Djibouti - Economic Indicators

Economic Overview

Djibouti's economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location as a deepwater port on the Red Sea. Three-fourths of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scant rainfall and less than 4% arable land limits crop production to small quantities of fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports, exports, and reexports represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's...

Continue reading View Factbook for Djibouti

GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Nominal Gross Domestic Product 2022 650,836,000,000 601,732,000,000 DJF Annual
Real Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 77,907,518,700 79,979,093,300 NCU Annual
Real Investment 2017 158,768,486,500 137,377,021,100 NCU Annual
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 81,666,921,700 83,357,250,000 NCU Annual
Investment 2017 165,164,849,700 90,429,958,200 NCU Annual
Price Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Jan 2023 130.53 129.55 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Current Account Balance 2022 656,206,986 -225,105,811 USD Annual
Balance of Goods 2022 273,371,587 -723,184,091 USD Annual
Exports of Goods 2022 4,600,896,190 4,146,926,924 USD Annual
Imports of Goods 2022 4,327,524,603 4,870,111,016 USD Annual
Real Exports of Goods and Services 2017 107,041,676,900 101,424,051,200 NCU Annual
Exports of Goods and Services 2017 112,206,939,600 105,708,000,000 NCU Annual
Real Imports of Goods and Services 2017 232,248,931,900 201,010,570,000 NCU Annual
Imports of Goods and Services 2017 243,456,031,800 159,705,853,300 NCU Annual
Government Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Government Revenues 2006 47,866,000,000 46,714,000,000 current LCU Annual
Government Budget Balance 2006 7,050,000,000 12,016,000,000 current LCU Annual
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Lending Rate Mar 2017 11.26 11.26 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Population 2020 988,002 973,557 # Annual
Net Migration 2017 4,501 # Annual
Death Rate 2016 8.35 8.36 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Birth Rate 2016 23 23.35 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

Background:
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve a third term in 2011 and begin a fourth term in 2016. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.

Geography

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 23,200 sq km
land: 23,180 sq km
water: 20 sq km
country comparison to the world: 151
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries:
total: 528 km
border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 km
Coastline:
314 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation:
mean elevation: 430 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m
Natural resources:
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Land use:
agricultural land: 73.4%
arable land 0.1%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 73.3%
forest: 0.2%
other: 26.4% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2012)
Population - distribution:
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world

