — |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 6.0% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 68.9 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 14.3% | 2020 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 34.5% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 0.22 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Eritrea (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Eritrea ranks
- GDP: #191 of 214 ($2.1B)
- GDP per capita: #205 of 214 ($689)
- Population: #131 of 217 (3.5 million)
- Life expectancy: #162 of 217 (68.9 years)
Eritrea vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to Eritrea:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eritrea (this country) | $689 | 3.5 million | 68.9 |
| Mozambique | $657 | 34.6 million | 63.8 |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | $649 | 109.3 million | 62.1 |
| Niger | $735 | 27.0 million | 61.4 |
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | $630 | 19.0 million | 59.0 |
| Sierra Leone | $807 | 8.6 million | 62.0 |
| Madagascar | $545 | 32.0 million | 63.8 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare Eritrea head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Eritrea?
Eritrea's GDP is $2.1B (2011) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $689 (2011). That ranks Eritrea #191 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Eritrea?
Eritrea has a population of about 3.5 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #131 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Eritrea in?
The World Bank places Eritrea in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a low income economy. Its capital is Asmara.
How long do people live in Eritrea?
Life expectancy at birth in Eritrea is 68.9 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #162 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Eritrea, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20