Local timeDili ·
Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 045
Flag shown for Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Dili.

Find Timor-Leste

DiliTimor-Leste
● 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.

At a glance

Capital
Dili
Languages
Portuguese & Tetum
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Population
1.4 million2025 · World Bank
Area
14,874 km²5,743 square miles
Independence restored
2002Declared in 1975; restored after UN administration.

Timor-Leste in context

Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Dili; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & languages

01

Physical geography

Mountainous.

02

Languages

Languages used in public life include Portuguese, Tetum.

03

Location

Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco.

Flag shown for Timor-Leste

Flag

Red with a black isosceles triangle (based on the left side) on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; a white star is in the center of the black triangle

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

Timor-Leste declared independence from Portugal in 1975 but was invaded and occupied by Indonesia soon afterward. Voters chose independence in a UN-organized referendum in 1999. Following violence and UN transitional administration, independence was restored in 2002.

  1. Independence declared and Indonesian invasion

  2. Referendum favors independence

  3. Independence restored

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Public spending, agriculture, coffee and services support livelihoods. Petroleum wealth has funded the state through a sovereign fund, while diversification is important as producing fields decline.

Industry and production

printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people
1.42025 · millions of people
0.001.02.00.5519700.6519800.7619900.7520001.120101.320201.42025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
Year People Millions of people
1970 553,069 0.553
1980 649,871 0.650
1990 760,345 0.760
2000 745,088 0.745
2010 1,084,679 1.085
2020 1,326,053 1.326
2025 1,418,517 1.419

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.001.53.019902000201020202025

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
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year Constant 2015 US$ Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990 481,437,141 0.481
1991 533,019,666 0.533
1992 588,770,963 0.589
1993 648,853,659 0.649
1994 695,070,456 0.695
1995 741,509,953 0.742
1996 800,698,650 0.801
1997 832,726,548 0.833
1998 816,072,049 0.816
1999 526,754,667 0.527
2000 832,683,748 0.833
2001 968,808,339 0.969
2002 903,891,443 0.904
2003 884,166,144 0.884
2004 887,702,844 0.888
2005 914,197,043 0.914
2006 876,567,845 0.877
2007 966,550,939 0.967
2008 1,076,687,532 1.077
2009 1,185,938,525 1.186
2010 1,296,604,318 1.297
2011 1,373,863,214 1.374
2012 1,440,641,509 1.441
2013 1,485,364,307 1.485
2014 1,551,797,202 1.552
2015 1,590,282,400 1.590
2016 1,638,148,797 1.638
2017 1,586,016,100 1.586
2018 1,578,617,301 1.579
2019 1,960,846,077 1.961
2020 2,582,939,038 2.583
2021 2,721,637,729 2.722
2022 2,163,090,164 2.163
2023 1,770,794,189 1.771
2024 1,609,639,648 1.610
2025 1,721,918,281 1.722

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.634Medium human developmentRank 142 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

20000.507
20100.645
20200.650
20230.634
67.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.2 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

Semi-presidential republic. National Parliament has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Timor-Leste.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

In which year did this event occur in Timor-Leste: Independence restored?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived 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.

DiliTimor-Leste