Djibouti (Republic of Djibouti)

Djibouti Republic of Djibouti
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	163rd best
Capital	Djibouti
Land Area	23 180km21
Location	Africa
Population	1.0m2
Life Expectancy	62.30yrs (2017)3
GNI	$5 025 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	DJ, DJI, 2625
Internet Domain	.dj6
Currency	Franc (DJF)7
Telephone	+2538

1. Overview
2. Djibouti National and Social Development
3. Djibouti's Demographics and Migration
4. Djibouti's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Djibouti's Health
6. Djibouti's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Djibouti's Modernity and Learning
8. Djibouti's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#france #USA

“The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to begin a third term in 2011. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the United States. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Djibouti, a tiny speck of a country, packs a big punch, making up for its diminutive size with austere beauty, other wordly landscapes and geological oddities. Few countries in the world offer such weird landscapes as Djibouti. Think salt lakes, extinct volcanoes, sunken plains, limestone chimneys belching out puffs of steam, basaltic plateaus and majestic canyons. This comes courtesy of Djibouti's location, straddling the intersection of three diverging tectonic plates, on the edge of the Red Sea.

Outdoor adventure comes in many forms here, with superb and challenging hiking opportunities. Then, after extending yourself in the rugged beauty of the interior, there is diving and kitesurfing on the Red Sea - not to mention snorkelling alongside mighty whale sharks in the Gulf of Tadjoura.Barring Djibouti City, the country is refreshingly devoid of large-scale development. It's all about ecotravel, with some great sustainable stays in the hinterland that provide a fascinating glimpse into rural life. Travelling independently around Djibouti may not come cheap, but despite the high cost of living you´ll leave this corner of Africa with new experiences and wonderful memories.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Djibouti National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
137	Honduras	$5 298
138	Ivory Coast	$5 217
139	Mauritania	$5 075
140	Djibouti	$5 025
141	Venezuela	$4 811
142	Nigeria	$4 790
143	Pakistan	$4 624
144	Marshall Islands	$4 620
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
160	N. Korea	112.1
161	Somaliland	112.4
162	Laos	112.7
163	Djibouti	112.9
164	Ivory Coast	113.0
165	Burundi	113.1
166	Niger	114.1
167	Guinea	114.2
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Djibouti's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Djibouti's population is predicted to rise to 1.263 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.76. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
155	Mauritius	1.3m
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
161	Guyana	0.8m
162	Bhutan	0.8m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
58	Pakistan	08.6
59	Bahrain	08.7
60	Syria	09.0
61=	Djibouti	09.1
61=	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64=	Kiribati	09.5
64=	Guatemala	09.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
46	Libya	12.4%
47	France	12.2%
48	Barbados	12.1%
49	Djibouti	12.1%
50	Netherlands	12.1%
51	Slovenia	11.8%
52	Denmark	11.5%
53	Belarus	11.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
160	Libya	1.7%
161	Gabon	1.7%
162	Vanuatu	1.6%
163	Djibouti	1.5%
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
167	Malawi	1.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Djibouti's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Mauritius	63.7
2	S. Africa	64.3
3	Cape Verde	68.0
	...
42	Central African Rep.	133.1
43	Burundi	134.8
44	Guinea	135.5
45	Djibouti	137.2
46	Swaziland	138.1
47	Congo, DR	141.3
48	Angola	141.9
49	Mauritania	143.8
50	Chad	144.9
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
179	Burundi	134.8
180	Guinea	135.5
181	Iran	136.5
182	Djibouti	137.2
183	Syria	137.3
184	Iraq	138.0
185	Swaziland	138.1
186	Congo, DR	141.3
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
164	Cuba	26.03
165	Belarus	25.73
166	Azerbaijan	25.47
167	Djibouti	25.36
168	Myanmar (Burma)	25.32
169	Egypt	24.74
170	Russia	24.57
171	Nicaragua	22.83
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better21
Pos.		2018 % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
125	Kenya	0.69
126=	Albania	0.69
126=	Malaysia	0.69
128	Djibouti	0.71
129	Angola	0.72
130	Syria	0.73
131	Liberia	0.74
132=	Guinea-Bissau	0.75
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
167	Egypt	6.0
168=	Cambodia	6.0
168=	Rwanda	6.0
168=	Djibouti	6.0
168=	Burkina Faso	6.0
168=	Cameroon	6.0
173	Vietnam	6.5
174=	Bahrain	6.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better22
Pos.		2009 Treaties22
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
133	Equatorial Guinea	13
134=	Antigua & Barbuda	13
134=	Nepal	13
134=	Djibouti	13
137	Ethiopia	12
138=	Haiti	12
138=	Dominica	12
138=	Central African Rep.	12
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better23
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty23
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
167	Grenada	13.86
168	Bahamas	13.93
169	Zimbabwe	13.95
170	Djibouti	13.99
171	St Lucia	14.11
172	Montenegro	14.20
173	USA	14.23
174	Malaysia	14.35
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
176=	Iraq	1980
176=	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
182	Samoa	1990
183	Kazakhstan	1993
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better24
Pos.		2017 Score24
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
104=	Kyrgyzstan	15
105	Jordan	12
106=	China	12
107	Djibouti	11
108=	Mali	11
108=	Tajikistan	11
110	Gabon	10
111=	Bahamas	10
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better25
Pos.		202125
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
120	Brazil	3.3
121=	Cameroon	3.3
121=	Croatia	3.3
121=	Djibouti	3.3
121=	Ethiopia	3.3
121=	Germany	3.3
121=	Ghana	3.3
121=	Italy	3.3
