ARCHIVE // YE // 2015

Yemen

2015 Edition — sovereign

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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed (2007)
Internet country code [time series]
.ye
Internet users [time series]
total: 5 million | percent of population: 19.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network | domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards | international: country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti (2006)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 1.17 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 17.1 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $10.26 billion | expenditures: $14.34 billion (2014 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198
Central bank discount rate [time series]
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
20% (31 December 2014 est.) | 22% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14
Current account balance [time series]
-$681 million (2014 est.) | -$1.422 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152
Debt - external [time series]
$8.002 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $7.708 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
37.7 (2005) | 33.4 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 73
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Yemen is a low-income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Oil and gas revenues account for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources and continuing attacks on its oil pipelines by diversifying its economy through a 2006 reform program that was designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aimed to support Yemen's efforts toward economic and political reform. In 2012, the Friends of Yemen pledged nearly $7 billion in assistance to Yemen. The Yemeni Government also endorsed a Mutual Accountability Framework to facilitate the efficient implementation of donor aid. The unrest that began in early 2011 caused GDP to plunge almost 11% in that year. Progress toward achieving stability has been slow and uneven. Yemen continues to face difficult long-term challenges, including declining water resources, high unemployment, severe food scarcity, and a high population growth rate. The Yemeni Government regularly faces annual budget shortfalls. In July 2014, the government eliminated some fuel subsidies that accounted for approximately 25% of government spending in 2013; and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen. Deteriorating security restricts economic growth and the provision of government services.
Exchange rates [time series]
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - | 214.9 (2014 est.) | 214.89 (2013 est.) | 214.35 (2012 est.) | 213.8 (2011 est.) | 219.59 (2010 est.)
Exports [time series]
$7.041 billion (2014 est.) | $8.136 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Exports - commodities [time series]
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas
Exports - partners [time series]
China 28.3%, South Korea 23%, Thailand 11.2%, Japan 8.1%, UAE 5.3% (2014)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$43.23 billion (2014 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$103.6 billion (2014 est.) | $103.8 billion (2013 est.) | $99.05 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 82
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 70.6% | government consumption: 15.7% | investment in fixed capital: 19.6% | investment in inventories: 4% | exports of goods and services: 18.5% | imports of goods and services: -28.5% | (2014 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 9.2% | industry: 26.8% | services: 64% (2014 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$3,800 (2014 est.) | $3,800 (2013 est.) | $3,600 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 178
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
-0.2% (2014 est.) | 4.8% (2013 est.) | 2.4% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Gross national saving [time series]
6.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | 5% of GDP (2013 est.) | 7% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2.9% | highest 10%: 30.8% (2005)
Imports [time series]
$10.39 billion (2014 est.) | $11 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
Imports - commodities [time series]
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners [time series]
China 15.9%, UAE 14%, India 9.6%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, Kuwait 5%, Turkey 4.6% (2014)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
-1.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181
Industries [time series]
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
8.2% (2014 est.) | 11% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203
Labor force [time series]
7.262 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$NA
Population below poverty line [time series]
54% (2014 est.)
Public debt [time series]
51% of GDP (2014 est.) | 49.7% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$4.688 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $5.349 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
Stock of broad money [time series]
$16.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $14.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$NA
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$14.61 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $12.17 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$5.845 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $5.196 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
22.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141
Unemployment rate [time series]
27% (2014 est.) | 35% (2003 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
21.28 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81
Crude oil - exports [time series]
43,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46
Crude oil - imports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146
Crude oil - production [time series]
130,700 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30
Electricity - consumption [time series]
4.137 billion kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 2
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 218
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
1.533 million kW (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - production [time series]
5.834 billion kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
968.5 million cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - exports [time series]
6.684 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82
Natural gas - production [time series]
7.652 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
144,400 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
14,330 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
59,050 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
86,330 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 527,968 sq km | land: 527,968 sq km | water: 0 sq km | note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen) | country comparison to the world: 50
Area - comparative [time series]
almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Climate [time series]
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
Coastline [time series]
1,906 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m | highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]
total: 3.57 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%) | per capita: 162.4 cu m/yr (2005)
Geographic coordinates [time series]
15 00 N, 48 00 E
Geography - note [time series]
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes
Irrigated land [time series]
6,801 sq km (2004)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1,601 km | border countries (2): Oman 294 km, Saudi Arabia 1,307 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 44.5% | arable land 2.2%; permanent crops 0.6%; permanent pasture 41.7% | forest: 1% | other: 54.5% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references [time series]
