PopulationTracker

Eritrea population

Current population of Eritrea

3,686,614

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
59
Deaths today
12
Change today (UTC)
+41
World rank
132nd of 218
0.04% of world population
Population
3,607,003
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+2.00%
2025
Density
29 /km²
2023
Land area
121,178 km²
Urban population
35%
2025
Median age
19.2 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
3.68
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
68.9 yrs
2024
Net migration
−6,698
2025
Capital
Asmara
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Population of Eritrea: overview

Eritrea has a population of 3,607,003 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 132nd largest in the world. Eritrea is part of the Sub-Saharan Africa region and its capital is Asmara.

The population is expanding quickly, at 2.00% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 71,400 additional people over the past year.

The country is sparsely settled, with only about 29 people per km², spread across 121,178 km² of land. The country remains predominantly rural, though cities are growing: 35% of residents are urban.

With a median age of just 19.2 years, Eritrea has one of the youngest populations in the world. The fertility rate of 3.68 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 68.9 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 5.7 million people by 2050, about 58% more than today. The 2030 projection is 4,002,672.

Eritrea population, 1960–2025 and projections

01.5M3M4.5M6M19601980200020202040projected2025: 3.61M1960: 972,5471961: 995,5731962: 1,019,7881963: 1,045,0921964: 1,071,2871965: 1,098,3351966: 1,124,9571967: 1,152,3391968: 1,181,7371969: 1,212,0051970: 1,243,4531971: 1,276,1541972: 1,309,2351973: 1,342,6691974: 1,375,6881975: 1,408,2101976: 1,443,8071977: 1,482,5651978: 1,522,3781979: 1,563,3321980: 1,605,7971981: 1,649,9391982: 1,695,4611983: 1,736,1601984: 1,771,7301985: 1,807,8161986: 1,845,1641987: 1,888,6691988: 1,938,2551989: 1,987,0171990: 2,032,7371991: 1,919,5711992: 1,798,7481993: 1,856,0061994: 1,913,9151995: 2,025,2671996: 2,128,4641997: 2,152,1351998: 2,180,4191999: 2,212,7802000: 2,247,0312001: 2,312,0792002: 2,392,9782003: 2,493,9032004: 2,598,2842005: 2,661,2152006: 2,703,5022007: 2,743,2222008: 2,816,3272009: 2,887,8852010: 2,945,1862011: 2,998,4852012: 3,036,9882013: 3,074,3602014: 3,095,1732015: 3,105,5462016: 3,124,6982017: 3,150,3472018: 3,192,7602019: 3,240,1942020: 3,291,2712021: 3,350,1832022: 3,409,4472023: 3,470,3902024: 3,535,6032025: 3,607,0032030: 4,002,6722050: 5,696,062
Population of Eritrea by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20253,607,003+2.00%+71,400
20243,535,603+1.86%+65,213
20233,470,390+1.77%+60,943
20223,409,447+1.75%+59,264
20213,350,183+1.77%+58,912
20203,291,271+1.56%+51,077
20193,240,194+1.47%+47,434
20183,192,760+1.34%+42,413
20173,150,347+0.82%+25,649
20163,124,698+0.61%+19,152
20153,105,546+0.33%+10,373
20143,095,173+0.67%+20,813
20102,945,186+1.96%+57,301
20052,661,215+2.39%+62,931
20002,247,031+1.54%+34,251
19952,025,267+5.66%+111,352
19902,032,737+2.27%+45,720
19851,807,816+2.02%+36,086
19801,605,797+2.68%+42,465
19751,408,210+2.34%+32,522
19701,243,453+2.56%+31,448
19651,098,335+2.49%+27,048
1960972,547––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Eritrea population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Eritrea
YearProjected populationvs today
20304,002,672+11.0%
20505,696,062+57.9%

Eritrea population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 37.6% of Eritrea's population is under 15, 58.2% is of working age (15–64), and 4.3% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%8%8%0-4 male: 240,838 (6.7%)0-4 female: 235,208 (6.5%)0-45-9 male: 221,642 (6.1%)5-9 female: 217,313 (6.0%)10-14 male: 222,284 (6.2%)10-14 female: 218,607 (6.1%)10-1415-19 male: 216,156 (6.0%)15-19 female: 213,415 (5.9%)20-24 male: 188,016 (5.2%)20-24 female: 186,181 (5.2%)20-2425-29 male: 155,619 (4.3%)25-29 female: 154,089 (4.3%)30-34 male: 112,413 (3.1%)30-34 female: 111,855 (3.1%)30-3435-39 male: 89,048 (2.5%)35-39 female: 90,927 (2.5%)40-44 male: 69,813 (1.9%)40-44 female: 74,103 (2.1%)40-4445-49 male: 63,656 (1.8%)45-49 female: 71,879 (2.0%)50-54 male: 54,547 (1.5%)50-54 female: 63,599 (1.8%)50-5455-59 male: 46,056 (1.3%)55-59 female: 55,180 (1.5%)60-64 male: 36,156 (1.0%)60-64 female: 44,811 (1.2%)60-6465-69 male: 25,588 (0.7%)65-69 female: 33,350 (0.9%)70-74 male: 17,310 (0.5%)70-74 female: 23,847 (0.7%)70-7475-79 male: 12,359 (0.3%)75-79 female: 16,775 (0.5%)80-84 male: 6,880 (0.2%)80-84 female: 9,759 (0.3%)80-8485-89 male: 2,405 (0.1%)85-89 female: 3,809 (0.1%)90-94 male: 466 (0.0%)90-94 female: 922 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 24 (0.0%)95-99 female: 96 (0.0%)100+ male: 0 (0.0%)100+ female: 2 (0.0%)100+

Eritrea population FAQ

What is the population of Eritrea in 2026?

Eritrea's population is estimated at about 3.69 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 3,607,003 (2025). Eritrea ranks 132nd in the world by population.

Is the population of Eritrea growing or shrinking?

Eritrea's population is growing at about 2.00% per year, an increase of roughly 71,400 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Eritrea?

Eritrea has about 29 people per square kilometre across a land area of 121,178 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Eritrea?

Eritrea is home to about 0.04% of the world's population.

What is Eritrea's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Eritrea's population at 5,696,062 in 2050, passing through 4,002,672 in 2030.

What is the median age in Eritrea?

The median age in Eritrea is 19.2 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.