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Djibouti's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #djibouti #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)26
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank26
1	Mauritius	71.9
2	Tunisia	75.6
3	Morocco	88.2
4	Seychelles	93.9
5	Algeria	97.0
6	Cape Verde	100.8
7	Djibouti	108.3
8	Libya	108.5
9	Eritrea	109.3
10	Rwanda	113.0
11	Botswana	118.5
12	Sao Tome & Principe	121.3
13	Lesotho	121.4
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)26
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank26
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
129	Guyana	106.6
130	Mexico	107.1
131	Saudi Arabia	107.2
132	Djibouti	108.3
133	Suriname	108.3
134	Libya	108.5
135	Venezuela	109.3
136	Eritrea	109.3
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₇. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₂₇.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₇, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₂₇.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Djibouti has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Djibouti comes in the best 20 in its alcohol consumption rate₂₈. It does better than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₂₉ (but high for Africa), its adolescent birth rate₃₀ and in its smoking rate₃₁ (but bad for Africa). Djibouti still has work to do. Djibouti does worse than average in its fertility rate₁₄ (still low for Africa), its immunizations take-up₃₂ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Djibouti improved by +7.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Djibouti's peak fertility rate was 6.86 in 1971.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better28
Pos.		2016 Per Capita28
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
12=	Iraq	0.4
12=	Brunei	0.4
12=	Egypt	0.4
15	Djibouti	0.5
16=	Niger	0.5
16=	Sudan	0.5
18	Bhutan	0.6
19=	Morocco	0.6
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
135	Mongolia	2.77
136	Swaziland	2.79
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better31
Pos.		201431
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
74	Costa Rica	432
75	Botswana	449
76	Syria	459
77	Djibouti	476
78	Ivory Coast	477
79	Nicaragua	488
80	Angola	489
81	Honduras	489
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Overweight Adults Lower is better29
Pos.		1976 %29
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
68	Seychelles	17.4
69=	Haiti	20.2
69=	Yemen	20.2
71	Djibouti	20.5
72	Trinidad & Tobago	20.6
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better33
Pos.		2022 %33
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
38	Ivory Coast	10.6%
39	Sri Lanka	10.6%
40	Nigeria	10.8%
41	Djibouti	10.9%
42	N. Korea	10.9%
43	France	10.9%
44	Kenya	11.0%
45	Tanzania	11.4%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better30
Pos.		2022 Per 100030
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
71	Kazakhstan	20.9
72	Turkmenistan	21.2
73	Hungary	21.9
74	Djibouti	22.7
75	Chile	22.8
76	Mauritius	24.0
77	Jordan	24.9
78	Mongolia	25.0
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better32
Pos.		2015 Avg %32
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
146	Congo, (Brazzaville)	83.6
147	Cameroon	83.3
148	Laos	83.3
149	Djibouti	82.6
150	Uganda	82.5
151	Comoros	81.8
152	Marshall Islands	81.8
153	Mozambique	81.4
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Djibouti's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #djibouti #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
39	Gabon	87.9
40	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
41	S. Africa	92.2
42	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
107	Djibouti	84.5
108	Honduras	84.6
109	Zambia	85.4
110	Venezuela	86.1
111	Taiwan	86.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₅. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Djibouti comes 107th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Djibouti does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₆, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₇, its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈ and in energy to GDP efficiency₃₉ (but high for Africa). But, there's bad news too. Djibouti does worse than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its environmental performance₄₀.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better38
Pos.		Total38
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
56	Morocco	4.2%
57	Lebanon	3.8%
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.6%
59	Djibouti	3.6%
60	Tajikistan	3.4%
61	Belgium	3.3%
62	Croatia	2.9%
63	Netherlands	2.8%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better40
Pos.		201840
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
160	Liberia	41.6
161	Cameroon	40.8
162	Swaziland	40.3
163	Djibouti	40.0
164	Papua New Guinea	39.4
165	Eritrea	39.3
166	Mauritania	39.2
167	Benin	38.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 Avg39
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
62	Cyprus	0.92
63	Tunisia	0.93
64	Israel	0.94
65	Djibouti	0.94
66	France	0.95
67	Portugal	0.95
68	Uruguay	0.96
69	Nicaragua	0.96
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, Djibouti was amongst the 10 countries who improved their energy-to-GDP efficiency the most.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
141	Mauritania	51%
142	Lesotho	51%
143	Croatia	51%
144	Djibouti	51%
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
147	Qatar	51%
148	Vanuatu	50%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better37
Pos.		2011 %37
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
55	Congo, (Brazzaville)	44.0%
56	Yemen	43.2%
57	Sri Lanka	43.1%
58	Djibouti	42.8%
59	Burundi	42.0%
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
62	Ukraine	41.5%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better36
Pos.		2021 kg36
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
22	Bhutan	13.6
23	Cameroon	14.6
24	Guinea-Bissau	14.7
25	Djibouti	14.8
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
28	Gambia	16.7
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17.2
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Djibouti's Modernity and Learning

