GeoRealityMatch

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Two elderly men in traditional attire having a conversation in an Eritrean mosque with beautiful architecture.A breathtaking aerial view showcasing a scenic mountainous valley landscape with a sprawling town.

Eritrea

Africa · Eastern Africa

Medium safetyLow development

Access to essential health services is patchy.

Safety

127th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.412lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#127 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Health

Below-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
68.9years, at birthLow
#139 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
40WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very lowWHO · 2023
Air pollution
23.8PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet
Unemployment rate
6%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
A breathtaking aerial view showcasing a scenic mountainous valley landscape with a sprawling town.
How it changed

Eritrea's Human Development Index

0.503Low human development

178th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 41st 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. #176Sudan0.511
  2. #177Liberia0.510
  3. #178Eritrea0.503
  4. #179Guinea0.500
  5. #180Ethiopia0.497
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 2005

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.474 in 2005 to 0.503 in 2023.

0.400.480.550.5032005201020232005: 0.4742006: 0.4732007: 0.4722008: 0.4572009: 0.4622010: 0.4652011: 0.4802012: 0.4832013: 0.4792014: 0.4972015: 0.4802016: 0.4852017: 0.4802018: 0.4902019: 0.4952020: 0.4952021: 0.4962022: 0.4992023: 0.5030.400.480.552005201020232005: 0.4742006: 0.4732007: 0.4722008: 0.4572009: 0.4622010: 0.4652011: 0.4802012: 0.4832013: 0.4792014: 0.4972015: 0.4802016: 0.4852017: 0.4802018: 0.4902019: 0.4952020: 0.4952021: 0.4962022: 0.4992023: 0.503

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 19 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
68.9 years2024at birthUp 8.3 years from 60.6 years in 2005
Urban population
35%2025of people in towns and citiesDown 1 point from 35% in 2006
Births per woman
3.682024births per womanDown 1.25 from 4.93 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
81%2021of energy usedUp 11 points from 70% in 2004
Access to electricity
55%2024of people with electricityUp 21 points from 35% in 2005
Infant mortality
252024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 19 from 43 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
0.2 t2024of CO2 per person a yearLevel with 2005
Forest area
9%2023of land under forestDown 1 point from 9% in 2004

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

Our take

Africa's North Korea: one of the world's most closed states, with compulsory military service. The case against is patchy access to essential health services, short lives and polluted air.

About Eritrea

Eritrea is a small East African country on the Red Sea coast with a landscape ranging from the hot Danakil lowlands to the cool, Italian-influenced highlands around the capital Asmara. Asmara itself is a striking open-air museum of 1930s Italian modernist architecture, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The country is one of the most isolated in the world, which gives it an eerie, time-stopped quality that fascinates the small number of travellers who visit.

Practical facts

  • CapitalAsmara
  • LanguagesArabic, English, Tigrinya
  • CurrencyEritrean nakfa (ERN)
  • Area121,178 km²
  • Plug typeType C/E/L
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Eritrea's Human Development Index?

Eritrea's Human Development Index is 0.503 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #178 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Eritrea safe?

Eritrea scores 2.41 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #127 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 Eritrea?

Life expectancy at birth in Eritrea is 68.9 yrs (World Bank), ranked #139 of 195 countries.