Population growth in Eritrea
From 1960 to 2019 the population of Eritrea increased from 1.40 m to 3.50 m people. This is a growth by 150.2 percent in 59 years. The highest increase in Eritrea was recorded in 2003 with 4.83%. The biggest decrease in 1979 with -25.31%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 152.9 percent.
The average age in Eritrea rose by 0.03 years from 2012 to 2013 from 18.37 to 18.40 years (median value).
Around 41% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.8% 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 | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.43 M | 2.52 % | 3,075 M | 1.35 % | |||
| 1962 | 1.47 M | 2.58 % | 3,128 M | 1.72 % | |||
| 1963 | 1.51 M | 2.63 % | 3,193 M | 2.07 % | |||
| 1964 | 1.55 M | 2.65 % | 3,258 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1965 | 1.59 M | 2.65 % | 3,325 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1966 | 1.63 M | 2.64 % | 3,395 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1967 | 1.67 M | 2.64 % | 3,464 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1968 | 1.72 M | 2.65 % | 3,535 M | 2.03 % | |||
| 1969 | 1.76 M | 2.67 % | 3,609 M | 2.11 % | |||
| 1970 | 1.81 M | 2.69 % | 3,685 M | 2.09 % | |||
| 1971 | 1.86 M | 2.72 % | 3,762 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1972 | 1.91 M | 2.75 % | 3,839 M | 2.04 % | |||
| 1973 | 1.97 M | 2.76 % | 3,915 M | 1.98 % | |||
| 1974 | 2.02 M | 2.78 % | 3,991 M | 1.96 % | |||
| 1975 | 2.08 M | 2.78 % | 4,066 M | 1.87 % | |||
| 1976 | 2.13 M | 2.78 % | 4,139 M | 1.79 % | |||
| 1977 | 2.19 M | 2.78 % | 4,212 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1978 | 2.25 M | 2.80 % | 4,286 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1979 | 1.68 M | -25.31 % | 45.2 ‰ | 18.0 ‰ | 4,358 M | 1.68 % | |
| 1980 | 1.73 M | 2.94 % | 45.2 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 4,434 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 1.78 M | 2.95 % | 45.2 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 4,512 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 1.84 M | 2.93 % | 45.2 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | 4,593 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 1.89 M | 2.93 % | 45.1 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 4,675 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 1.95 M | 2.95 % | 44.9 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 4,757 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 2.00 M | 2.96 % | 44.7 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 4,840 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 2.06 M | 3.04 % | 44.3 ‰ | 16.6 ‰ | 4,926 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 2.13 M | 3.03 % | 43.8 ‰ | 16.4 ‰ | 5,014 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 2.19 M | 2.73 % | 43.2 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 5,102 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 2.23 M | 2.08 % | 42.5 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 5,191 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 2.26 M | 1.23 % | 41.7 ‰ | 15.8 ‰ | 5,281 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 2.27 M | 0.34 % | 40.8 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 5,369 M | 1.66 % | |
| 1992 | 2.26 M | -0.39 % | 39.8 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 2.24 M | -0.84 % | 38.8 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 2.22 M | -0.90 % | 37.8 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 5,623 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 2.20 M | -0.64 % | 37.0 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 5,708 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 2.20 M | -0.35 % | 36.2 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 2.20 M | -0.06 % | 35.7 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 5,873 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 2.21 M | 0.51 % | 35.3 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 5,955 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 2.24 M | 1.40 % | 35.1 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 6,035 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 2.29 M | 2.46 % | 35.2 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 6,115 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 2.37 M | 3.59 % | 35.4 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 2.48 M | 4.48 % | 35.6 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 6,274 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 2.60 M | 4.83 % | 36.0 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 6,353 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 2.72 M | 4.57 % | 36.3 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 2.83 M | 3.93 % | 36.6 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 6,513 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 2.92 M | 3.24 % | 36.7 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 6,594 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 3.00 M | 2.68 % | 36.7 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 6,675 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 3.06 M | 2.21 % | 36.6 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6,758 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 3.12 M | 1.87 % | 36.8 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 6,841 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 3.17 M | 1.62 % | 36.3 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.19 % | |
| 2011 | 3.21 M | 1.37 % | 35.5 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,003 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2012 | 3.25 M | 1.12 % | 34.6 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 7,086 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2013 | 3.28 M | 0.96 % | 33.8 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,170 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2014 | 3.31 M | 0.91 % | 32.9 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,254 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2015 | 3.34 M | 0.95 % | 32.2 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,339 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2016 | 3.38 M | 1.01 % | 31.5 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 7,424 M | 1.16 % | |
| 2017 | 3.41 M | 1.08 % | 30.9 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 7,509 M | 1.14 % | |
| 2018 | 3.45 M | 1.17 % | 30.3 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,592 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 3.50 M | 1.28 % | 7,674 M | 1.07 % |
Birth- and deathrate in Eritrea
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2018 in the graph: The population in Eritrea increased by about 39,900 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.2 per 1000 people (~ 24,400 deaths) and the birth rate was 30.3 per 1000 people (~ 103,000 births). As a result, around 38,700 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 26,370 in Eritrea. The number of births was 110,033 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate