ARCHIVE // SZ // 2023
Eswatini
2023 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 12,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
1 state-owned TV station; satellite dishes are able to access South African providers; state-owned radio network with 3 channels; 1 private radio station (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.sz
Internet users
[time series]
total: 708,000 (2021 est.) percent of population: 59% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: Eswatini was one of the last countries in the world to open up its telecom market to competition; until 2011 the state-owned Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications also acted as the industry regulator and had a stake in the country s sole mobile network; a new independent regulatory authority was established in late 2013 and has since embarked on significant changes to the sector; mobile market subscriptions have been affected by the common use among subscribers when they use SIM cards from different networks in order to access cheaper on-net calls; subscriber growth has slowed in recent years, but was expected to have reached 8% in 2021, as people adapted to the changing needs for connectivity caused by the pandemic; the internet sector has been open to competition with a small number of licensed ISPs; DSL services were introduced in 2008, development of the sector has been hampered by the limited fixed-line infrastructure and by a lack of competition in the access and backbone networks; Eswatini is landlocked and so depends on neighboring countries for international bandwidth; this has meant that access pricing is relatively high, and market subscriptions remains relatively low; prices have fallen recently in line with greater bandwidth availability resulting from several new submarine cable systems which have reached the region in recent years; in September 2020 a terrestrial cable linked Mozambique with Eswatini and South Africa (2022) domestic: fixed-line stands at nearly 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 120 telephones per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 46,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2021 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 1.4 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2021 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
sugar cane, maize, roots/tubers nes, grapefruit, oranges, milk, beef, potatoes, vegetables, bananas
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $1.131 billion (2020 est.) expenditures: $1.454 billion (2020 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-8.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
[time series]
Moody's rating: B3 (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance
[time series]
$124.463 million (2021 est.) $270.942 million (2020 est.) $176.144 million (2019 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$535 million (2019 est.) $456 million (2018 est.)
Economic overview
[time series]
landlocked southern African economy; South African trade dependent and currency pegging; CMA and SACU member state; COVID-19 economic slowdown; growing utilities inflation; persistent poverty and unemployment; HIV/AIDS labor force disruptions
Exchange rates
[time series]
emalangeni per US dollar - 14.783 (2021 est.) 16.47 (2020 est.) 14.452 (2019 est.) 13.234 (2018 est.) 13.324 (2017 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$2.132 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $1.808 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $2.048 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
carbonated drink mixtures, sugar, gold, industrial additives, clothing, lumber (2021)
Exports - partners
[time series]
South Africa 94% (2017)
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$4.484 billion (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 64% (2017 est.) government consumption: 21.3% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 13.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 47.9% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -46.3% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 6.5% (2017 est.) industry: 45% (2017 est.) services: 48.6% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
54.6 (2016 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 40.1% (2010 est.)
Imports
[time series]
$2.173 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $1.686 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $1.924 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners
[time series]
South Africa 81.6%, China 5.2% (2017)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
15.38% (2021 est.)