Middle East
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards [time series]
sandstorms and dust storms in summer | volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (elev. 244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century
Natural resources [time series]
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west
Terrain [time series]
narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Total renewable water resources [time series]
2.1 cu km (2011)
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
21 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) and 1 municipality*; Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City)*, 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz
Capital [time series]
name: Sanaa | geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E | time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Constitution [time series]
adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); amended several times, last in 2009; note - between March 2014 and January 2015, a presidentially formed Constitutional Drafting Committee drafted a new constitution and President Hadi reviewed it; the draft was slated for final revision by the National Authority, followed by a national referendum; however, with the resignation of the government in late January 2015, constitutional formation has been stalled (2015)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Yemen | conventional short form: Yemen | local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah | local short form: Al Yaman | former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
note: US embassy operations suspended on 10 February 2015 amid growing violence; in March 2015, a team of US diplomats established the Yemen Affairs Unit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER (since 10 June 2014) | embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa | mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa | telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266 | FAX: [967] (1) 303-182
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed Awad AHMED bin Mubarak (since 3 August 2015) | chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760 | FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (since 21 February 2012); note - President HADI submitted his resignation in late January 2015, but Parliament did not convene to accept it; he later rescinded his resignation and remains the internationally recognized President of Yemen; he fled to Saudi Arabia in late March 2015 but returned in September after government loyalist forces aided by a Saudi-led coalition regained control of Aden from Huthi rebels in July | head of government: Prime Minister Khalid Mahfuz BAHAH; note - BAHAH submitted his resignation in late January 2015, but Parliament did not convene to accept it; BAHAH later rescinded his resignation and remains prime minister; on 13 April he was named vice president, but continues to be the prime minister | cabinet: appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 21 February 2012 (next election NA); note - a special election held on 21 February 2012 to remove Ali Abdallah SALIH under the terms of a Gulf Cooperation Council-mediated deal during the political crisis of 2011; vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) elected as a consensus president with about 50% popular participation; no other candidates
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white) | note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
Government type [time series]
republic
Independence [time series]
22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
International law organization participation [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation [time series]
AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, EITI (temporarily suspended), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the president of the Court, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions) | judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, chaired by the president of the republic and consisting of 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65 | subordinate courts: appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts
Legal system [time series]
mixed legal system of Islamic law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law
Legislative branch [time series]
description: bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of the Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora (111 seats; members appointed by the president; member tenure NA) and the House of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwaab (301 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms) | elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed until February 2015) | election results: House of Representatives percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 47, YSP 6, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 5
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida" (United Republic) | lyrics/music: Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI | note: adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990
National holiday [time series]
Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
National symbol(s) [time series]
golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
General People's Congress or GPC [Ali Abdallah SALIH] | Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah al-YADUMI, Abdul Wahab al-ANSI] | Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdallah NU'MAN] | Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Dr. Abd al-Rahman Umar al-SAQQAF] | note: there are at least seven more active political parties
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
Houthis | Muslim Brotherhood | Women National Committee | other: conservative tribal groups; southern secessionist groups; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
North Yemen became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis, a Zaydi Shia minority, began in 2004 and has since resulted in six rounds of fighting that ended in early 2010 with a cease-fire. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster. In in late April 2011. the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed the GGC Initiative, an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to further violence. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling for an end to the violence and completing a power transfer deal. In late November 2011, SALIH signed the GCC Initiative to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following HADI's election victory in February 2012, SALIH formally transferred his powers. In accordance with the GCC initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in January 2014. Subsequent steps in the transition process include constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections. Since the Arab Awakening in 2011, the Huthis have expanded their influence, culminating in a major offensive against military units and tribes affiliated with their Yemeni rivals and enabling their forces to overrun the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014. In January 2015, the Huthis attacked the presidential palace and President HADI's residence and surrounded key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to submit their resignations. HADI fled to Aden, and in late February he rescinded his resignation. He subsequently escaped to Saudi Arabia and asked the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen to protect the legitimate government from the Huthis. In late March, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched Operation Decisive Storm, a series of airstrikes against Huthi and Huthi-affiliated forces. In late April, the Saudi Government announced completion of the operation and initiated Operation Restoring Hope, which focuses on humanitarian aid and a return to political dialogue. As of late April 2015, the Huthis controlled much of western Yemen.
