Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Eritrea: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCD, ranked #187 of 195).
Eritrea — in Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan. Political status: authoritarian. The country's capital is Asmara; it covers 117,600 sq km. Independence: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia). 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. 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. Population: 6.4 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.16% per year. …
| Capital | Asmara |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,416,435 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $2.534 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5% (2017 est.) |
| Inflation | 7.4% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% |
| Public debt | 132.8% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $624.3 million (2017 est.) |
| Imports | $494.229 million (2010 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 67.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 21.7 |
| Urbanization | 43.3% of total population (2023) |
| Government | authoritarian |
| Independence | 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) |
| Languages | Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages |
MCD · 33/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
Gold, Potash, Zinc, Copper, Salt, Natural gas.
Isaias Afwerki — President. President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 24 May 1993)
Eritrea maintains 29 embassies and 6 consulates abroad, hosts 19 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 29 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 6 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 19 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 2234 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 11 (registration prefix E3) |
| Major seaports | Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor |
| Railways | 306 km |
Asmara International Airport (ASM) — Asmara.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | authoritarian rule |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCD · 33 Ranked #187 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Eritrea.
