Djibouti

People

More than half of the Republic of Djibouti's 560,000 inhabitants live in the capital city. The indigenous population is divided between the majority Somalis (predominantly of the Issa tribe, with minority Issak and Gadaboursi representation) and the Afars (Danakils). All are Cushitic-speaking peoples, and nearly all are Muslim

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.

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1990 2000 2010 2020
Population, total (millions) 0.59 0.72 0.84 0.99
Population growth (annual %) 4.6 2.5 1.5 1.5
Surface area (sq. km) (thousands) 23.2 23.2 23.2 23.2
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) 25.5 31 36.2 42.6
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) .. .. .. 21.1
Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population) .. 20.2 18.2 17
Income share held by lowest 20% .. 6 4.3 5.4
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) 57 57 60 67
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) 6.1 4.5 3.3 2.7
Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) 47 33 23 18
Contraceptive prevalence, any methods (% of women ages 15-49) .. 9 19 ..
Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) .. 61 87 ..
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) 118 101 76 58
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) 20.2 24.4 29.9 ..
Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) 85 50 85 83
Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) 29 27 51 63
School enrollment, primary (% gross) 33.3 32.5 66.5 73.8
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) 10 14 41 54
School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) 1 1 1 1
Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) 0.1 3.3 1.8 0.8
Environment
Forest area (sq. km) (thousands) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) .. .. .. 1.2
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources) 4.4 6.3 6.3 6.3
Urban population growth (annual %) 4.9 2.5 1.6 1.7
Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) 220 .. 178 ..
CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) 0.56 0.52 0.62 0.51
Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) .. .. .. ..