The region of present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, treaties signed by the Afar sultans with the French allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885.
land: 23,180 sq km
water: 20 sq km
border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km; Ethiopia 342 km; Somalia 61 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
mean elevation: 430 m
arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.2% (2018 est.)
other: 26.4% (2018 est.)
976,143 (2023 est.)
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha’i, and atheist)
Djibouti is a poor, predominantly urban country, characterized by high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and childhood malnutrition. Approximately 70% of the population lives in cities and towns (predominantly in the capital, Djibouti). The rural population subsists primarily on nomadic herding. Prone to droughts and floods, the country has few natural resources and must import more than 80% of its food from neighboring countries or Europe. Health care, particularly outside the capital, is limited by poor infrastructure, shortages of equipment and supplies, and a lack of qualified personnel. More than a third of health care recipients are migrants because the services are still better than those available in their neighboring home countries. The nearly universal practice of female genital cutting reflects Djibouti’s lack of gender equality and is a major contributor to obstetrical complications and its high rates of maternal and infant mortality. A 1995 law prohibiting the practice has never been enforced.Because of its political stability and its strategic location at the confluence of East Africa and the Gulf States along the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Djibouti is a key transit point for migrants and asylum seekers heading for the Gulf States and beyond. Each year some 100,000 people, mainly Ethiopians and some Somalis, journey through Djibouti, usually to the port of Obock, to attempt a dangerous sea crossing to Yemen. However, with the escalation of the ongoing Yemen conflict, Yemenis began fleeing to Djibouti in March 2015, with almost 20,000 arriving by August 2017. Most Yemenis remain unregistered and head for Djibouti City rather than seeking asylum at one of Djibouti’s three spartan refugee camps. Djibouti has been hosting refugees and asylum seekers, predominantly Somalis and lesser numbers of Ethiopians and Eritreans, at camps for 20 years, despite lacking potable water, food shortages, and unemployment.
0-14 years: 28.65% (male 140,365/female 139,299)
15-64 years: 67.21% (male 284,488/female 371,529)
65 years and over: 4.15% (2023 est.) (male 17,757/female 22,705)
total dependency ratio: 50.6
youth dependency ratio: 47.5
elderly dependency ratio: 6.9
potential support ratio: 14.4 (2021 est.)
total: 26 years (2023 est.)
male: 24.1 years
female: 27.6 years
1.93% (2023 est.)
22 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this
urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
600,000 DJIBOUTI (capital) (2023)
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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.83 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
234 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 46 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 53.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 65.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 63 years
female: 68.3 years
2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.05 (2023 est.)
19% (2012)
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 59.3% of population
total: 90.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 40.7% of population
total: 9.2% of population (2020 est.)
2% of GDP (2020)
0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: 87.7% of population
rural: 24.2% of population
total: 73.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 12.3% of population
rural: 75.8% of population
total: 26.2% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
13.5% (2016)
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.)
16.2% (2019)
50.6% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 1.4%
women married by age 18: 6.5% (2019 est.)
3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
total: 7 years
male: 7 years
female: 7 years (2011)
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
desert; torrid, dry
agricultural land: 73.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.2% (2018 est.)
other: 26.4% (2018 est.)
urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
widespread lack of access: due to unfavorable weather and high food prices - about 250,000 people were estimated to have faced acute food insecurity between March and June 2023, mainly due to the lingering impact of a prolonged and severe drought between late 2020 and early 2023, and high food prices (2023)
0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 19.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.62 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.52 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 114,997 tons (2002 est.)
salt water lake(s): Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km
municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
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
$5.432 billion (2021 est.)
$5.182 billion (2020 est.)
$5.121 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.81% (2021 est.)
1.2% (2020 est.)
5.55% (2019 est.)
$4,900 (2021 est.)
$4,800 (2020 est.)
$4,800 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$3.323 billion (2019 est.)
1.78% (2020 est.)
3.32% (2019 est.)
0.15% (2018 est.)
agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 17.3% (2017 est.)
services: 80.2% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 56.5% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 29.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 41.8% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -66.4% (2017 est.)
vegetables, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons, limes, goat meat, mutton, beans, tomatoes
construction, agricultural processing, shipping
-4.43% (2020 est.)
240,500 (2021 est.)
28.39% (2021 est.)
28.39% (2020 est.)
26.36% (2019 est.)
total: 79.9% (2021 est.)
male: 78.6%
female: 82.2%
21.1% (2017 est.)
41.6 (2017 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.9% (2002)
revenues: $725 million (2019 est.)
expenditures: $754 million (2019 est.)
-9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
31.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
35.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$225.106 million (2021 est.)
$366.358 million (2020 est.)
$563.976 million (2019 est.)
$5.16 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.695 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$5.15 billion (2019 est.)
Saudi Arabia 42%, India 15%, China 14%, Egypt 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
palm oil, chlorides, sheep and goats, kidney beans, industrial fatty acids/oils, coffee (2021)
$5.483 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.425 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$4.764 billion (2019 est.)
China 43%, United Arab Emirates 15%, India 7%, Turkey 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron sheeting, cars, palm oil (2019)
$588.418 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$686.339 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$501.858 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$1.954 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.519 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
177.721 (2021 est.)
177.721 (2020 est.)
177.721 (2019 est.)
177.721 (2018 est.)
177.721 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
electrification - total population: 65.4% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 73.4% (2019)
electrification - rural areas: 36.5% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 130,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: -62.6 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 120 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 98.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% 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: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 4,300 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.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
403 bbl/day (2015 est.)
6,692 bbl/day (2015 est.)
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.)
610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 610,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
8.869 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
J2
13 (2021)
3
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.)
10
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
total: 97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
standard gauge: 97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
total: 2,893 km (2013)
paved: (2000)
unpaved: (2000)
total: 42 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 4, oil tanker 15, other 21
major seaport(s): Djibouti
manyapis