Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Timor-Leste: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #149 of 195).
Timor-Leste — in Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco. Political status: semi-presidential republic. The country's capital is Dili; it covers 14,874 sq km. Independence: 28 November 1975 (from Portugal); 20 May 2002 (from Indonesia). Terrain: mountainous. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons. Population: 1.4 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.28% per year. Median age: 23.0 years. Lif…
| Capital | Dili |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,404,785 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $5.863 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -2.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.1% |
| Unemployment | 1.7% |
| Public debt | 3.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $278.047 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $1.197 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 23.0 |
| Urbanization | 32.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 28 November 1975 (from Portugal); 20 May 2002 (from Indonesia) |
| Languages | Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai 10.5%, Tetun Terik 6.1%, Baikenu 5.9%, Kemak 5.8%, Bunak 5.5%, Tokodede 4%, Fataluku 3.5%, Waima'a 1.8%, Galoli 1.4%, Naueti 1.4%, Idate 1.2%, Midiki 1.2%, other 4.5% (2015 est.) |
MCC · 41/100 — 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).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Gold, Oil, Natural gas, Manganese, Marble.
Xanana Gusmão — Prime Minister. President José RAMOS-HORTA (since 20 May 2022)
Timor-Leste maintains 31 embassies abroad, hosts 22 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, CPLP Lisbon, UN New York, UN Geneva. 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 | 31 |
|---|---|
| Foreign missions hosted | 22 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, CPLP Lisbon, UN New York, UN Geneva |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (released 2024-02-25), https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/; Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Timor-Leste', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Timor-Leste; '... in Timor-Leste', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Timor-Leste
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 706 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 11 + 2 heliports (registration prefix 4W) |
| Major seaports | Dili |
Oecusse Route of the Sandalwood International Airport (OEC) — Oecussi-Ambeno; Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL) — Dili; Baucau Airport (BCH) — Baucau; Commander in Chief of FALINTIL, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, International Airport (UAI) — Suai.
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 | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 41 Ranked #149 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Timor-Leste.