Military
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 16-49: 5,652,256 | females age 16-49: 5,387,160 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 16-49: 4,056,944 | females age 16-49: 4,116,895 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]
male: 287,141 | female: 277,612 (2010 est.)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Land Forces, Naval and Coastal Defense Forces (includes Marines), Air and Air Defense Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yemeniya), Border Guards, Strategic Reserve Forces (2013)
Military expenditures [time series]
4.02% of GDP (2012) | 3.48% of GDP (2011) | 4.02% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 12
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 41.09% (male 5,588,316/female 5,399,365) | 15-24 years: 21.12% (male 2,865,453/female 2,782,109) | 25-54 years: 31.33% (male 4,280,258/female 4,096,280) | 55-64 years: 3.79% (male 468,869/female 543,336) | 65 years and over: 2.67% (male 330,966/female 382,365) (2015 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
29.98 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42
Child labor - children ages 5-14 [time series]
total number: 1,334,288 | percentage: 23% (2006 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
35.5% (2011) | country comparison to the world: 3
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
27.7% (2006)
Death rate [time series]
6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 75.6% | youth dependency ratio: 70.7% | elderly dependency ratio: 4.9% | potential support ratio: 20.4% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 72% of population | rural: 46.5% of population | total: 54.9% of population | urban: 28% of population | rural: 53.5% of population | total: 45.1% of population (2012 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
4.6% of GDP (2008) | country comparison to the world: 67
Ethnic groups [time series]
predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
0.05% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
300 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
7,200 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
5.4% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 124
Hospital bed density [time series]
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 48.93 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 53.14 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 44.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38
Languages [time series]
Arabic (official) | note: a distinct Socotri language is widely used on the Socotra Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 65.18 years | male: 63.05 years | female: 67.41 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 70.1% | male: 85.1% | female: 55% (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria | water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2013)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
SANAA (capital) 2.962 million; Aden 882,000 (2015)
Median age [time series]
total: 18.9 years | male: 18.8 years | female: 19 years (2015 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Yemeni(s) | adjective: Yemeni
Net migration rate [time series]
1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 63
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
14.2% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 121
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
Population [time series]
26,737,317 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48
Population growth rate [time series]
2.47% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25
Religions [time series]
Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2010 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 92.5% of population | rural: 34.1% of population | total: 53.3% of population | urban: 7.5% of population | rural: 65.9% of population | total: 46.7% of population (2012 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 9 years | male: 11 years | female: 8 years (2011)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.91 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 33.7% | male: 26% | female: 74% (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 34.6% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 4.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities
Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]
refugees (country of origin): 5,934 (Ethiopia) (2014); 244,404 (Somalia) (2015) | IDPs: 1,439,118 (conflict in Sa'ada governorate; clashes between AQAP and government forces) (2015)
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Yemen is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; some Yemeni children, mostly boys, migrate to Yemeni cities or across the border to Saudi Arabia and, less frequently Oman, where they end up as beggars, prostitutes, or forced laborers in domestic service or small shops; other Yemeni children were recruited as combatants or checkpoint guards by armed groups and continues to be used in the government’s military forces; Yemen is also a source country for girls sex trafficked within country or to Saudi Arabia; thousands of Yemeni migrant workers deported from Saudi Arabia and Syrian refugees are vulnerable to trafficking; additionally, Yemen is a destination and transit country for women and children from the Horn of Africa who are looking for work or receive fraudulent job offers in the Gulf states but are subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor upon arrival; reports indicate that adults and children are still sold or inherited as slaves in Yemen | tier rating: Tier 3 – Yemen does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; prolonged political, economic, and security crises, as well as the continued conflation of trafficking and smuggling, impeded the government’s modest anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not institute formal procedures to identify and protect trafficking victims in 2013, nor did they investigate or prosecute officials complicit in trafficking-related crimes; the government did not report efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict trafficking offenses, and no known efforts were made to investigate or punish persons practicing chattel slavery; officials acknowledged the use of child soldiers and agreed to a UN action plan to eliminate it but did not make efforts to remove child soldiers from the military; draft anti-trafficking legislation still awaits parliamentary endorsement (2014)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
57 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 84
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 17 | over 3,047 m: 4 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 40 | over 3,047 m: 3 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 | 914 to 1,523 m: 16 | 9 (2013)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 5 | by type: chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 | registered in other countries: 14 (Moldova 4, Panama 4, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 1, unknown 3) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 126
Pipelines [time series]
gas 641 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,370 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla
Roadways [time series]
total: 71,300 km | paved: 6,200 km | unpaved: 65,100 km (2005) | country comparison to the world: 66
Transportation - note [time series]
the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators reduced the incidence of piracy in that body of water by more than half in 2010