Africa :: Eritrea

- Introduction :: Eritrea
- Background:
  After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service, sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked "to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law." The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision, and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (initially in 2009 and renewed annually) imposing an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze on certain individuals, in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.
- Geography :: Eritrea
- Location:
  Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
  Geographic coordinates:
  15 00 N, 39 00 E
  Map references:
  Africa
  Area:
  total: 117,600 sq km
  land: 101,000 sq km
  water: 16,600 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Pennsylvania
  Land boundaries:
  total: 1,840 km
  border countries (3): Djibouti 125 km, Ethiopia 1033 km, Sudan 682 km
  Coastline:
  2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
  Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  Climate:
  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
  Terrain:
  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
  Elevation:
  mean elevation: 853 m
  elevation extremes: -75 m lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression
  3018 highest point: Soira
  Natural resources:
  gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 75.1% (2011 est.)
  arable land: 6.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 68.3% (2011 est.)
  forest: 15.1% (2011 est.)
  other: 9.8% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  210 sq km (2012)
  Population distribution:
  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
  Natural hazards:

  frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms

  volcanism: 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 on 12 June 2011

  Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing
  Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
  Geography - note:
  strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
- People and Society :: Eritrea
- Population:
  5,970,646 (July 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 113
  Nationality:
  noun: Eritrean(s)
  adjective: Eritrean
  Ethnic groups:
  Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

  note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

  Languages:
  Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages
  Religions:
  Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
  Demographic profile:

  Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end, Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy – doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years – in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be almost 74% in 2015; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea’s growing population because of repeated droughts, dwindling arable land, overgrazing, soil erosion, and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government’s emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity.

  Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s, when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom, educational and job opportunities, or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea’s large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances, funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country’s GDP annually since it became independent.

  In the last few years, Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert, where they are victims of organ harvesting, rape, extortion, and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia, while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea’s borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013, according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.53% (male 1,186,749 /female 1,173,530)
  15-24 years: 19.94% (male 592,365 /female 598,305)
  25-54 years: 32.88% (male 965,405 /female 997,771)
  55-64 years: 3.7% (male 96,967 /female 123,895)
  65 years and over: 3.95% (male 97,816 /female 137,843) (2018 est.)
  population pyramid:
  The World Factbook Field Image Modal
  Africa :: Eritrea Print
  Image Description
  This is the population pyramid for Eritrea. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
  For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 85 (2015 est.)
  youth dependency ratio: 78.3 (2015 est.)
  elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 (2015 est.)
  potential support ratio: 14.8 (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 19.9 years
  male: 19.4 years
  female: 20.4 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 194
  Population growth rate:
  0.89% (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 123
  Birth rate:
  29.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 40
  Death rate:
  7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Net migration rate:
  -13.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 215
  Population distribution:
  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
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 40.1% of total population (2018)
  rate of urbanization: 3.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  896,000 ASMARA (capital) (2018)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  55-64 years: 0.74 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
  Mother's mean age at first birth:
  21.3 years (2010 est.)

