Eritrea: official statistics and sources
1 official bodies for Eritrea, from Ministry of Information to Ministry of Information, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official languages: Tigrinya, Arabic, English. Capital: Asmara.
Who holds power in Eritrea
- Head of state: Isaias Afwerki (President of the State of Eritrea)
- Head of government: The head of state leads the government (no prime minister listed)
- Foreign minister: Osman Saleh Mohammed (Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea)
Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Unitary state; single-party (PFDJ) government without an implemented constitution. How local power works in Eritrea: 3 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.
Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.
Government, regions and cities
- Government and power in Eritrea: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
- Asmara (capital)
Key figures
What the figures show
Eritrea had 3.6 million people in 2025, by the World Bank's count; ten years earlier the figure was 3.1 million. Of the 48 UN members in the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region, 34 have more people; worldwide it comes 129th.
The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 6.0%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.
The IMF records general government gross debt of 260.4% of GDP for 2019.
Life expectancy at birth: 68.9 years (2024).
- Debt ratio 2015: 271.4%; 2019: 260.4%.
Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.
Official sources in Eritrea
Government
- Ministry of Information
Official government news, proclamations and statements.
Notes
The IPU records no website for the National Assembly.
No website was found for a national statistics office, the courts, an audit institution or an electoral body.
The Bank of Eritrea site did not complete a connection on 13 Oct 2026 (connection reset); the domain is the bank's own.
Freedom of information in Eritrea
No general access-to-information law for Eritrea was found in the official sources checked on 2026-10-13. No national access-to-information law could be found in the official sources checked on 2026-10-13.
What Eritrea does not have
- No online company, land, associations or procurement register could be found.
- No information commissioner, inquiry body, lobbying register or public asset-declaration register could be found.
- No state-run case-law database could be found.
Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.
Eritrea by subject
- Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
- Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
- Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
- Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
- Housing homes, cities, water and power
- Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
- Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
- Education schools, universities and literacy
- Environment emissions, air, forests and water
Power in Eritrea, from local government up to the G20
The global bodies above national governments, and the levels of power inside Eritrea. How the ten levels work.
Level 3: Local councils
- Local government in Eritrea how councils, regions and municipalities work
Level 6: National government
- Eritrea: national government this page
- Government and power in Eritrea who leads, the parliament and the courts
- World leaders every country's head of state and government
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Common questions
What is the population of Eritrea?
3.6 million (2025, World Bank).
How much government debt does Eritrea have?
260.4% of GDP (2019, International Monetary Fund).
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