01
Physical geography
Mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west.
Local timeMaputo ·
Africa / Eastern Africa · Card 037
Mozambique
Mozambique is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Maputo.
Find Mozambique
● 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
- Maputo
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Currency
- Mozambican metical (MZN)
- Population
- 35.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 801,590 km²309,496 square miles
- Independence
- 1975from Portugal
Mozambique in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Maputo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Portuguese.
03
Location
Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow, with a red isosceles triangle based on the left side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a five-pointed yellow star with a crossed black-and-white rifle and hoe, on top of an open white book
History & independence
FRELIMO began an armed struggle against Portuguese rule in 1964. Portugal’s 1974 revolution opened the way to an agreement, and Mozambique became independent on 25 June 1975. A subsequent civil war ended with the 1992 peace agreement.
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The armed liberation struggle begins
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Independence from Portugal
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A peace agreement ends the civil war
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture supports many livelihoods. Coal, aluminum, natural gas and other resource industries generate exports. Ports serve both Mozambique and neighboring landlocked economies.
Industry and production
aluminum, petroleum products, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, food, beverages
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people35.62025 · 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 | 8,250,506 | 8.251 |
| 1980 | 11,336,221 | 11.336 |
| 1990 | 13,094,537 | 13.095 |
| 2000 | 18,129,653 | 18.130 |
| 2010 | 22,999,235 | 22.999 |
| 2020 | 30,783,688 | 30.784 |
| 2025 | 35,631,653 | 35.632 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars20.92025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,894,534,062 | 2.895 |
| 1991 | 3,037,102,926 | 3.037 |
| 1992 | 2,806,992,351 | 2.807 |
| 1993 | 3,114,089,525 | 3.114 |
| 1994 | 3,314,642,611 | 3.315 |
| 1995 | 3,385,008,954 | 3.385 |
| 1996 | 3,747,066,498 | 3.747 |
| 1997 | 4,189,780,379 | 4.190 |
| 1998 | 4,624,228,448 | 4.624 |
| 1999 | 5,170,672,900 | 5.171 |
| 2000 | 5,210,292,404 | 5.210 |
| 2001 | 5,879,902,616 | 5.880 |
| 2002 | 6,448,401,314 | 6.448 |
| 2003 | 6,913,827,632 | 6.914 |
| 2004 | 7,481,086,790 | 7.481 |
| 2005 | 7,953,294,767 | 7.953 |
| 2006 | 8,741,520,167 | 8.742 |
| 2007 | 9,410,189,984 | 9.410 |
| 2008 | 10,057,425,621 | 10.057 |
| 2009 | 10,653,727,557 | 10.654 |
| 2010 | 11,365,367,724 | 11.365 |
| 2011 | 12,176,179,698 | 12.176 |
| 2012 | 13,149,604,768 | 13.150 |
| 2013 | 14,013,719,723 | 14.014 |
| 2014 | 15,093,136,077 | 15.093 |
| 2015 | 16,208,985,770 | 16.209 |
| 2016 | 16,970,320,250 | 16.970 |
| 2017 | 17,418,032,490 | 17.418 |
| 2018 | 18,025,039,082 | 18.025 |
| 2019 | 18,442,825,952 | 18.443 |
| 2020 | 18,217,911,540 | 18.218 |
| 2021 | 18,651,030,678 | 18.651 |
| 2022 | 19,465,951,657 | 19.466 |
| 2023 | 20,537,327,379 | 20.537 |
| 2024 | 20,978,659,140 | 20.979 |
| 2025 | 20,868,838,926 | 20.869 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.493Low human developmentRank 182 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.246
20000.311
20100.419
20200.477
20230.493
63.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.6 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. Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Mozambique.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Besides domestic trade, Mozambique’s ports also serve which economies?
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.