Yemen is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Sana'a.
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Sana'a; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapYemen includes high western mountains, dry interior plateaus and coastal lowlands beside the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The western highlands receive more rain than much of the interior and contain terraced agricultural landscapes.
Socotra lies far offshore and has a distinct island geography, with mountains, plateaus and coastal plains. Its isolated setting differs greatly from mainland Yemen. Desert and semidesert extend across large inland areas of the mainland.
Coastal and eastern lowlands are hot, with much of the interior very dry. The western highlands are cooler and receive more seasonal rain.
Rainfall and elevation shape where crops and natural vegetation can grow. Socotra is especially known for species found only in its island group, including distinctive trees. Conflict and infrastructure damage also affect access to water and land.
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Yemen
A bottle-shaped tree illustrates the island’s unusual dryland vegetation.
Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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The mainland highlands contrast with the country’s lower coastal and desert regions.
Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Arabic is the official language. Yemeni Arabic includes several regional varieties, while Standard Arabic is used in formal writing.
Soqotri is spoken on Socotra, and Mehri is associated with parts of eastern Yemen. They belong to the Modern South Arabian language group and are distinct languages, not simply Arabic dialects.
North Yemen became independent from Ottoman rule in 1918, while South Yemen gained independence from Britain in 1967. The two states united in 1990. Political upheaval and armed conflict intensified after 2011, with rival authorities and severe humanitarian consequences.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Yemen
Agriculture, trade, fisheries, remittances and energy production have supported the economy. War, damaged infrastructure and disrupted exports have sharply constrained livelihoods and public revenue.
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Yemen
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7,065,279 | 7.065 |
| 1980 | 9,543,358 | 9.543 |
| 1990 | 13,887,862 | 13.888 |
| 2000 | 19,624,141 | 19.624 |
| 2010 | 26,754,387 | 26.754 |
| 2020 | 36,134,863 | 36.135 |
| 2025 | 41,773,878 | 41.774 |
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
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 23,918,014,719 | 23.918 |
| 1991 | 25,423,293,506 | 25.423 |
| 1992 | 27,509,935,271 | 27.510 |
| 1993 | 28,610,873,632 | 28.611 |
| 1994 | 30,534,082,001 | 30.534 |
| 1995 | 32,265,172,489 | 32.265 |
| 1996 | 33,760,652,689 | 33.761 |
| 1997 | 35,526,710,256 | 35.527 |
| 1998 | 37,660,691,242 | 37.661 |
| 1999 | 39,082,582,125 | 39.083 |
| 2000 | 41,498,634,364 | 41.499 |
| 2001 | 43,077,095,457 | 43.077 |
| 2002 | 44,772,278,889 | 44.772 |
| 2003 | 46,450,074,455 | 46.450 |
| 2004 | 48,295,394,891 | 48.295 |
| 2005 | 50,995,951,706 | 50.996 |
| 2006 | 52,612,732,131 | 52.613 |
| 2007 | 54,369,170,289 | 54.369 |
| 2008 | 56,352,323,546 | 56.352 |
| 2009 | 58,531,033,712 | 58.531 |
| 2010 | 63,038,676,061 | 63.039 |
| 2011 | 55,023,373,390 | 55.023 |
| 2012 | 56,340,077,331 | 56.340 |
| 2013 | 59,057,651,713 | 59.058 |
| 2014 | 58,946,215,687 | 58.946 |
| 2015 | 42,444,490,074 | 42.444 |
| 2016 | 38,465,266,584 | 38.465 |
| 2017 | 36,514,386,855 | 36.514 |
| 2018 | 36,789,138,480 | 36.789 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
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
Formally a republic, but governing authority is divided by conflict. The internationally recognized government is led by a Presidential Leadership Council; Houthi authorities control Sana’a and other areas. Institutions do not operate as a single nationwide system.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Yemen
Three questions about Yemen.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Yemen
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.
