Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Yemen: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCD, ranked #195 of 195).
Yemen — in Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. Political status: in transition. The country's capital is Sanaa; it covers 527,968 sq km. Independence: 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); notable earlier dates: 1 November 1918 (North Yemen independent from the Ottoman Empire), 27 September 1962 (North Yemen becomes republic), 30 November 1967 (South Yemen independent from the UK). Terrain: narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland…
| Capital | Sanaa |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,505,496 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $18.719 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 0.8% (2018 est.) |
| Inflation | 29.1% |
| Unemployment | 17.1% |
| Public debt | 68.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $384.5 million (2017 est.) |
| Imports | $4.079 billion (2017 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 68.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 20.5 |
| Urbanization | 39.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | in transition |
| Independence | 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); notable earlier dates: 1 November 1918 (North Yemen independent from the Ottoman Empire), 27 September 1962 (North Yemen becomes republic), 30 November 1967 (South Yemen independent from the UK) |
| Languages | Arabic (official) |
MCD · 24/100 — 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).
Steadiness was the quarter's defining trait: no rupture, no windfall, no surprise strong enough to move the score.
The trajectory remains set by fundamentals that change over years, not quarters — and this quarter changed little.
Oil, Marble, Gold, Lead, Nickel, Copper.
Rashad al-Alimi — Chairman, Presidential Leadership Council. Presidential Leadership Council Chairperson Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI (since 19 April 2022)
Yemen maintains 49 embassies and 4 consulates abroad. 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 | 49 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
Source: Outbound: Consular Affairs Center (Yonsei Univ.), diplomatic & consular networks database, January 2026 report (Zenodo).
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1906 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 37 + 6 heliports (registration prefix 7O) |
| Major seaports | Aden, Al Ahmadi, Al Mukalla, Al Mukha, Ras Isa Marine Terminal |
| Pipelines | 641 km gas, 22 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,370 km oil (2013) |
Aden International Airport (ADE) — Aden; Riyan International Airport (RIY) — Mukalla(Riyan); Sanaa International Airport (SAH) — Sanaa; Seiyun Hadhramaut International Airport (GXF) — Seiyun; Al Ghaydah International Airport (AAY) — Al Ghaydah; Socotra Airport (SCT) — Mori; Taiz International Airport (TAI) — Taiz.
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 | transitional government |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCD · 24 Ranked #195 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Yemen.