  note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

  Maternal mortality rate:
  501 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 44.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  male: 51.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  female: 37.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 38
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.6 years (2018 est.)
  male: 63 years (2018 est.)
  female: 68.2 years (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 180
  Total fertility rate:
  3.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 37
  Contraceptive prevalence rate:
  8.4% (2010)
  Health expenditures:
  3.3% of GDP (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 178
  Hospital bed density:
  0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
  Drinking water source:
  improved: urban: 73.2% of population
  rural: 53.3% of population
  total: 57.8% of population
  unimproved: urban: 26.8% of population
  rural: 46.7% of population
  total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved: urban: 44.5% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 7.3% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 15.7% of population (2015 est.)
  unimproved: urban: 55.5% of population (2015 est.)
  rural: 92.7% of population (2015 est.)
  total: 84.3% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.6% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 59
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  14,000 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 90
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  <500 (2017 est.)
  Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high (2016)
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  5% (2016)
  country comparison to the world: 183
  Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
  38.8% (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 1
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
  total population: 73.8% (2015 est.)
  male: 82.4% (2015 est.)
  female: 65.5% (2015 est.)
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 5 years (2014)
  male: 6 years (2014)
  female: 5 years (2014)
- Government :: Eritrea
- Country name:
  conventional long form: State of Eritrea
  conventional short form: Eritrea
  local long form: Hagere Ertra
  local short form: Ertra
  former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
  etymology: the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation "Erythra Thalassa" meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country
  Government type:
  presidential republic
  Capital:
  name: Asmara (Asmera)
  geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  Administrative divisions:
  6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
  Independence:
  24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
  National holiday:
  Independence Day, 24 May (1991)
  Constitution:
  history: ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented); note - drafting of a new constitution, which began in 2014, but interrupted by the war, is expected to resume in 2019 (2018)
  amendments: 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 (2018)
  Legal system:
  mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law
  International law organization participation:
  has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
  Citizenship:
  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
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
  Judicial branch:
  highest courts: 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
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
  head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the president
  elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the only election was held on 8 June 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely)
  election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%
  Legislative branch:
  description: unicameral National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
  elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly 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
  election results: NA
  Political parties and leaders:
  People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government)
  International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011)
  chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Natalie E. BROWN (since September 2016)
  embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara
  mailing address: P.O. Box 211, Asmara
  telephone: [291] (1) 120004
  FAX: [291] (1) 127584
  Flag description:
  red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country

  note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu

  National symbol(s):
  camel; national colors: green, red, blue
  National anthem:
  name: "Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
  lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

  note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

- Economy :: Eritrea
- Economy - overview:

  Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced many economic problems, including lack of financial resources and chronic drought. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% in Eritrea - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output. Mining accounts for the lion's share of output.

  The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners, including a number of large international mining ventures, which began production in 2013. In late 2015, the Government of Eritrea introduced a new currency, retaining the name nakfa, and restricted the amount of hard currency individuals could withdraw from banks per month. The changeover has resulted in exchange fluctuations and the scarcity of hard currency available in the market.

  While reliable statistics on Eritrea are difficult to obtain, erratic rainfall and the large percentage of the labor force tied up in military service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper, potash, and gold production are likely to continue to drive limited economic growth and government revenue over the next few years, but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans.

  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $9.402 billion (2017 est.)
  $8.953 billion (2016 est.)
  $8.791 billion (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 161
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.813 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  5% (2017 est.)
  1.9% (2016 est.)
  2.6% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 49
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,600 (2017 est.)
  $1,500 (2016 est.)
  $1,500 (2015 est.)

  note: data are in 2017 dollars

  country comparison to the world: 217
  Gross national saving:
  5.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
  6% of GDP (2016 est.)
  6.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 174
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 80.9% (2017 est.)
  government consumption: 24.3% (2017 est.)
  investment in fixed capital: 6.4% (2017 est.)
  investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
  exports of goods and services: 10.9% (2017 est.)
  imports of goods and services: -22.5% (2017 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 11.7% (2017 est.)
  industry: 29.6% (2017 est.)
  services: 58.7% (2017 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
  Industries:
  food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
  Industrial production growth rate:
  5.4% (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 52
  Labor force:
  2.71 million (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 111
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 80%
  industry: 20% (2004 est.)
  Unemployment rate:
  5.8% (2017 est.)
  10% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  Population below poverty line:
  50% (2004 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA
  highest 10%: NA
  Budget:
  revenues: 2.029 billion (2017 est.)
  expenditures: 2.601 billion (2017 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 64
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -9.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 209
  Public debt:
  131.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
  132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 6
  Fiscal year:
  calendar year
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  9% (2017 est.)
  9% (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 201
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:

