01
Physical geography
Coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains.
Local timeDjibouti ·
Africa / Eastern Africa · Card 014
Djibouti
Djibouti is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Djibouti.
Find Djibouti
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Djibouti
- Languages
- Arabic & French
- Currency
- Djiboutian franc (DJF)
- Population
- 1.2 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 23,200 km²8,958 square miles
- Independence
- 1977from France
Djibouti in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Djibouti; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
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Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic, French.
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Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia.
Flag
Two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green, with a white isosceles triangle based on the left side that has a five-pointed red star in the center
History & independence
Djibouti became independent from France on 27 June 1977 following a referendum. Its location at the entrance to the Red Sea has long connected it to regional maritime trade.
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French Somaliland is established
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A referendum leads to independence
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A peace agreement ends the conflict with remaining Afar rebels
Economy
Main activities
Ports, logistics and related services dominate economic activity. Djibouti is a major trade gateway for landlocked Ethiopia. Foreign military bases and transport infrastructure also contribute to revenue and employment.
Industry and production
construction, agricultural processing, shipping
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people1.22025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 145,175 | 0.145 |
| 1980 | 325,815 | 0.326 |
| 1990 | 579,538 | 0.580 |
| 2000 | 747,318 | 0.747 |
| 2010 | 930,251 | 0.930 |
| 2020 | 1,105,188 | 1.105 |
| 2025 | 1,184,076 | 1.184 |
Real GDP, 2013–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars4.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2,107,658,965 | 2.108 |
| 2014 | 2,259,262,606 | 2.259 |
| 2015 | 2,424,391,785 | 2.424 |
| 2016 | 2,597,091,694 | 2.597 |
| 2017 | 2,738,843,335 | 2.739 |
| 2018 | 2,869,605,010 | 2.870 |
| 2019 | 3,028,726,927 | 3.029 |
| 2020 | 3,065,135,713 | 3.065 |
| 2021 | 3,200,221,046 | 3.200 |
| 2022 | 3,365,561,652 | 3.366 |
| 2023 | 3,594,666,718 | 3.595 |
| 2024 | 3,845,591,877 | 3.846 |
| 2025 | 4,095,380,800 | 4.095 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.513Low human developmentRank 175 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.337
20100.421
20200.499
20230.513
66.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Djibouti.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Djibouti is a major trade gateway for which landlocked neighbor?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.