Eritrea: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026

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Also Known As	Ertra • Tigrinya • State of Eritrea
Head Of State And Government	President: Isaias Afwerki
Capital	Asmara
Population	(2025 est.) 6,416,000
Form Of Government	transitional regime² with one interim legislative house ([transitional] National Assembly [150³])
Official Language	none⁴
Official Religion	none
Official Name	State of Eritrea¹
Total Area (Sq Km)	121,100
Total Area (Sq Mi)	46,757
Monetary Unit	nakfa (Nfa)
Population Rank	(2025) 113
Population Projection 2030	6,718,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 137.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 53
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 43.9% • Rural: (2024) 56.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 64.3 years • Female: (2022) 69.5 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2018) 84% • Female: (2018) 69%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2011) 1,941
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2011) 650
¹The name in Tigrinya, the most widely spoken local language, is Hagere Iertra.²New constitution ratified in May 1997 was not yet implemented in May 2016. ³All seats indirectly elected; last elections were held in 1994.⁴The de facto “working” languages of government are Tigrinya, English, and Arabic.