Industries
[time series]
soft drink concentrates, coal, forestry, sugar processing, textiles, and apparel
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
2.6% (2019 est.) 4.82% (2018 est.) 6.22% (2017 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
383,500 (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
58.9% (2016 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
28.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 25.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$10.56 billion (2021 est.) $9.788 billion (2020 est.) $9.943 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
7.88% (2021 est.) -1.56% (2020 est.) 2.7% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$8,900 (2021 est.) $8,300 (2020 est.) $8,500 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$572,281,500 (31 December 2021 est.) $545,564,200 (31 December 2020 est.) $440,314,200 (31 December 2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
28.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
25.76% (2021 est.) 25.51% (2020 est.) 22.84% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 50.9% (2021 est.) male: 47.7% female: 54.1%
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
1.224 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 350,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 875,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Coal
[time series]
production: 108,000 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 169,000 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 163,000 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 135,000 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 144 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 286,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 1,448,308,000 kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) imports: 942 million kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 154.7 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million electrification - total population: 82.9% (2021) electrification - urban areas: 94.5% (2021) electrification - rural areas: 79.1% (2021)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 44.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 24.8% 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: 31% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
19.371 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: 6,000 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]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
5,279 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 15.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 1.16 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1.9 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
varies from tropical to near temperate
Environment - current issues
[time series]
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; population growth, deforestation, and overgrazing lead to soil erosion and soil degradation
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Food insecurity
[time series]
severe localized food insecurity: due to higher staple food prices - the latest analysis indicates that nearly 259,000 people faced acute food insecurity between January and March 2023, an improvement compared to the previous year; food insecurity in 2022-23 is driven by high food prices and a slowdown in economic growth, curbing households income earning opportunities (2023)
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 68.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 57.7% (2018 est.) forest: 31.7% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
2.25% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
4.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 1.01 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 24.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 218,199 tons (2016 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 17,364 sq km land: 17,204 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
[time series]
varies from tropical to near temperate
Coastline
[time series]
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m mean elevation: 305 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Geography - note
[time series]
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Irrigated land
[time series]
500 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 546 km border countries (2): Mozambique 108 km; South Africa 438 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 68.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 57.7% (2018 est.) forest: 31.7% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references
[time series]
Africa
Maritime claims
[time series]
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
[time series]
drought
Natural resources
[time series]
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Population distribution
[time series]
because of its mountainous terrain, the population distribution is uneven throughout the country, concentrating primarily in valleys and plains as shown in this population distribution map
Terrain
[time series]
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
4 regions; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Capital
[time series]
name: Mbabane (administrative capital); Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) geographic coordinates: 26 19 S, 31 08 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after a Swati chief, Mbabane KUNENE, who lived in the area at the onset of British settlement
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Eswatini dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006 amendments: proposed at a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both houses and/or majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of amendments affecting "specially entrenched" constitutional provisions requires at least three-fourths majority vote by both houses, passage by simple majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of "entrenched" provisions requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses, passage in a referendum, and assent of the king
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Kingdom of Eswatini conventional short form: Eswatini local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form: eSwatini former: Swaziland etymology: the country name derives from 19th century King MSWATI II, under whose rule Swati territory was expanded and unified note: pronounced ay-swatini or eh-swatini
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) Charges d'Affaires Caitlin PIPER (since 27 October 2023) embassy: Corner of MR 103 and Cultural Center Drive, Ezulwini, P.O. Box D202, The Gables, H106 mailing address: 2350 Mbabane Place, Washington DC 20521-2350 telephone: (268) 2417-9000 FAX: [268] 2416-3344 email address and website: MBACONSULAR@state.gov https://sz.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Kennedy Fitzgerald GROENING (7 June 2022) chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002 FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254 email address and website: embassy@eswatini-usa.com; swaziland@compuserve.com
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) head of government: Prime Minister Russell Mmiso DLAMINI (since 3 November 2023) cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister, confirmed by the monarch; at least one-half of the cabinet membership must be appointed from among elected members of the House of Assembly elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among members of the House of Assembly
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally; blue stands for peace and stability, red represents past struggles, and yellow the mineral resources of the country; the shield, spears, and staff symbolize protection from the country's enemies, while the black and white of the shield are meant to portray black and white people living in peaceful coexistence
Government type
[time series]
absolute monarchy
Independence
[time series]
6 September 1968 (from the UK)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
[time series]
