Eritrea

All demographic indicators on this page are based on UN mid 2025 estimates unless stated otherwise.

Eritrea population (live estimate)

Real-time estimate based on UN demographic growth models.

3,607,000

Annual growth: 2.084%.

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Official population estimates

World population
3,607,000
Median age
19.2
Population growth rate (%)
2.084 ▲ Population is growing

This map shows first-level administrative regions (ADM1).

Key Facts

  • Capital: Asmara
  • Official language: English
  • Region: Eastern Africa
  • Continent: Africa

Languages

A brief overview of the linguistic situation in the country.

Official language
Tigrinya, Arabic, English
Minority language
2
Working / administrative language
2

Eritrea is one of Africa’s most linguistically diverse countries, with nine recognized languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Afar, Saho, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Arabic, and English. Tigrinya is the most widely spoken, especially in the highlands. Arabic is historically important for trade and religion, and English is used in higher education.

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Religions

A brief overview of the religious composition of the country.

Dominant religion
Islam
Largest share
51.7%
Number of religions
7

Eritrea’s population is divided between highland and lowland regions, each with distinct ethnic and linguistic traditions. Urban centers such as Asmara are multilingual, while rural areas typically maintain stronger use of indigenous languages. The demographic profile is young, with high levels of migration.

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Cities

A brief overview of the major cities and urban structure of the country.

Largest city
Massawa
Number of cities
10

The cities shown here represent major urban centres with populations over 50,000, as defined by the UN Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) methodology. Smaller towns and rural settlements are not included.

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