Djibouti

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 17,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned Radiodiffusion-T l vision de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet country code

.dj

Internet users

percent of population: 65% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 28,700 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 559,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

vegetables, beans, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons/limes, goat meat, lamb/mutton, tomatoes, beef offal (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $725 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $754 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

$610.124 million (2024 est.) $721.349 million (2023 est.) $656.207 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$2.531 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.721 (2024 est.) 177.721 (2023 est.) 177.721 (2022 est.) 177.721 (2021 est.) 177.721 (2020 est.)

Exports

$5.25 billion (2024 est.) $5.877 billion (2023 est.) $5.674 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

raw sugar, seed oils, cars, palm oil, rice (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Ethiopia 77%, UAE 5%, China 3%, Singapore 2%, France 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.086 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 73% (2024 est.) government consumption: 18.8% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -30.1% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 160.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -148.3% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.6% (2024 est.) industry: 15.4% (2024 est.) services: 75.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

41.6 (2017 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.9% (2017 est.) highest 10%: 32.3% (2017 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$4.765 billion (2024 est.) $5.269 billion (2023 est.) $5.096 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, palm oil, fertilizers, cars, seed oils (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 32%, India 12%, UAE 10%, Turkey 6%, Morocco 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

9.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

construction, agricultural processing, shipping

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (2024 est.) 1.5% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

265,200 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

21.1% (2017 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

33.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$7.995 billion (2024 est.) $7.546 billion (2023 est.) $7.028 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

6% (2024 est.) 7.4% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$6,800 (2024 est.) $6,500 (2023 est.) $6,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

1.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$348.725 million (2024 est.) $502.034 million (2023 est.) $589.437 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Unemployment rate

25.9% (2024 est.) 26.2% (2023 est.) 26.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 76.3% (2024 est.) male: 75.3% (2024 est.) female: 77.9% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

exports: 8 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 19,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 210,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 584.997 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 512 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 128.74 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 65% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 72.8% electrification - rural areas: 36.6%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 65.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 34.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

10.428 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

685,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 45,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 640,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements

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

Land use

agricultural land: 73.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2023 est.) forest: 0.3% (2023 est.) other: 26.2% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

300 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 16 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 0 cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 115,000 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 14.9% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 23,200 sq km land: 23,180 sq km water: 20 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Elevation

highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m mean elevation: 430 m

Geographic coordinates

11 30 N, 43 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 528 km border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km; Ethiopia 342 km; Somalia 61 km

Land use

agricultural land: 73.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2023 est.) forest: 0.3% (2023 est.) other: 26.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s): Abhe Bad/Abhe Bid Hayk (shared with Ethiopia) - 780 sq km

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active

Natural resources

potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Population distribution

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, and the other cities in the country are a fraction of its size, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Administrative divisions

6 districts ( cercles , singular - cercle ); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Capital

name: Djibouti geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name is said to derive from the Afar word gabouri , meaning "plate," in reference to a palm-fiber plate used for ceremonial purposes

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Djibouti dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: approved by referendum 4 September 1992 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; Assembly consideration of proposals requires assent of at least one third of the membership; passage requires a simple majority vote by the Assembly and approval by simple majority vote in a referendum; the president can opt to bypass a referendum if adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of Djibouti, its republican form of government, and its pluralist form of democracy cannot be amended

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: R publique de Djibouti (French)/ Jumhuriyat Jibuti (Arabic) local short form: Djibouti (French)/ Jibuti (Arabic) former: French Somaliland, French Territory of the Afars and Issas etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Djibouti

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia KIERSCHT (since 17 October 2024) embassy: Lot 350-B Haramouss, B.P. 185 mailing address: 2150 Djibouti Place, Washington DC 20521-2150 telephone: [253] 21-45-30-00 FAX: [253] 21-45-31-29 email address and website: DjiboutiACS@state.gov https://dj.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Siad DOUALEH (28 January 2016) chancery: 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 515, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 email address and website: info@djiboutiembassyus.org https://www.djiboutiembassyus.org/

