Djibouti

total: 17,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.)

state-owned Radiodiffusion-T l vision de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2019)

.dj

percent of population: 65% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 28,700 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

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

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

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

$610.124 million (2024 est.) $721.349 million (2023 est.) $656.207 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$2.531 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.721 (2024 est.) 177.721 (2023 est.) 177.721 (2022 est.) 177.721 (2021 est.) 177.721 (2020 est.)

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

raw sugar, seed oils, cars, palm oil, rice (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Ethiopia 77%, UAE 5%, China 3%, Singapore 2%, France 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$4.086 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 73% (2024 est.) government consumption: 18.8% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -30.1% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 160.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -148.3% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 2.6% (2024 est.) industry: 15.4% (2024 est.) services: 75.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

41.6 (2017 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 1.9% (2017 est.) highest 10%: 32.3% (2017 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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

refined petroleum, palm oil, fertilizers, cars, seed oils (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 32%, India 12%, UAE 10%, Turkey 6%, Morocco 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

9.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

construction, agricultural processing, shipping

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

265,200 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

21.1% (2017 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

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

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

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

1.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$348.725 million (2024 est.) $502.034 million (2023 est.) $589.437 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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

total: 76.3% (2024 est.) male: 75.3% (2024 est.) female: 77.9% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

exports: 8 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 19,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 210,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 584.997 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 512 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 128.74 million kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 65% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 72.8% electrification - rural areas: 36.6%

fossil fuels: 65.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 34.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

10.428 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

685,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 45,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 640,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

desert; torrid, dry

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

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

agricultural land: 73.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2023 est.) forest: 0.3% (2023 est.) other: 26.2% (2023 est.)

21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 16 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 0 cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 115,000 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 14.9% (2022 est.)

total : 23,200 sq km land: 23,180 sq km water: 20 sq km

slightly smaller than New Jersey

desert; torrid, dry

314 km

highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m mean elevation: 430 m

11 30 N, 43 00 E

strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world

10 sq km (2012)

total: 528 km border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km; Ethiopia 342 km; Somalia 61 km

agricultural land: 73.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2023 est.) forest: 0.3% (2023 est.) other: 26.2% (2023 est.)

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

salt water lake(s): Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km

Africa

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, and the other cities in the country are a fraction of its size, as shown in this population distribution map

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

6 districts ( cercles , singular - cercle ); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

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

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

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

conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: R publique 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

chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia KIERSCHT (since 17 October 2024) 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/

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/

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

description: two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green, with a white isosceles triangle based on the left side that has a five-pointed red star in the center meaning: blue stands for sea, sky, and the Issa Somali people, green for earth and the Afar people, and white for peace; the red star stands for the struggle for independence and unity

presidential republic

27 June 1977 (from France)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

mixed 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

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

title: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH history: adopted 1977

light blue, green, white, red

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

red star

Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique) or FRUD National Democratic Party or PND People's Rally for Progress or RPP Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ Union for the Presidential Majority coalition or UMP Union of Reform Partisans or UPR

18 years of age; universal

Present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, the Afar sultans signed treaties with the French that 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. 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 served 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 has longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as do the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.

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

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

estimated 10-12,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025)

approximately 1,500 Somalia (AUSSOM) (2025)

the FAD's inventory is a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, T rkiye, and the US (2025)

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.)

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

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

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.)

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

women married by age 15: 1.4% (2019) women married by age 18: 6.5% (2019)

17.7% (2023 est.)

46.5% (2017 est.)

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

total dependency ratio: 48.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 41.7 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 6.4 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 15.7 (2025 est.)

urban: 84.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 47.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 76.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 15.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 52.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 23.8% of population (2022 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 14.5% national budget (2018 est.)

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

1.03 (2025 est.)

2.9% of GDP (2021) 5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)

total: 44.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 52.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38 deaths/1,000 live births

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

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

600,000 DJIBOUTI (capital) (2023)

162 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 26.7 years (2025 est.) male: 24.4 years female: 27.9 years

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

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

13.5% (2016)

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, and the other cities in the country are a fraction of its size, as shown in this population distribution map

1.84% (2025 est.)

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

urban: 87.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 24.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 74% of population (2022 est.) urban: 12.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 75.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 26% of population (2022 est.)

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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.83 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

2.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

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

refugees: 32,636 (2024 est.)

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

10 (2025)

J2

6 (2025)

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

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Djibouti, Doraleh

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