Governorates of Yemen: population and official figures
Yemen is divided into 21 governorates. The largest by population is Sana'a City (Amanat Al Asimah) with 3,981,000 people (12.5% of the total); the smallest is Al Maharah with 181,000. Yemen has had no census since 2004. Population and local finance figures are the Central Statistical Organization's (Aden) 2022 estimates and returns, which some governorates did not supply; health, schooling and living-standards figures come from the 2022-23 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of the Central Statistical Organization and UNICEF. Sample sizes are small for the least populated governorates.
Who governs Yemen's governorates?
Governorates (21 plus the Capital Secretariat): Governor appointed by presidential decree (in practice, by whichever authority controls the area); governorate council elected in 2006. Security, services and budgets; councils are meant to plan and supervise.
How local power works in Yemen · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 21 governorates, largest first
| # | Governorate | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sana'a City (Amanat Al Asimah) | 3,981,000 | 2022 | – |
| 2 | Al Hudaydah | 3,654,000 | 2022 | – |
| 3 | Taizz | 3,487,000 | 2022 | – |
| 4 | Ibb | 3,118,000 | 2022 | – |
| 5 | Hajjah | 2,415,000 | 2022 | – |
| 6 | Dhamar | 2,170,000 | 2022 | – |
| 7 | Hadramaut | 1,618,000 | 2022 | – |
| 8 | Sa'ada | 1,258,000 | 2022 | – |
| 9 | Sana'a | 1,232,000 | 2022 | – |
| 10 | Amran | 1,102,000 | 2022 | – |
| 11 | Lahj | 1,091,000 | 2022 | – |
| 12 | Aden | 1,083,000 | 2022 | – |
| 13 | Al Dhale'e | 835,000 | 2022 | – |
| 14 | Al Bayda | 830,000 | 2022 | – |
| 15 | Al Mahwit | 781,000 | 2022 | – |
| 16 | Shabwah | 698,000 | 2022 | – |
| 17 | Al Jawf | 645,000 | 2022 | – |
| 18 | Raymah | 642,000 | 2022 | – |
| 19 | Abyan | 619,000 | 2022 | – |
| 20 | Marib | 376,000 | 2022 | – |
| 21 | Al Maharah | 181,000 | 2022 | – |
More on Yemen: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Central Statistical Organization, Yemen: Statistical Yearbook at governorate level 2021-2022 (Tables: population projections by governorate, local revenues and expenditures, exchange rates, food basket cost), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b20d7cc9383a…)
- Central Statistical Organization, Yemen, with UNICEF: Yemen Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022-2023, Survey Findings Report (tables by governorate), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03bf052dd0d2…)
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