Eritrea Flag

Eritrea

Capital:
Asmara
Continent:
Africa
Largest Cities:
Asmara
Abbreviation:
ERI

Eritrea is a country in Africa, known for its Red Sea coastline and ancient ruins. It has a population of 3.6 million, making it the 132nd largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Asmara. Eritrea has a developing economy with mining potential.

3.6M
Total Population
132
Population Rank
35.71
Density (km²)
71.4K 1.85%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Eritrea

Eritrea's population structure shows a slightly lower male to female ratio of 0.97 to 1, with a median male age of 19.46 years old and a median female age of 20.41 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 18 and 19 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Eritrea Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Eritrea Population Clock

Eritrea Population*
3,577,372
Births per Day
283
Deaths per Day
59
Emigrations per Day
18
Net Change per Day
206
2025 Population Change*
7,622

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 5.1 minutes

1 death

Every 24.4 minutes

1 emigrant

Every 1.3 hours

1 person

Every 7.0 minutes

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Asmara563,930

Eritrea Overview

Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is located in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is bordered by Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan with a long coastline along the Red Sea. The country includes many of the Hanish Islands and the Dahlak Archipelago.

Eritrea Demographics

Eritrea is an ethnically heterogeneous country with nine recognized ethnic groups. The Tigrinya people make up 55% of the population, followed by the Tigre people at 30%. Most of the remaining population belongs to Afroasiatic-speaking peoples, such as the Saho, Hedareb, Afar, Bilen, and Rashaida, who represent 2% of the population and live in the northern coastal region. Hadrami migrants have also settled in Eritrea in recent years. The Kunama and Nara are small ethnic minorities in the country.

There is also a small population of Italian Eritrean and Ethiopian Tigrayan people in the country, although neither is granted citizenship except through marriage.

Eritrea Religion, Economy and Politics

The religious communities within Eritrea are unique in that they are extremely evenly split. Roughly 2% of the population claim no religion, but the remaining 98% is split down the middle: 49% Christian and 49% Muslim, although the precise numbers are somewhat debated. Although there is no one official religion and Eritrea is officially a secular state, the state recognizes the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Eritrean Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea, and Sunni Islam. In practice, no other religions are officially allowed to register. Regardless of their faith, Eritreans peacefully coexist and no religion is known for being extreme.

The Eritrean economy has been flourishing in recent years and was the fastest growing economy in the world in 2011, but a lot of their success has been from worker remittances abroad. The agricultural sector employs 80% of the population, but only accounts for 12% of the national GDP. Some of the main agricultural exports include barley, beans, and dairy products. There are significant mineral deposits in Eritrea, most of which are unexplored. The country has huge potential for mining gold, marble and granite and mining companies have been gaining licenses in the area in recent years. Industry and manufacturing of goods like tobacco, leather, and metal products make up an additional 34% of the GDP.

Eritrea Population History

The land that is now Eritrea was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 1500s until 1890 when Italy claimed it as a colony. British forces occupied the area in 1941, and the UN voted for Eritrea to be made a federal component of Ethiopia in 1952, which Ethiopia annexed 10 years later, beginning Eritrea’s struggle for independence. Decades of guerrilla finally led to a vote for Eritrean liberation in 1993. Between the years of 1998-2000, Eritrea fought with Ethiopia over borders which left 70,000 people dead combined from both countries. War with Ethiopia finally ended in 2018.