People & Society

Population:
865,267 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Demographic profile:
Djibouti is a poor, predominantly urban country, characterized by high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, and childhood malnutrition. More than 75% of the population lives in cities and towns (predominantly in the capital, Djibouti). The rural population subsists primarily on nomadic herding. Prone to droughts and floods, the country has few natural resources and must import more than 80% of its food from neighboring countries or Europe. Health care, particularly outside the capital, is limited by poor infrastructure, shortages of equipment and supplies, and a lack of qualified personnel. More than a third of health care recipients are migrants because the services are still better than those available in their neighboring home countries. The nearly universal practice of female genital cutting reflects Djibouti’s lack of gender equality and is a major contributor to obstetrical complications and its high rates of maternal and infant mortality. A 1995 law prohibiting the practice has never been enforced.
Because of its political stability and its strategic location at the confluence of East Africa and the Gulf States along the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Djibouti is a key transit point for migrants and asylum seekers heading for the Gulf States and beyond. Each year some hundred thousand people, mainly Ethiopians and some Somalis, journey through Djibouti, usually to the port of Obock, to attempt a dangerous sea crossing to Yemen. However, with the escalation of the ongoing Yemen conflict, Yemenis began fleeing to Djibouti in March 2015, with almost 20,000 arriving by August 2017. Most Yemenis remain unregistered and head for Djibouti City rather than seeking asylum at one of Djibouti’s three spartan refugee camps. Djibouti has been hosting refugees and asylum seekers, predominantly Somalis and lesser numbers of Ethiopians and Eritreans, at camps for 20 years, despite lacking potable water, food shortages, and unemployment.
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.14% (male 135,151/female 134,312)
15-24 years: 21.32% (male 86,820/female 97,656)
25-54 years: 39.03% (male 140,242/female 197,484)
55-64 years: 4.75% (male 18,593/female 22,515)
65 years and over: 3.76% (male 14,559/female 17,935) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 56.5
youth dependency ratio: 50.1
elderly dependency ratio: 6.4
potential support ratio: 15.6 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.9 years
male: 22.1 years
female: 25.3 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Population growth rate:
2.16% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Birth rate:
23.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Death rate:
7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Net migration rate:
5.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Population distribution:
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000
Urbanization:
urban population: 77.5% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 1.52% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
DJIBOUTI (capital) 529,000 (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.71 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
229 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Infant mortality rate:
total: 45.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 52.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.6 years
male: 61 years
female: 66.2 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Total fertility rate:
2.31 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
19% (2012)
Health expenditures:
10.6% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 17
Physicians density:
0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density:
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 97.4% of population
rural: 64.7% of population
total: 90% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2.6% of population
rural: 35.3% of population
total: 10% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 59.8% of population
rural: 5.1% of population
total: 47.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 40.2% of population
rural: 94.9% of population
total: 52.6% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,600 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
<1000 (2016 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever (2016)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
13.5% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 131
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
29.8% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 14
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 11
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 6 years
male: 7 years
female: 6 years (2011)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Djibouti
Government type:
semi-presidential republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution:
history: approved by referendum 4 September 1992
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; Assembly consideration of proposals requires assent by at least one-third of the membership; passage requires a simple majority vote by the Assembly and approval by simple majority vote in a referendum; the president can opt to bypass a referendum if adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of Djibouti, its republican form of government, and its pluralist form of democracy cannot by amended; amended 2006, 2008, 2010 (2017)
Legal system:
mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Djibouti
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; (constitution amended in 2010 to allow a third term); election last held on 8 April 2016 (next to be held by 2021); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 87%, Omar Elmi KHAIREH (CDU) 7.3%, other 5.6%
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, formerly the Chamber of Deputies (65 seats; 52 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by plurality vote and 13 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 23 February 2018 (next to be held in February 2023)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 57, UDJ-PDD 7, CDU 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy or CSM, a 10-member body consisting of 4 judges, 3 members (non parliamentarians and judges) appointed by the president, and 3 appointed by the National Assembly president or speaker; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional Council magistrate appointments - 2 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by the CSM; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms
subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; 5 Courts of First Instance; customary courts; State Court (replaced sharia courts in 2003)
Political parties and leaders:
Center for United Democrats or CDU [Omar Elmi KHAIREH, chairman]
Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]
Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]
Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique) or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]
Movement for Democratic Renewal and Development [Daher Ahmed FARAH]
Movement for Development and Liberty or MODEL [Ismail Ahmed WABERI]
National Democratic Party or PND [Aden Robleh AWALEH]
People's Rally for Progress or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party)
Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Hasna Moumin BAHDON]
Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD
Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD)
Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Ilya Ismail GUEDI Hared]
Union for National Salvation or USN [Ahmed Youssouf HOUMED] (coalition includes ARD, MoDel, MRD, PDD, PND, UDJ)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Said DOUALEH (28 December 2016)
chancery: 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 515, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 20 November 2017)
embassy: Lot 350-B, Haramouss
mailing address: B.P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 21 45 30 00
FAX: [253] 21 45 31 29
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity
National symbol(s):
red star; national colors: light blue, green, white, red
National anthem:
name: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti)
lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH
note: adopted 1977

