GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Framed view of Tadjoura coastline seen from a ship window, Djibouti's serene landscape.A serene view of Tadjoura's coastal fishing village with boats, buildings, and mountains in Djibouti.

Djibouti

Africa · Eastern Africa

Medium safetyLow development

Access to essential health services is patchy.

Safety

104th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.098lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#104 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$3,960national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 335% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$5.0K$10K$8,452 PPP$3,906Inflation, % a year12%0200620102015202020252006, $898 a person, inflation 3.5%2007, $970 a person, inflation 5%2008, $1,119 a person, inflation 12%2009, $1,151 a person, inflation 1.7%2010, $1,213 a person, inflation 4%2011, $1,306 a person, inflation 5.1%2012, $1,400 a person, inflation 3.7%2013, $2,076 a person, $3,762 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2014, $2,215 a person, $3,978 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2015, $2,376 a person, $4,264 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2016, $2,510 a person, $4,432 at PPP, inflation 2.4%2017, $2,619 a person, $4,677 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2018, $2,718 a person, $5,083 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2019, $2,837 a person, $5,398 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2020, $2,845 a person, $5,527 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2021, $3,026 a person, $5,960 at PPP, inflation 1.2%2022, $3,133 a person, $6,620 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2023, $3,381 a person, $7,232 at PPP, inflation 1.4%2024, $3,553 a person, $7,822 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2025, $3,906 a person, $8,452 at PPP, inflation -0.3%$0$5.0K$10KInflation, % a year12%0200620102015202020252006, $898 a person, inflation 3.5%2007, $970 a person, inflation 5%2008, $1,119 a person, inflation 12%2009, $1,151 a person, inflation 1.7%2010, $1,213 a person, inflation 4%2011, $1,306 a person, inflation 5.1%2012, $1,400 a person, inflation 3.7%2013, $2,076 a person, $3,762 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2014, $2,215 a person, $3,978 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2015, $2,376 a person, $4,264 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2016, $2,510 a person, $4,432 at PPP, inflation 2.4%2017, $2,619 a person, $4,677 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2018, $2,718 a person, $5,083 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2019, $2,837 a person, $5,398 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2020, $2,845 a person, $5,527 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2021, $3,026 a person, $5,960 at PPP, inflation 1.2%2022, $3,133 a person, $6,620 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2023, $3,381 a person, $7,232 at PPP, inflation 1.4%2024, $3,553 a person, $7,822 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2025, $3,906 a person, $8,452 at PPP, inflation -0.3%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the shortest life expectancies

Life expectancy
66.2years, at birthLow
#164 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
47WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very lowWHO · 2023
Air pollution
27.6PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Slow home internet

Unemployment rate
26%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
18 Mbpsmedian download speedSlowOokla Speedtest · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet18 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

A serene view of Tadjoura's coastal fishing village with boats, buildings, and mountains in Djibouti.
How it changed

Djibouti's Human Development Index

0.513Low human development

175th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 38th of 54 in Africa.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #173Benin0.515
  2. #174Guinea-Bissau0.514
  3. #175Djibouti0.513
  4. #176Sudan0.511
  5. #177Liberia0.510
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1995

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.318 in 1995 to 0.513 in 2023.

0.250.400.550.51319952000201020231995: 0.3181996: 0.3201997: 0.3241998: 0.3271999: 0.3332000: 0.3372001: 0.3422002: 0.3492003: 0.3602004: 0.3682005: 0.3752006: 0.3852007: 0.3922008: 0.4002009: 0.4112010: 0.4212011: 0.4322012: 0.4422013: 0.4502014: 0.4592015: 0.4692016: 0.4772017: 0.4842018: 0.4922019: 0.4972020: 0.4992021: 0.5012022: 0.5102023: 0.5130.250.400.5519952000201020231995: 0.3181996: 0.3201997: 0.3241998: 0.3271999: 0.3332000: 0.3372001: 0.3422002: 0.3492003: 0.3602004: 0.3682005: 0.3752006: 0.3852007: 0.3922008: 0.4002009: 0.4112010: 0.4212011: 0.4322012: 0.4422013: 0.4502014: 0.4592015: 0.4692016: 0.4772017: 0.4842018: 0.4922019: 0.4972020: 0.4992021: 0.5012022: 0.5102023: 0.513

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 29 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
66.2 years2024at birthUp 7.7 years from 58.5 years in 2005
Internet users
65%2024of people onlineUp 64 points from 1% in 2006
Urban population
73%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 2 points from 71% in 2006
Births per woman
2.622024births per womanDown 1.42 from 4.04 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
27%2022of energy usedDown 7 points from 34% in 2004
Access to electricity
69%2024of people with electricityUp 12 points from 57% in 2005
Infant mortality
432024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 30 from 73 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
0.8 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 0.1 t from 0.9 t in 2005
Forest area
0%2023of land under forestLevel with 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Strategic Horn of Africa location hosting multiple foreign military bases; very hot. The case against is patchy access to essential health services, low incomes and short lives.

About Djibouti

Djibouti is a small country on the Horn of Africa at the meeting point of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with a landscape of volcanic rock, salt lakes, and some of the world's best diving along its coral reefs. The culture blends Somali, Afar, Arab, and French influences into a small but cosmopolitan city life. It suits travellers who come specifically for diving, desert landscapes, or the unique experience of a genuinely strategic crossroads.

Practical facts

  • CapitalDjibouti
  • LanguagesArabic, French
  • CurrencyDjiboutian franc (DJF)
  • Area23,180 km²
  • Plug typeType C/E
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Djibouti's Human Development Index?

Djibouti's Human Development Index is 0.513 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #175 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Djibouti safe?

Djibouti scores 2.10 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #104 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

What is life expectancy in Djibouti?

Life expectancy at birth in Djibouti is 66.2 yrs (World Bank), ranked #164 of 195 countries.