ARCHIVE // DJ // 2023
Djibouti
2023 Edition — sovereign
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 25,053 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the only 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.dj
Internet users
[time series]
total: 759,000 (2021 est.) percent of population: 69% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: Djibouti remains one of the last bastions where the national telco has a monopoly on all telecom services, including fixed lines, mobile, internet, and broadband; despite the country benefiting from its location as a hub for international submarine cables, prices for telecom services remain relatively high, and out of reach for a number of customers, weighing on market advancement; the Djibouti government is aiming to sell a minority stake in the incumbent telco (retaining some control of decisions) while securing the financial backing and the management acumen of a foreign operator; this is part of a larger plan to modernize the country s economy more generally; the state expects to conduct a sale of up to 40% of the company to an international investor (2023) domestic: about 2 per 100 fixed-line teledensity and nearly 44 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021) international: country code - 253; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3 5, EASSy, Aden-Djibouti, Africa-1, DARE-1, EIG, MENA, Bridge International, PEACE Cable, and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems providing links to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat) (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 27,326 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 489,339 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2021 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
vegetables, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons, limes, goat meat, mutton, beans, tomatoes
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $725 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $754 million (2019 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$225.106 million (2021 est.) $366.358 million (2020 est.) $563.976 million (2019 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$1.954 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.519 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Economic overview
[time series]
food import-dependent Horn of Africa economy driven by various national military bases and port-based trade; fairly resilient from COVID-19 disruptions; major re-exporter; increasing Ethiopian and Chinese trade relations; investing in infrastructure
Exchange rates
[time series]
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.721 (2021 est.) 177.721 (2020 est.) 177.721 (2019 est.) 177.721 (2018 est.) 177.721 (2017 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$5.16 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $3.695 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $5.15 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
palm oil, chlorides, sheep and goats, kidney beans, industrial fatty acids/oils, coffee (2021)
Exports - partners
[time series]
Saudi Arabia 42%, India 15%, China 14%, Egypt 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$3.323 billion (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 56.5% (2017 est.) government consumption: 29.2% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 41.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 38.6% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -66.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.) industry: 17.3% (2017 est.) services: 80.2% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
41.6 (2017 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 30.9% (2002)
Imports
[time series]
$5.483 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $3.425 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $4.764 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron sheeting, cars, palm oil (2019)
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 43%, United Arab Emirates 15%, India 7%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
-4.43% (2020 est.)
Industries
[time series]
construction, agricultural processing, shipping
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.78% (2020 est.) 3.32% (2019 est.) 0.15% (2018 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
240,500 (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
21.1% (2017 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
31.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$5.432 billion (2021 est.) $5.182 billion (2020 est.) $5.121 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
4.81% (2021 est.) 1.2% (2020 est.) 5.55% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$4,900 (2021 est.) $4,800 (2020 est.) $4,800 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$588.418 million (31 December 2021 est.) $686.339 million (31 December 2020 est.) $501.858 million (31 December 2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
35.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
28.39% (2021 est.) 28.39% (2020 est.) 26.36% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 79.9% (2021 est.) male: 78.6% female: 82.2%
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Coal
[time series]
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 130,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: -62.6 million kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 120 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million electrification - total population: 65.4% (2021) electrification - urban areas: 73.4% (2019) electrification - rural areas: 36.5% (2021)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 98.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
8.869 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 4,300 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
403 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
6,692 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 19.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.62 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.52 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
desert; torrid, dry
Environment - current issues
[time series]
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Food insecurity
[time series]
widespread lack of access: due to unfavorable weather and high food prices - about 250,000 people were estimated to have faced acute food insecurity between March and June 2023, mainly due to the lingering impact of a prolonged and severe drought between late 2020 and early 2023, and high food prices (2023)
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 73.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.) forest: 0.2% (2018 est.) other: 26.4% (2018 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
salt water lake(s): Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 114,997 tons (2002 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 23,200 sq km land: 23,180 sq km water: 20 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
[time series]
desert; torrid, dry
Coastline
[time series]
314 km
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m mean elevation: 430 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
11 30 N, 43 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world
Irrigated land
[time series]
10 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 528 km border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km; Ethiopia 342 km; Somalia 61 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 73.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.) forest: 0.2% (2018 est.) other: 26.4% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
salt water lake(s): Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km
Map references
[time series]
Africa
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active
Natural resources
[time series]
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Population distribution
[time series]
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this population distribution map
Terrain
[time series]
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
Capital
[time series]
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 origin of the name is disputed; multiple descriptions, possibilities, and theories have been proposed
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Djibouti dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: approved by referendum 4 September 1992 amendments: 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; amended 2006, 2008, 2010
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: Republique de Djibouti (French)/ Jumhuriyat Jibuti (Arabic) local short form: Djibouti (French)/ Jibuti (Arabic) former: French Somaliland, French Territory of the Afars and Issas etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Djibouti
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Mario FERNANDEZ (since 10 June 2023) embassy: Lot 350-B Haramouss, B.P. 185 mailing address: 2150 Djibouti Place, Washington DC 20521-2150 telephone: [253] 21-45-30-00 FAX: [253] 21-45-31-29 email address and website: DjiboutiACS@state.gov https://dj.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Siad DOUALEH (28 January 2016) chancery: 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 515, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 email address and website: info@djiboutiembassyus.org https://www.djiboutiembassyus.org/
Executive branch
[time series]
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 elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 9 April 2021 (next to be held in April 2026); prime minister appointed by the president 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% 2016 : Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 87%, Omar Elmi KHAIREH (CDU) 7.3%, other 5.6%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity
Government type
[time series]
presidential republic
Independence
[time series]
27 June 1977 (from France)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
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
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (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; 5 Courts of First Instance; customary courts; State Court (replaced sharia courts in 2003)
Legal system
[time series]
mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, formerly the Chamber of Deputies (65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 24 February 2023 (next to be held in February 2028) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 58, UDJ 7; composition - men 48, women 17, percent of women 26.2%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH note: adopted 1977
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
red star; national colors: light blue, green, white, red
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique) or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD] National Democratic Party or PND [Aden Robleh AWALEH] People's Rally for Progress or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party) Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Hasna Moumin BAHDON] Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Ilya Ismail GUEDI Hared] Union for the Presidential Majority coalition or UMP [collective leadership] (electoral coalition includes FRUD, PND, RPP, PPSD, and UPR) Union of Reform Partisans or UPR [Ibrahim Daoud CHEHEM] note: only parties with seats in the National Assembly included
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
The region of present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, treaties signed by the Afar sultans with the French allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885. Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. The ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia s trade. Djibouti s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as does the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, including counterterrorism; China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance (note France has multiple bases and hosts troop contingents from Germany and Spain); the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2023)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Djibouti Armed Forces (Force Arm e Djiboutienne or FAD): Army, Navy, Air Force; Djibouti Coast Guard Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie, National Police (2023) note: the National Police is responsible for security within Djibouti City and has primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points, while the National Gendarmerie is responsible for all security outside of Djibouti City, as well as for protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 10,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 2,000 Gendarmerie (2023)
Military deployments
[time series]
approximately 960 Somalia (ATMIS; note - ATMIS troop contingents are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024); Djibouti has about 200 police deployed to the Central African Republic under MINUSCA (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the FAD's inventory includes mostly older French and Soviet-era weapons systems, although in recent years it has received limited amounts of more modern, but largely secondhand equipment from a variety of other countries, including China, the Netherlands, and the US (2023)
Military expenditures
[time series]
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.)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2021)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 28.65% (male 140,365/female 139,299) 15-64 years: 67.21% (male 284,488/female 371,529) 65 years and over: 4.15% (2023 est.) (male 17,757/female 22,705)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
22 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Child marriage
[time series]
women married by age 15: 1.4% women married by age 18: 6.5% (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
16.2% (2019)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
19% (2012)
Current health expenditure
[time series]
2% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
50.6% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Demographic profile
[time series]
Djibouti is a poor, predominantly urban country, characterized by high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and childhood malnutrition. Approximately 70% of the population lives in cities and towns (predominantly in the capital, Djibouti). The rural population subsists primarily on nomadic herding. Prone to droughts and floods, the country has few natural resources and must import more than 80% of its food from neighboring countries or Europe. Health care, particularly outside the capital, is limited by poor infrastructure, shortages of equipment and supplies, and a lack of qualified personnel. More than a third of health care recipients are migrants because the services are still better than those available in their neighboring home countries. The nearly universal practice of female genital cutting reflects Djibouti s lack of gender equality and is a major contributor to obstetrical complications and its high rates of maternal and infant mortality. A 1995 law prohibiting the practice has never been enforced. Because of its political stability and its strategic location at the confluence of East Africa and the Gulf States along the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Djibouti is a key transit point for migrants and asylum seekers heading for the Gulf States and beyond. Each year some 100,000 people, mainly Ethiopians and some Somalis, journey through Djibouti, usually to the port of Obock, to attempt a dangerous sea crossing to Yemen. However, with the escalation of the ongoing Yemen conflict, Yemenis began fleeing to Djibouti in March 2015, with almost 20,000 arriving by August 2017. Most Yemenis remain unregistered and head for Djibouti City rather than seeking asylum at one of Djibouti s three spartan refugee camps. Djibouti has been hosting refugees and asylum seekers, predominantly Somalis and lesser numbers of Ethiopians and Eritreans, at camps for 20 years, despite lacking potable water, food shortages, and unemployment.