Economy

Economy - overview:
Djibouti's economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location as a deepwater port on the Red Sea. Three-fourths of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scant rainfall and less than 4% arable land limits crop production to small quantities of fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported.
Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports, exports, and reexports represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Reexports consist primarily of coffee from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An official unemployment rate of nearly 40% - with youth unemployment near 80% - continues to be a major problem. Inflation was a modest 3% in 2014-2017, due to low international food prices and a decline in electricity tariffs.
Djibouti’s reliance on diesel-generated electricity and imported food and water leave average consumers vulnerable to global price shocks, though in mid-2015 Djibouti passed new legislation to liberalize the energy sector. The government has emphasized infrastructure development for transportation and energy and Djibouti – with the help of foreign partners, particularly China – has begun to increase and modernize its port capacity. In 2017, Djibouti opened two of the largest projects in its history, the Doraleh Port and Djibouti-Addis Ababa Railway, which will increase the country’s ability to capitalize on its strategic location.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.64 billion (2017 est.)
$3.402 billion (2016 est.)
$3.194 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 182
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.082 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2017 est.)
6.5% (2016 est.)
6.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,600 (2017 est.)
$3,400 (2016 est.)
$3,300 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 185
Gross national saving:
12.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
16.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
19% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 56.5%
government consumption: 29.2%
investment in fixed capital: 41.8%
investment in inventories: 0.3%
exports of goods and services: 38.6%
imports of goods and services: -66.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 21%
services: 76.1% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing, shipping
Industrial production growth rate:
8.3% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Labor force:
294,600 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
60% (2017 est.)
48.4% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Population below poverty line:
23%
note: percent of population below $1.25 per day at purchasing power parity (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.9% (2002 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.9 (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Budget:
revenues: $699.8 million
expenditures: $865.4 million (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
33.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Public debt:
31.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
33.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2017 est.)
2.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
11.45% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Stock of narrow money:
$1.493 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.323 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Stock of broad money:
$1.795 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.652 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Stock of domestic credit:
$680.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$639.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Current account balance:
$-437 million (2017 est.)
$-575 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Exports:
$155.5 million (2017 est.)
$139.9 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Exports - commodities:
reexports, hides and skins, scrap metal
Exports - partners:
Ethiopia 39%, Somalia 17.8%, Qatar 9.4%, Brazil 9.1%, Yemen 5.1% (2016)
Imports:
$1.172 billion (2017 est.)
$1.128 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, clothing
Imports - partners:
UAE 25.8%, France 16.4%, China 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 8.4%, Ethiopia 7%, Yemen 4.8% (2016)
Debt - external:
$1.554 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.519 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.784 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.483 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar -
177.7 (2017 est.)
177.72 (2016 est.)
177.72 (2015 est.)
177.72 (2014 est.)
177.72 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
population without electricity: 400,000
electrification - total population: 50%
electrification - urban areas: 61%
electrification - rural areas: 14% (2013)
Electricity - production:
405 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Electricity - consumption:
376.7 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
130,000 kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
6,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Refined petroleum products - exports:
402.7 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Refined petroleum products - imports:
6,509 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
1.8 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 24,925
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 345,246
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
domestic: Djibouti Telecom is the sole provider of telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable systems providing links to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2015)
Broadcast media:
state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the only 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet users:
total: 111,212
percent of population: 13.1% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 2
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4 (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
J2 (2016)
Airports:
13 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 152
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2013)
Railways:
total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
standard gauge: 97 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)
country comparison to the world: 128
Roadways:
total: 3,065 km
paved: 1,379 km
unpaved: 1,686 km (2000)
country comparison to the world: 165
Merchant marine:
total: 18
by type: oil tanker 2, other 16 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 141
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Djibouti

Military & Security

Military branches:
Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Armees Djiboutiennes, FAD): Djibouti National Army (includes Navy, Djiboutian Air Force (Force Aerienne Djiboutienne, FAD), National Gendarmerie (GN)) (2013)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2012)
Maritime threats:
while attacks continued to decrease, the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain a high risk for piracy; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents; there were no incidents in the Red Sea in 2016, however one ship was fired upon during the first half of 2017; Operation Ocean Shield, the NATO/EUNAVFOR naval task force established in 2009 to combat Somali piracy, concluded its operations in December 2016 as a result of the drop in reported incidents over the last few years

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link; in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 19,636 (Yemen); 13,043 (Somalia) (2017)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Djibouti is a transit, source, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; economic migrants from East Africa en route to Yemen and other Middle East locations are vulnerable to exploitation in Djibouti; some women and girls may be forced into domestic servitude or prostitution after reaching Djibouti City, the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor, or Obock – the main crossing point into Yemen; Djiboutian and foreign children may be forced to beg, to work as domestic servants, or to commit theft and other petty crimes
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Djibouti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Djibouti was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; one forced labor trafficker was convicted in 2014 but received a suspended sentence inadequate to deter trafficking; authorities did not investigate or prosecute any other forced labor crimes, any sex trafficking offenses, or any officials complicit in human trafficking, and remained limited in their ability to recognize or protect trafficking victims; official round-ups, detentions, and deportations of non-Djiboutian residents, including children without screening for trafficking victims remained routine; the government did not provide care to victims but supported local NGOs operating centers that assisted victims (2015)

Economic Indicators for Djibouti including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Djibouti economy.