Rank #61 by World Population
🇪🇷Eritrea
Eritrea has a population of 3,470,390, ranking #61 in the world. The capital is Asmara. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .
World Bank: Low income
3,470,390
Population
#61
World Rank
68.6
Life Expectancy
-
GDP Per Capita
Eritrea, #61 by world population
Eritrea Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Eritrea had a population of 972,547 in 1960 and 3,535,603 in 2024, a 3.6× growth over 64 years. The peak was 3,535,603 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.05%.
3,535,603
Population (2024)
972,547
Population (1960)
3,535,603
Peak (2024)
2.05%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 972,547 |
| 1961 | 995,573 |
| 1962 | 1,019,788 |
| 1963 | 1,045,092 |
| 1964 | 1,071,287 |
| 1965 | 1,098,335 |
| 1966 | 1,124,957 |
| 1967 | 1,152,339 |
| 1968 | 1,181,737 |
| 1969 | 1,212,005 |
| 1970 | 1,243,453 |
| 1971 | 1,276,154 |
| 1972 | 1,309,235 |
| 1973 | 1,342,669 |
| 1974 | 1,375,688 |
| 1975 | 1,408,210 |
| 1976 | 1,443,807 |
| 1977 | 1,482,565 |
| 1978 | 1,522,378 |
| 1979 | 1,563,332 |
| 1980 | 1,605,797 |
| 1981 | 1,649,939 |
| 1982 | 1,695,461 |
| 1983 | 1,736,160 |
| 1984 | 1,771,730 |
| 1985 | 1,807,816 |
| 1986 | 1,845,164 |
| 1987 | 1,888,669 |
| 1988 | 1,938,255 |
| 1989 | 1,987,017 |
| 1990 | 2,032,737 |
| 1991 | 1,919,571 |
| 1992 | 1,798,748 |
| 1993 | 1,856,006 |
| 1994 | 1,913,915 |
| 1995 | 2,025,267 |
| 1996 | 2,128,464 |
| 1997 | 2,152,135 |
| 1998 | 2,180,419 |
| 1999 | 2,212,780 |
| 2000 | 2,247,031 |
| 2001 | 2,312,079 |
| 2002 | 2,392,978 |
| 2003 | 2,493,903 |
| 2004 | 2,598,284 |
| 2005 | 2,661,215 |
| 2006 | 2,703,502 |
| 2007 | 2,743,222 |
| 2008 | 2,816,327 |
| 2009 | 2,887,885 |
| 2010 | 2,945,186 |
| 2011 | 2,998,485 |
| 2012 | 3,036,988 |
| 2013 | 3,074,360 |
| 2014 | 3,095,173 |
| 2015 | 3,105,546 |
| 2016 | 3,124,698 |
| 2017 | 3,150,347 |
| 2018 | 3,192,760 |
| 2019 | 3,240,194 |
| 2020 | 3,291,271 |
| 2021 | 3,350,183 |
| 2022 | 3,409,447 |
| 2023 | 3,470,390 |
| 2024 | 3,535,603 |
Demographics
| Population | 3,470,390 |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.77% |
| Urban Population | 34.7% |
| Fertility Rate | 3.71 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 68.6 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 25.4 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | - |
Economy & Trade
-
GDP Per Capita
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
Low income
Income Level
Health & Education
3.7%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
0.09
Physicians per 1,000
25.4
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
54.4%
Electricity Access
54
Mobile Subs per 100
28.6
People per km2
-15,284
Net Migration
Environment
8.6%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Eritrea in global context
Eritrea is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Eritrea has a population of 3,470,390, ranking #61 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.77%.
Life expectancy in Eritrea is 68.6 years. The infant mortality rate is 25.4 per 1,000 live births.
GDP data for Eritrea is available from the World Bank Open Data portal.
34.7% of Eritrea's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 28.6 people per square kilometer.
Literacy data for Eritrea is available from the World Bank.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.