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 justices) and the High Court (consists of the chief justice - ex officio - and 4 justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all constitutional matters judge selection and term of office: justices of the Supreme Court and High Court appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a judicial advisory body consisting of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, 4 members appointed by the monarch, and the chairman of the Civil Service Commission; justices of both courts eligible for retirement at age 65 with mandatory retirement at age 75 subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; National Swazi Courts for administering customary/traditional laws (jurisdiction restricted to customary law for Swazi citizens)
Legal system
[time series]
mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: bicameral Parliament (Libandla) consists of: Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms) House of Assembly (70 seats statutory, current 69; 59 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies or tinkhundla by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, 10 members appointed by the monarch, 4 women, one each representing each region, elected by the members if representation of elected women is less than 30%, and 1 ex-officio member - the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - last election held on 12 October 2023 , senate fully constituted on November 5 when monarch appointed remaining 20 senators; (next to be held in 2028) House of Assembly - last held on 29 September 2023 (next to be held in 2028) election results: Senate - percent of seats by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 17, women 13, percent of women 43% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 59; composition - men 58, women 12, percent of women 17.14%; note - total Parliament percent of women 4.1%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati" (Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi) lyrics/music: Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT note: adopted 1968; uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day (Somhlolo Day), 6 September (1968)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
lion, elephant; national colors: blue, yellow, red
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
political parties exist but conditions for their operations, particularly in elections, are undefined, legally unclear, or culturally restricted; the following are considered political associations: African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley S. MALINDZISA] Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Sibongile MAZIBUKO] People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mlungisi MAKHANYA] Swazi Democratic Party or SWADEPA [Jan SITHOLE]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age
Introduction
Background
[time series]
A Swazi kingdom was founded in the mid-18 th century and ruled by a series of kings including MSWATI II, a 19 th century ruler whose appellation was adopted to become the name of the country and its predominant ethnic group. The kingdom s modern borders were defined by European countries during the late-19 th century and Swaziland (as it became known) was administered as a UK high commission territory from 1903 until its independence in 1968. A new constitution came into effect in 2005, which included provisions for a more independent parliament and judiciary, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear, and the kingdom is still considered an absolute monarchy. King MSWATI III renamed the country from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to reflect the name most commonly used by its citizens. In 2021, MSWATI III used security forces to suppress prodemocracy protests. A national dialogue and reconciliation process agreed to in the wake of violence has not materialized. In November 2023, King MSWATI III appointed a new Prime Minister following peaceful national elections. Despite its classification as a lower-middle income country, Eswatini suffers from severe poverty, corruption, and high unemployment. Eswatini has the world's highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, although recent years have shown marked declines in new infections. Eswatini is the only country in Africa that recognizes Taiwan.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the UEDF s primary mission is external security but it also has domestic security responsibilities, including protecting members of the royal family; the king is the UEDF commander in chief and holds the position of minister of defense, although the UEDF reports to the Army commander and principal undersecretary of defense for day-to-day operations; the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) is responsible for maintaining internal security as well as migration and border crossing enforcement; it is under the prime minister, although the king is the force s titular commissioner in chief; the UEDF was originally created in 1973 as the Royal Swaziland Defense Force (2023)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Umbutfo Eswatini Defense Force (UEDF): Army (includes a small air wing); the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) (2023)
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 3,000 active duty personnel (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the UEDF is lightly armed with mostly older equipment from Europe, South Africa, and the US (2023)
Military expenditures
[time series]
1.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2019 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2018 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2021)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 32.16% (male 181,886/female 181,491) 15-64 years: 63.88% (male 336,243/female 385,599) 65 years and over: 3.97% (2023 est.) (male 16,654/female 28,170)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 7.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 5.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
22.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
5.8% (2014)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
66.1% (2014)
Current health expenditure
[time series]
6.5% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
37.1% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Demographic profile
[time series]
Eswatini, a small, predominantly rural, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique, suffers from severe poverty and the world s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. A weak and deteriorating economy, high unemployment, rapid population growth, and an uneven distribution of resources all combine to worsen already persistent poverty and food insecurity, especially in rural areas. Erratic weather (frequent droughts and intermittent heavy rains and flooding), overuse of small plots, the overgrazing of cattle, and outdated agricultural practices reduce crop yields and further degrade the environment, exacerbating Eswatini's poverty and subsistence problems. Eswatini's extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate nearly 28% of adults have the disease compounds these issues. Agricultural production has declined due to HIV/AIDS, as the illness causes households to lose manpower and to sell livestock and other assets to pay for medicine and funerals. Swazis, mainly men from the country s rural south, have been migrating to South Africa to work in coal, and later gold, mines since the late 19th century. Although the number of miners abroad has never been high in absolute terms because of Eswatini's small population, the outflow has had important social and economic repercussions. The peak of mining employment in South Africa occurred during the 1980s. Cross-border movement has accelerated since the 1990s, as increasing unemployment has pushed more Swazis to look for work in South Africa (creating a "brain drain" in the health and educational sectors); southern Swazi men have continued to pursue mining, although the industry has downsized. Women now make up an increasing share of migrants and dominate cross-border trading in handicrafts, using the proceeds to purchase goods back in Eswatini. Much of today s migration, however, is not work-related but focuses on visits to family and friends, tourism, and shopping.