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term; prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 9 April 2021 election results: 2021: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fifth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 97.4%, Zakaria Ismael FARAH (MDEND) 2.7% expected date of next election: April 2026

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green, with a white isosceles triangle based on the left side that has a five-pointed red star in the center meaning: blue stands for sea, sky, and the Issa Somali people, green for earth and the Afar people, and white for peace; the red star stands for the struggle for independence and unity

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, ATMIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supr me (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM), a 10-member body consisting of 4 judges, 3 members (non-parliamentarians and judges) appointed by the president, and 3 appointed by the National Assembly president or speaker; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional Council magistrate appointments - 2 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by the CSM; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; customary courts; State Court (replaced sharia courts in 2003)

Legal system

mixed system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law

Legislative branch

legislature name: National Assembly (Assembl e nationale) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 65 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 2/24/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Union for the Presidential Majority (UMP) (58); Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) (7) percentage of women in chamber: 26.2% expected date of next election: February 2028 note: most opposition parties boycotted the 2023 polls, stating the elections were "not free, not transparent, and not democratic"

National anthem(s)

title: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH history: adopted 1977

National color(s)

light blue, green, white, red

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

National symbol(s)

red star

Political parties

Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique) or FRUD National Democratic Party or PND People's Rally for Progress or RPP Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ Union for the Presidential Majority coalition or UMP Union of Reform Partisans or UPR

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, the Afar sultans signed treaties with the French that allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885. Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. Ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and served as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia s trade. Djibouti s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government has longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as do the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.

Military - note

Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism; as recently as February 2025, Djiboutian forces have conducted operations near its border with Ethiopia against members of the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), which Djibouti considers a terrorist group China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counterterrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance; other countries, such as Germany and Spain, have smaller military contingents; the EU and NATO also maintain a presence in Djibouti to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2025)

Military and security forces

Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Arm es Djiboutiennes or FAD): Djiboutian (or National) Army, Djiboutian Navy (includes Djiboutian Coast Guard), Djiboutian Air Force; Djiboutian National Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior: National Police (Police Nationale) (2025) note 1: the National Gendarmerie is a security force with military status under the FAD and the Ministry of Defense, but also has responsibilities to the Ministry of Interior; the Gendarmerie's duties include providing security outside of Djibouti City and protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport note 2: the National Police are responsible for security within Djibouti City and have primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 10-12,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025)

Military deployments

approximately 1,500 Somalia (AUSSOM) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAD's inventory is a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, T rkiye, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2019 est.) 3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 2.7% of GDP (2016 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.4% (male 141,829/female 140,696) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 290,654/female 379,778) 65 years and over: 4.2% (2024 est.) (male 18,313/female 23,704)

Alcohol consumption per capita

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.)

Birth rate

21.46 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 1.4% (2019) women married by age 18: 6.5% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

17.7% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

46.5% (2017 est.)

Death rate

7 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 48.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 41.7 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 6.4 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 15.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 84.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 47.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 76.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 15.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 52.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 23.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

3.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 14.5% national budget (2018 est.)

Ethnic groups

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)

Gross reproduction rate

1.03 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

2.9% of GDP (2021) 5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 44.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 52.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.) male: 63.4 years female: 68.5 years

Major urban areas - population

600,000 DJIBOUTI (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

162 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 26.7 years (2025 est.) male: 24.4 years female: 27.9 years

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Net migration rate

3.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

13.5% (2016)

Physician density

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

total: 1,013,703 (2025 est.) male: 458,988 female: 554,715

Population distribution

most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, and the other cities in the country are a fraction of its size, as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.84% (2025 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 87.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 24.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 74% of population (2022 est.) urban: 12.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 75.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 26% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.83 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 78.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.56% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Shabaab note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 32,636 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Djibouti does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Djibouti was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/djibouti/

Airports

10 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J2

Heliports

6 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 40 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 4, oil tanker 13, other 21

Ports

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Djibouti, Doraleh

Railways

total: 97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) standard gauge: 97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge