01
Physical geography
Mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains.
Local timeMbabane ·
Africa / Southern Africa · Card 018
Eswatini
Eswatini is a country in Southern Africa. Its capital is Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (royal and legislative).
Find Eswatini
● 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
- Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (royal and legislative)
- Languages
- English & Swazi
- Currency
- Swazi lilangeni (SZL)
- Population
- 1.3 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 17,364 km²6,704 square miles
- Independence
- 1968from the UK
Eswatini in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Mbabane; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English, Swazi.
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Location
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple-width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow, with a large black-and-white shield in the center that covers two horizontal spears and a staff with feather tassels
History & independence
Eswatini became independent from Britain on 6 September 1968 under its monarchy. The country was internationally known as Swaziland until the name Eswatini was adopted in 2018.
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Independence from Britain
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A new constitution is adopted
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The name Eswatini replaces Swaziland
Economy
Main activities
Sugar production, manufacturing, forestry and services are important activities. Trade and transport links with South Africa are central, and customs-union receipts contribute to public finances.
Industry and production
soft drink concentrates, coal, forestry, sugar processing, textiles, and apparel
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people1.32025 · 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 | 441,216 | 0.441 |
| 1980 | 596,644 | 0.597 |
| 1990 | 872,428 | 0.872 |
| 2000 | 1,041,414 | 1.041 |
| 2010 | 1,111,650 | 1.112 |
| 2020 | 1,192,729 | 1.193 |
| 2025 | 1,256,174 | 1.256 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars5.02025 · 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 | 1,769,262,015 | 1.769 |
| 1991 | 1,800,407,694 | 1.800 |
| 1992 | 1,858,492,562 | 1.858 |
| 1993 | 1,916,219,459 | 1.916 |
| 1994 | 1,962,221,980 | 1.962 |
| 1995 | 2,056,911,966 | 2.057 |
| 1996 | 2,135,939,631 | 2.136 |
| 1997 | 2,202,213,677 | 2.202 |
| 1998 | 2,259,560,192 | 2.260 |
| 1999 | 2,326,236,997 | 2.326 |
| 2000 | 2,367,182,799 | 2.367 |
| 2001 | 2,400,612,485 | 2.401 |
| 2002 | 2,498,765,078 | 2.499 |
| 2003 | 2,612,175,410 | 2.612 |
| 2004 | 2,706,660,912 | 2.707 |
| 2005 | 2,868,851,690 | 2.869 |
| 2006 | 3,061,891,254 | 3.062 |
| 2007 | 3,194,095,190 | 3.194 |
| 2008 | 3,240,107,843 | 3.240 |
| 2009 | 3,286,542,196 | 3.287 |
| 2010 | 3,412,233,861 | 3.412 |
| 2011 | 3,475,009,965 | 3.475 |
| 2012 | 3,617,154,619 | 3.617 |
| 2013 | 3,765,262,097 | 3.765 |
| 2014 | 3,842,727,914 | 3.843 |
| 2015 | 3,908,217,914 | 3.908 |
| 2016 | 4,023,477,835 | 4.023 |
| 2017 | 4,165,142,617 | 4.165 |
| 2018 | 4,167,866,439 | 4.168 |
| 2019 | 4,435,938,144 | 4.436 |
| 2020 | 4,304,996,590 | 4.305 |
| 2021 | 4,487,365,679 | 4.487 |
| 2022 | 4,504,690,089 | 4.505 |
| 2023 | 4,663,821,718 | 4.664 |
| 2024 | 4,805,211,286 | 4.805 |
| 2025 | 5,006,737,886 | 5.007 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.695Medium human developmentRank 126 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.570
20000.493
20100.534
20200.657
20230.695
64.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
8.7 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
Absolute monarchy. Parliament (Libandla) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Eswatini.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Eswatini: Independence from Britain?
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.