Yemen Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Sanaa

Population

34,505,496 (2025 est.)

Area

527,968 sq km

Location

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

🧭 Background

The Kingdom of Yemen (colloquially known as North Yemen) became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became the People's Republic of Southern Yemen (colloquially known as South Yemen). Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation and changed the country's name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. The exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states, which were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia Muslim minority, continued intermittently from 2004 to 2010, and then again from 2014 to the present. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2007. Public rallies in Sana'a against then President Ali Abdallah SALIH -- inspired by similar Arab Spring demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt -- slowly gained momentum in 2011, fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. Some protests resulted in violence, and the demonstrations spread to other major cities. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) mediated the crisis with the GCC Initiative, an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH eventually agreed to step down and transfer some powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. After HADI's uncontested election victory in 2012, SALIH formally transferred all presidential powers. In accordance with the GCC Initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in 2014 and planned to proceed with constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections. The Houthis, perceiving their grievances were not addressed in the NDC, joined forces with SALIH and expanded their influence in northwestern Yemen, which culminated in a major offensive against military units and rival tribes and enabled their forces to overrun the capital, Sana'a, in 2014. In 2015, the Houthis surrounded key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to resign. HADI fled first to Aden -- where he rescinded his resignation -- and then to Oman before moving to Saudi Arabia and asking the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen. Saudi Arabia assembled a coalition of Arab militaries and began airstrikes, and ground fighting continued through 2016. In 2016, the UN initiated peace talks that ended without agreement. Rising tensions between the Houthis and SALIH culminated in Houthi forces killing SALIH. In 2018, the Houthis and the Yemeni Government participated in UN-brokered peace talks, agreeing to a limited cease-fire and the establishment of a UN mission. In 2019, Yemen’s parliament convened for the first time since the conflict broke out in 2014. Violence then erupted between HADI's government and the pro-secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in southern Yemen. HADI's government and the STC signed a power-sharing agreement to end the fighting, and in 2020, the signatories formed a new cabinet. In 2020 and 2021, fighting continued as the Houthis gained territory and also conducted regular UAV and missile attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the UN brokered a temporary truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. HADI and his vice-president resigned and were replaced by an eight-person Presidential Leadership Council. Although the truce formally expired in 2022, the parties nonetheless refrained from large-scale conflict through the end of 2023. Saudi Arabia, after the truce expired, continued to negotiate with the Yemeni Government and Houthis on a roadmap agreement that would include a permanent ceasefire and a peace process under UN auspices.

🗺️ Geography

Location

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 48 00 E

Map references

Middle East

Area — total

527,968 sq km

Area — land

527,968 sq km

Area — water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

Almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries — total

1,601 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Oman 294 km; Saudi Arabia 1,307 km

Coastline

1,906 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

Mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Terrain

Narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Elevation — highest point

Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m

Elevation — lowest point

Arabian Sea 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

999 m

Natural resources

Petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Land use — agricultural land

44.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 41.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

54.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

6,800 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

The vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country

Natural hazards

Sandstorms and dust storms in summer volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, became active in 2007; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century

Geography - note

Strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and one of world's most active shipping lanes

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

34,505,496 (2025 est.)

Population — male

17,275,539

Population — female

17,229,957

Nationality — noun

Yemeni(s)

Nationality — adjective

Yemeni

Ethnic groups

Predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asian, European

Languages — Languages

Arabic (official)

Languages — major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2020 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

34.4% (male 5,622,998/female 5,430,285)

Age structure — 15-64 years

62.2% (male 10,112,603/female 9,865,805)

Age structure — 65 years and over

3.4% (2024 est.) (male 485,538/female 623,214)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

70.2 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

64.8 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

5.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

18.4 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

20.5 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

21.9 years

Median age — female

22.2 years

Population growth rate

2.22% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

29.07 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

The vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country

Urbanization — urban population

39.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.292 million SANAA (capital), 1.080 million Aden, 941,000 Taiz, 772,000 Ibb (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.8 years (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

42.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

49.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

39 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

68.2 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

65.8 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

70.6 years

Total fertility rate

3.65 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.78 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 77.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 51.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 61.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 22.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 48.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 38.2% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.3% of GDP (2015)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

2.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 83.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 44.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 59.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 16.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 55.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 40.1% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

20.2% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

33.1% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

7.3% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

40.7% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

63.9% (2023 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

6.5% (2023)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

29.6% (2023)

Literacy — female

54.1% (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Climate

Mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Land use — agricultural land

44.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 41.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

54.5% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

39.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

8.193 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

93,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

8.08 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

21,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

43.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

190.5 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

192.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

135.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

0.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

4.837 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

8% (2016 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

265 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

65 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

3.235 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.1 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Yemen

Country name — conventional short form

Yemen

Country name — local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah

Country name — local short form

Al Yaman

Country name — former

Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

Country name — etymology

The name origin is unclear but may come from the Arabic word al-yamin, meaning "the right," as a reference to its geographic position in relation to Mecca

Government type

In transition

Capital — name

Sanaa

Capital — geographic coordinates

15 21 N, 44 12 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — etymology

The name is reputed to mean "fortified place" in an ancient language

Administrative divisions

22 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City), 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz

Legal system

Mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law

Constitution — history

Adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification)

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

The father must be a citizen of Yemen; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

Presidential Leadership Council Chairperson Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-ALIMI (since 19 April 2022)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Salim Salih BIN BURAYK (since 9 May 2025)

Executive branch — cabinet

24 members from northern and southern Yemen, with representatives from Yemen's major political parties

Executive branch — election/appointment process

Formerly, the president was directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president

