Population growth in Eritrea
Eritrea: Population growth was 2.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Eritrea, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Eritrea is 2.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.4% on the previous year and up 497.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Eritrea peaked at 5.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, -6.5%, in 1992.
Eritrea ranks 50th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.3% | — |
| 1962 | 2.4% | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 2.5% | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 2.5% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 2.4% | -4.0% |
| 1967 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 2.5% | +4.8% |
| 1969 | 2.5% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 2.6% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 2.3% | -3.8% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | +6.8% |
| 1977 | 2.6% | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 2.7% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 2.7% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | -12.8% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | -14.5% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 2.0% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | +14.0% |
| 1988 | 2.6% | +11.2% |
| 1989 | 2.5% | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | -8.4% |
| 1991 | -5.7% | -351.8% |
| 1992 | -6.5% | +13.5% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -148.2% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 5.7% | +84.1% |
| 1996 | 5.0% | -12.1% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -77.7% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | +18.1% |
| 1999 | 1.5% | +12.8% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | +85.8% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | +20.5% |
| 2003 | 4.1% | +20.1% |
| 2004 | 4.1% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -41.6% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | -34.1% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | -7.5% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | +80.3% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | -21.7% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | -28.9% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -44.8% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -50.4% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +83.8% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | +33.0% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +63.6% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +10.3% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | +13.4% |
| 2022 | 1.8% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | +5.1% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | +7.4% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 2.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.6%, 78% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 2.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 88% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Eritrea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -351.8% | 2.3% | -5.7% |
| 1993 | +148.2% | -6.5% | 3.1% |
| 2001 | +85.8% | 1.5% | 2.9% |
| 1995 | +84.1% | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| 2016 | +83.8% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| 2008 | +80.3% | 1.5% | 2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | -6.5% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 1.5% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.3% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 47 Sierra Leone 2.0% compare
- 48 South Sudan 2.0% compare
- 49 Gibraltar 2.0% compare
- 51 Sao Tome and Principe 2.0% compare
- 52 Kenya 1.9% compare
- 53 Malta 1.9% compare
More climate change data for Eritrea
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.10 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 6,163 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,872 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,292 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 153.28 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 87.04 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 82.68 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4.36 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.312 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Eritrea?
- Population growth in Eritrea was 2.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.5% in 1992.
- How does Eritrea rank for population growth?
- Eritrea ranks 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 497.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eritrea data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.