  NA

  Stock of narrow money:
  $3.084 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $2.734 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Stock of broad money:
  $3.084 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $2.734 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $5.787 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
  $5.223 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Current account balance:
  -$137 million (2017 est.)
  -$105 million (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 90
  Exports:
  $624.3 million (2017 est.)
  $485.4 million (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 172
  Exports - partners:
  China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)
  Exports - commodities:
  gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small industry manufactures
  Imports:
  $1.127 billion (2017 est.)
  $1.048 billion (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 180
  Imports - commodities:
  machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
  Imports - partners:
  UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $236.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)
  $218.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 171
  Debt - external:
  $792.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)
  $875.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 170
  Exchange rates:
  nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -
  15.38 (2017 est.)
  15.375 (2016 est.)
  15.375 (2015 est.)
  15.375 (2014 est.)
  15.375 (2013 est.)
- Energy :: Eritrea
- Electricity access:
  population without electricity: 4.3 million (2013)
  electrification - total population: 32% (2013)
  electrification - urban areas: 86% (2013)
  electrification - rural areas: 17% (2013)
  Electricity - production:
  415.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 168
  Electricity - consumption:
  353.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 180
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 131
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 145
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  160,700 kW (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 172
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 23
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 85
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 169
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Crude oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 130
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 118
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 122
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 183
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 151
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  3,897 bbl/day (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 179
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 142
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 99
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 131
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  597,100 Mt (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 182
- Communications :: Eritrea
- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 66,086 (July 2016 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total subscriptions: 506,000 (July 2016 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (July 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 171
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: woefully inadequate service provided by state-owned telecom monopoly; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; cell phone use only slowly increasing throughout the country; no data service; only about 3% of households having computers with 2% internet; untapped market ripe for competition; government telco working on roll-out of 3G network (2016)
  domestic: fixed-line subscribership is less than 1 per 100 person and mobile-cellular 9 per 100 (2016)
  international: country code - 291 (2016)
  Broadcast media:
  government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)
  Internet country code:
  .er
  Internet users:
  total: 69,095 (July 2016 est.)
  percent of population: 1.2% (July 2016 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
  total: 600 (2017 est.)
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 195
- Transportation :: Eritrea
- National air transport system:
  number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
  inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
  Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
  E3 (2016)
  Airports:
  13 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4 (2017)
  over 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 9 (2013)
  over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2013)
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
  Heliports:
  1 (2013)
  Railways:
  total: 306 km (2014)
  narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Roadways:
  total: 4,010 km (2000)
  paved: 874 km (2000)
  unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)
  country comparison to the world: 158
  Merchant marine:
  total: 9 (2017)
  by type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4 (2017)
  country comparison to the world: 151
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Assab, Massawa
- Military and Security :: Eritrea
- Military branches:
  Eritrean Armed Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2011)
  Military service age and obligation:
  18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012)
- Transnational Issues :: Eritrea
- Disputes - international:
  Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation StatementSudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groupsin 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea
  Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor domestically and, to a lesser extent, sex and labor trafficking abroad; the country’s national service program is often abused, with conscripts detained indefinitely and subjected to forced labor; Eritrean migrants, often fleeing national service, face strict exit control procedures and limited access to passports and visas, making them vulnerable to trafficking; Eritrean secondary school children are required to take part in public works projects during their summer breaks and must attend military and educational camp in their final year to obtain a high school graduation certificate and to gain access to higher education and some jobs; some Eritreans living in or near refugee camps, particularly in Sudan, are kidnapped by criminal groups and held for ransom in the Sinai Peninsula and Libya, where they are subjected to forced labor and abuse
  tier rating: Tier 3 – Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government failed to investigate or prosecute any trafficking offenses or to identify or protect any victims; while the government continued to warn citizens of the dangers of human trafficking through awareness-raising events and poster campaigns, authorities lacked an understanding of the crime, conflating trafficking with transnational migration; Eritrea is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2015)