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 50.6 youth dependency ratio: 47.5 elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 potential support ratio: 14.4 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 99.7% of population rural: 59.3% of population total: 90.8% of population unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population rural: 40.7% of population total: 9.2% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
1.05 (2023 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 46 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 53.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 65.6 years (2023 est.) male: 63 years female: 68.3 years
Literacy
[time series]
total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: high (2023) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
600,000 DJIBOUTI (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
234 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 26 years (2023 est.) male: 24.1 years female: 27.6 years
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian
Net migration rate
[time series]
4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
13.5% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Population
[time series]
976,143 (2023 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this population distribution map
Population growth rate
[time series]
1.93% (2023 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 87.7% of population rural: 24.2% of population total: 73.8% of population unimproved: urban: 12.3% of population rural: 75.8% of population total: 26.2% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 7 years male: 7 years female: 7 years (2011)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.83 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
[time series]
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 Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
Djibouti-Somalia: Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia Djibouti-Eritrea: in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea, sparking a brief conflict; Qatar mediated and provided peacekeepers until 2017; Djibouti accused Eritrea of reoccupying the area in 2017 after Qatari troops were withdrawn; Djibouti and Eritrea agreed to normalize relations in 2018 Djibouti-Ethiopia: the Ethiopia-Djibouti relationship has been relatively harmonious, and there have been no major disputes along their shared border
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 13,434 (Somalia) (2023); 6,518 (Yemen) (mid-year 2022)
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
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; Djibouti partnered with international experts to expand training, formalized standard operating procedures for victim identification, enhanced a partnership with an international organization to develop victim referral procedures for transiting migrants, appointed a government focal point and inter-ministerial task force to combat human trafficking, and conducted awareness campaigns; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to improve its anti-trafficking capacity; the government did not convict any traffickers for the fifth consecutive year, and judges continue to use outdated versions of the penal code that do not include the 2016 anti-trafficking law; officials did not identify any trafficking victims for the third consecutive year and lacked formal services for victims; despite training, some front-line officials limited understanding of trafficking continued to inhibit law enforcement and victim identification; for the seventh consecutive year, the government only partially implemented its 2015-2022 national action plan; therefore, Djibouti remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2022) trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Djibouti, and to a lesser extent, traffickers exploit victims from Djibouti abroad; adults and children, primarily undocumented economic migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia, transit Djibouti en route to Yemen and other locations in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia; a number of these migrants are exploited in forced labor and sex trafficking at their intended destinations, and they are also vulnerable to trafficking at various transit points, particularly Yemen; economic migrants who transit Djibouti to return to their home countries are vulnerable to trafficking; Djibouti with a population of less than one million hosts more than 35,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, and many of them have endured and remained vulnerable to trafficking; Djiboutian and migrant women and children living in the streets face exploitation in sex trafficking or forced labor; traffickers, including family members, may exploit local and migrant children in forced begging; foreign workers including Ethiopians, Yemenis, Indians, Pakistanis, and Filipinos may be exploited in forced labor in domestic servitude, construction, and food service sectors; Cuban medical professionals in Djibouti may have been forced to work by the Cuban government (2022)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
13 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
3 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
10 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
J2
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 42 (2022) by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 4, oil tanker 15, other 21
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): Djibouti
Railways
[time series]
total: 97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) standard gauge: 97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
Roadways
[time series]
total: 2,893 km (2013)