Population growth in Eritrea
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Eritrea increased from 1.01 million to 3.62 million people. This is a growth of 259.3 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Eritrea was recorded in 2003 with 4.83 percent. The biggest decrease in 1994 with -0.90 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Eritrea rose by 1.93 years from 2012 to 2020 from 18.37 to 20.30 years (median value).
Around 42 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.3 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Eritrea
Population development in Eritrea since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Eritrea | Change Eritrea | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.03 M | 2.55 % | 48.7 ‰ | 24.5 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 1.06 M | 2.63 % | 48.5 ‰ | 23.9 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 1.09 M | 2.68 % | 48.3 ‰ | 23.4 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 1.12 M | 2.69 % | 48.1 ‰ | 22.9 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 1.15 M | 2.69 % | 47.9 ‰ | 22.5 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 1.18 M | 2.67 % | 47.7 ‰ | 22.2 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 1.21 M | 2.67 % | 47.5 ‰ | 21.8 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 1.24 M | 2.67 % | 47.2 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 1.28 M | 2.70 % | 46.9 ‰ | 21.1 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 1.31 M | 2.73 % | 46.7 ‰ | 20.7 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 1.35 M | 2.76 % | 46.4 ‰ | 20.4 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 1.38 M | 2.79 % | 46.2 ‰ | 20.0 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 1.42 M | 2.81 % | 45.9 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 1.46 M | 2.83 % | 45.7 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 1.51 M | 2.83 % | 45.6 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 1.55 M | 2.83 % | 45.4 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 1.59 M | 2.82 % | 45.3 ‰ | 18.5 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 1.64 M | 2.84 % | 45.3 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 1.68 M | 2.88 % | 45.3 ‰ | 18.0 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 1.73 M | 2.94 % | 45.3 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 1.78 M | 2.95 % | 45.3 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 1.84 M | 2.93 % | 45.3 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 1.89 M | 2.93 % | 45.3 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 1.95 M | 2.95 % | 45.2 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 2.00 M | 2.96 % | 45.0 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 2.06 M | 3.04 % | 44.7 ‰ | 16.7 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 2.13 M | 3.03 % | 44.2 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 2.19 M | 2.74 % | 43.5 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 2.23 M | 2.08 % | 42.6 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 2.26 M | 1.23 % | 41.6 ‰ | 15.8 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 2.27 M | 0.34 % | 40.3 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 2.26 M | -0.39 % | 38.9 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 2.24 M | -0.84 % | 37.4 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 2.22 M | -0.90 % | 35.9 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 2.20 M | -0.64 % | 34.5 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 2.20 M | -0.35 % | 33.4 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 2.20 M | -0.06 % | 32.6 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 2.21 M | 0.51 % | 32.2 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 2.24 M | 1.40 % | 32.2 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 2.29 M | 2.46 % | 32.5 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 2.37 M | 3.59 % | 33.2 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 2.48 M | 4.48 % | 34.0 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 2.60 M | 4.83 % | 34.9 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 2.72 M | 4.57 % | 35.8 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 2.83 M | 3.93 % | 36.6 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 2.92 M | 3.24 % | 37.0 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 3.00 M | 2.68 % | 37.3 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 3.06 M | 2.21 % | 37.2 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 3.12 M | 1.87 % | 36.8 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 3.17 M | 1.62 % | 36.3 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 3.21 M | 1.37 % | 35.5 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 3.25 M | 1.12 % | 34.6 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 3.28 M | 0.96 % | 33.8 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 3.31 M | 0.91 % | 31.2 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 3.34 M | 0.86 % | 30.4 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 3.37 M | 0.76 % | 29.9 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 3.40 M | 0.94 % | 29.4 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 3.45 M | 1.43 % | 29.1 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 3.50 M | 1.55 % | 28.9 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 3.56 M | 1.63 % | 28.7 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 3.62 M | 1.81 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Eritrea
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Eritrea increased by about 57,100 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 6.4 per 1,000 people (~ 22,500 deaths) and the birth rate was 28.7 per 1,000 people (~ 100,000 births). As a result, around 20,400 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 23,681 in Eritrea. The number of births was 104,645 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison
Climate and temperature development in Austria