Executive branch — most recent election date

21 February 2012

Executive branch — election results

2012: Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) elected consensus president

Legislative branch — legislature name

Parliament (Majlis)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

House of Representatives (Majlis Annowab)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

301 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Plurality/majority

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

6 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

4/27/2003

Legislative branch - lower chamber — parties elected and seats per party

General People's Congress (GPC) (238); Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah) (46); Other (17)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

0%

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Shura Council (Majlis Alshoora)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

111 (all appointed)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber — most recent election date

4/28/2001

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

1.1%

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the court president, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, which is chaired by the president of the republic and includes 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges serve for life with mandatory retirement at age 65

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts

Political parties

General People’s Congress or GPC (3 factions: pro-Hadi, pro-Houthi, pro-Salih) Nasserist Unionist People's Organization National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Southern Transitional Council or STC Yemeni Reform Grouping or Islah Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Abdulwahab Abdullah Ahmed AL-HAJRI (since 24 July 2025)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 965-4760

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 337-2017

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Information@yemenembassy.org https://www.yemenembassy.org/

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Steven H. FAGIN (since 1 June 2022); note - the embassy closed in March 2015; Yemen Affairs Unit currently operates out of US Embassy Riyadh

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

6330 Sanaa Place, Washington DC 20521-6330

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-835-4000

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-488-7360

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

YemenEmergencyUSC@state.gov https://ye.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, EITI (temporarily suspended), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMHA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNVIM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); notable earlier dates: 1 November 1918 (North Yemen independent from the Ottoman Empire), 27 September 1962 (North Yemen becomes republic), 30 November 1967 (South Yemen independent from the UK)

National holiday

Unification Day, 22 May (1990)

Flag

Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black meaning: the band colors come from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

National symbol(s)

Golden eagle

National color(s)

Red, white, black

National anthem(s) — title

"Al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida" (United Republic)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Walled City of Shibam (c); Old City of Sana'a (c); Historic Town of Zabid (c); Socotra Archipelago (n); Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (c)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Low-income Middle Eastern economy; infrastructure, trade, and economic institutions devastated by civil war; oil/gas-dependent but decreasing reserves; massive poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment; high inflation

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$18.719 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$18.908 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$19.294 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2018

0.8% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2017

-5.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2016

-9.4% (2016 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$200 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$300 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.278 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

29.1% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

26% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

19.6% (2020 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

28.7% (2018 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

25.4% (2018 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

41.8% (2018 est.)

Agricultural products

Mangoes/guavas, potatoes, milk, onions, spices, chicken, sorghum, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

-1.1% (2018 est.)

Labor force

7.848 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

17.1% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

17.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

17.4% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

32.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

31.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

38.4% (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

20.05% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

16.02% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

19.44% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$2.207 billion (2019 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$3.585 billion (2019 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

68.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2016

-$2.419 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2015

-$3.026 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2014

-$1.488 billion (2014 est.)

Exports — Exports 2017

$384.5 million (2017 est.)

Exports — Exports 2016

$938.469 million (2016 est.)

Exports — Exports 2015

$1.867 billion (2015 est.)

Exports - partners

UAE 28%, India 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, Oman 7%, Malaysia 5% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Gold, fish, scrap iron, shellfish, industrial acids/oils/alcohols (2023)

Imports — Imports 2017

$4.079 billion (2017 est.)

Imports — Imports 2016

$8.256 billion (2016 est.)

Imports — Imports 2015

$7.697 billion (2015 est.)

Imports - partners

China 23%, UAE 15%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Turkey 8%, India 7% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Wheat, raw sugar, rice, iron bars, plastic products (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.251 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.688 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$969.613 million (2020 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$6.492 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

1,355.116 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

1,115.002 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

1,028.108 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

743.006 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2019

486.731 (2019 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

76% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

96.1%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

65%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

1.79 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

2.579 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

486.24 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

83% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

17% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

27,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

36,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

58,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — crude oil estimated reserves

3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas — production

10.286 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

10.286 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

478.555 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

2.987 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

728,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

20 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

51 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

State-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed

Internet country code

.ye

Internet users — percent of population

14% (2020 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

486,000 (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2022 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7O

Airports

37 (2025)

Heliports

6 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

30 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

General cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 27

Ports — total ports

10 (2024)

Ports — large

1

Ports — medium

2

Ports — small

2

Ports — very small

5

Ports — ports with oil terminals

6

Ports — key ports

Aden, Al Ahmadi, Al Mukalla, Al Mukha, Ras Isa Marine Terminal

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

Yemeni Armed Forces: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (aka Popular Resistance Forces; government-backed tribal militia) Ministry of Interior: Security Forces, Emergency Forces, Counterterrorism Units (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Not available

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The Yemeni Government forces have an inventory consisting primarily of older foreign-supplied weapons systems, mostly of Russian or Soviet origin (2025)

Military service age and obligation

Limited available information; 18 is the legal minimum age for military service under the Yemeni Government (2025)

Military - note

Government forces under the Yemeni Ministry of Defense are responsible for both external and internal defense; their priorities are the Houthi separatists (aka Ansarallah), the terrorist groups al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Yemen (ISIS-Yemen), and maritime security, particularly against arms smuggling; in 2022, the Yemeni Government and the Houthis signed a truce, halting most fighting and establishing humanitarian measures; the former front lines of conflict, in some areas mirroring Yemen’s pre-unification borders, remain static; AQAP and ISIS-Yemen continue to be active in remote areas (2025)

🚨 Terrorism⬆️ Top

Terrorist group(s)

Ansarallah (Houthis); Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

60,921 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

4,795,983 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons — tier rating

Special Case; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/yemen/