Djibouti

presidential republic

name: Djibouti geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name is said to derive from the Afar word gabouri , meaning "plate," in reference to a palm-fiber plate used for ceremonial purposes

chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term; prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 9 April 2021 election results: 2021: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fifth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 97.4%, Zakaria Ismael FARAH (MDEND) 2.7% expected date of next election: April 2026

legislature name: National Assembly (Assembl e nationale) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 65 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 2/24/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Union for the Presidential Majority (UMP) (58); Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) (7) percentage of women in chamber: 26.2% expected date of next election: February 2028 note: most opposition parties boycotted the 2023 polls, stating the elections were "not free, not transparent, and not democratic"

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supr me (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM), a 10-member body consisting of 4 judges, 3 members (non-parliamentarians and judges) appointed by the president, and 3 appointed by the National Assembly president or speaker; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional Council magistrate appointments - 2 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by the CSM; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; customary courts; State Court (replaced sharia courts in 2003)

history: approved by referendum 4 September 1992 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; Assembly consideration of proposals requires assent of at least one third of the membership; passage requires a simple majority vote by the Assembly and approval by simple majority vote in a referendum; the president can opt to bypass a referendum if adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of Djibouti, its republican form of government, and its pluralist form of democracy cannot be amended

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, ATMIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

3.5% of GDP (2019 est.) 3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 2.7% of GDP (2016 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Arm es Djiboutiennes or FAD): Djiboutian (or National) Army, Djiboutian Navy (includes Djiboutian Coast Guard), Djiboutian Air Force; Djiboutian National Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior: National Police (Police Nationale) (2025) note 1: the National Gendarmerie is a security force with military status under the FAD and the Ministry of Defense, but also has responsibilities to the Ministry of Interior; the Gendarmerie's duties include providing security outside of Djibouti City and protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport note 2: the National Police are responsible for security within Djibouti City and have primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service (2025)

Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism; as recently as February 2025, Djiboutian forces have conducted operations near its border with Ethiopia against members of the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), which Djibouti considers a terrorist group China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counterterrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance; other countries, such as Germany and Spain, have smaller military contingents; the EU and NATO also maintain a presence in Djibouti to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2025)

approximately 1,500 Somalia (AUSSOM) (2025)

$7.995 billion (2024 est.) $7.546 billion (2023 est.) $7.028 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$6,800 (2024 est.) $6,500 (2023 est.) $6,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

6% (2024 est.) 7.4% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.1% (2024 est.) 1.5% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$5.25 billion (2024 est.) $5.877 billion (2023 est.) $5.674 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$4.765 billion (2024 est.) $5.269 billion (2023 est.) $5.096 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

25.9% (2024 est.) 26.2% (2023 est.) 26.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $725 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $754 million (2019 est.)

construction, agricultural processing, shipping

vegetables, beans, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons/limes, goat meat, lamb/mutton, tomatoes, beef offal (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 1,013,703 (2025 est.) male: 458,988 female: 554,715

1.84% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 28.4% (male 141,829/female 140,696) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 290,654/female 379,778) 65 years and over: 4.2% (2024 est.) (male 18,313/female 23,704)

21.46 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.) male: 63.4 years female: 68.5 years

urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist)

potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

al-Shabaab note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Djibouti does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Djibouti was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/djibouti/

refugees: 32,636 (2024 est.)

10 (2025)

total: 97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) standard gauge: 97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

total: 40 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 4, oil tanker 13, other 21

total subscriptions: 559,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2023 est.)

percent of population: 65% (2023 est.)