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 64 youth dependency ratio: 57.4 elderly dependency ratio: 6.5 potential support ratio: 15.3 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 97.5% of population rural: 74.8% of population total: 80.3% of population unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population rural: 25.2% of population total: 19.7% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
predominantly Swazi; smaller populations of other African ethnic groups, including the Zulu, as well as people of European ancestry
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
1.19 (2023 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 38.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 42.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 33.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 60.2 years (2023 est.) male: 58.2 years female: 62.3 years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.4% male: 88.3% female: 88.5% (2018)
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: intermediate (2023) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
68,000 MBABANE (capital) (2018)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
437 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 24.4 years (2023 est.) male: 23.1 years female: 25.5 years
Nationality
[time series]
noun: liSwati (singular), emaSwati (plural); note - former term, Swazi(s), still used among English speakers adjective: Swati; note - former term, Swazi, still used among English speakers
Net migration rate
[time series]
-6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
16.5% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population
[time series]
1,130,043 (2023 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
because of its mountainous terrain, the population distribution is uneven throughout the country, concentrating primarily in valleys and plains as shown in this population distribution map
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.72% (2023 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Christian 90% (Zionist - a blend of Christianity and traditional African religions - 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, other Christian 30% - includes Anglican, Methodist, Church of Jesus Christ, Jehovah's Witness), Muslim 2%, other 8% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, indigenous, Jewish) (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 92.3% of population rural: 83.9% of population total: 85.9% of population unimproved: urban: 7.7% of population rural: 16.1% of population total: 14.1% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 12 years (2013)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 9.2% (2020 est.) male: 16.5% (2020 est.) female: 1.8% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.41 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 24.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
Eswatini has stable relations with South Africa but claims large sections of South African territory based on the historic extent of Swazi control during the early 19th century; despite periodic negotiations, there has been little progress in resolving the dispute
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Eswatini does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; Eswatini established multi-agency emergency response teams to respond to trafficking victim identification; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous year, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; the lack of government coordination and leadership of the Prevention of People Trafficking and Smuggling Secretariat continued to hinder efforts; the government did not allocate funding for the Prevention of People Trafficking and People Smuggling Task Force to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts; the lack of specialized training for front-line officers continued to hamper efforts; serious allegations of trafficking and victim abuse by senior government officials have remained pending for multiple years; the first shelter for victims refurbished in collaboration with foreign donor support remained inoperative for the second consecutive year; therefore, Eswatini remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2023) trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Eswatini, and traffickers exploit victims from Eswatini abroad; traffickers target vulnerable communities, particularly those with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates; Swati girls, particularly orphans, are exploited in sex trafficking and domestic servitude, primarily in Eswatini and South Africa; some Swati girls in forced domestic work are physically and sexually abused by their employers, and sex traffickers exploit orphaned girls in exchange for food and money; Swati boys and foreign children are forced into labor in agriculture, cattle herding, and market vending within Eswatini; some Mozambican boys who migrate to Eswatini for work are exploited by traffickers in forced labor; Cuban nationals on medical missions in Eswatini may have been forced to work by the Cuban government; traffickers use Eswatini as a transit country to move foreign victims, primarily Mozambicans, to South Africa for forced labor; some Mozambican women reportedly are forced into commercial sex in Eswatini or transported to South Africa; some Swati people, including orphaned girls and girls from poor families who voluntarily migrate in search of work particularly in South Africa are exploited in sex trafficking; Swati men recruited in border communities are exploited in forced labor in South Africa s timber industry (2023)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
14 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
2 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]
12 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]
3DC
Railways
[time series]
total: 301 km (2014) narrow gauge: 301 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
Roadways
[time series]
total: 3,769 km (2019)