#djibouti #education #it_security #modernity #niger #religion #religiosity #secularisation #south_sudan #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
40	Madagascar	146.6
41=	Comoros	147.0
41=	Mauritania	147.0
43	Djibouti	148.0
44	Burundi	148.5
45=	Gambia	155.6
46	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
47	Central African Rep.	160.3
48	Chad	162.1
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
174=	Comoros	147.0
174=	Mauritania	147.0
176	Afghanistan	147.7
177	Djibouti	148.0
178	Burundi	148.5
179	Solomon Islands	154.5
180=	Haiti	155.6
180=	Gambia	155.6
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₂. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₃.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₄

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₂.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

From 1997-2009, education in Djibouti was woefully short - the average person could expect around 3 years, just a third of the global average, although this rose by two years over that period, only Niger done worse. Throughout 2010-2019, it had the 3rd-shortest education of all countries except South Sudan and Niger. ₄₅

Length of Schooling Higher is better46
Pos.		2021 Years46
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
189	Sudan	7.9
190	Djibouti	7.4
191	Mali	7.4
192	Niger	7.0
193	S. Sudan	5.5
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Religiosity Lower is better47
Pos.		2018 %47
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
85=	Congo, DR	88
85=	Nigeria	88
85=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better48
Pos.		201648
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
171	Mali	12%
172	Haiti	12%
173=	Papua New Guinea	12%
173=	Djibouti	12%
175	Cambodia	11%
176	Gabon	10%
177	Burkina Faso	10%
178	Solomon Islands	10%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better49
Pos.		201349
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
57	Malawi	1.23
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
61	UK	1.34
62	Mongolia	1.42
63	Uganda	1.44
64	Ukraine	1.44
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better50
Pos.		2017 Ratio50
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
125=	Albania	0.0
125=	Micronesia	0.0
125=	Algeria	0.0
125=	Djibouti	0.0
125=	Guyana	0.0
125=	Namibia	0.0
125=	Tonga	0.0
125=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Djibouti's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
31	Madagascar	101.7
32	Swaziland	103.2
33=	Guinea	103.4
34	Djibouti	103.6
35	Gambia	104.9
36	Niger	106.1
37	Cameroon	109.9
38	Mozambique	110.1
39	Zimbabwe	110.9
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
147	Swaziland	103.2
148=	Iran	103.4
148=	Guinea	103.4
150	Djibouti	103.6
151	Gambia	104.9
152	Tonga	105.3
153	Lebanon	105.4
154	Myanmar (Burma)	105.7
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better52
Pos.		2022 Points52
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
131	Mauritania	30.0
132=	Togo	30.0
132=	Swaziland	30.0
132=	Djibouti	30.0
132=	Papua New Guinea	30.0
136	Gabon	29.0
137=	Paraguay	28.0
137=	Russia	28.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better53
Pos.		2023 Score53
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
111	Lesotho	2.19
112	Djibouti	2.20
113	Congo, (Brazzaville)	2.21
114	Mauritania	2.23
115	Philippines	2.23
116	Belarus	2.25
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better54
Pos.		2019 Score54
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
35	S. Korea	0.30
36	Macedonia	0.30
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
40=	Albania	0.42
40=	Cyprus	0.42
42	Lithuania	0.46
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better55
Pos.		201955
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
141	Myanmar (Burma)	22.80
142=	Gabon	22.80
143	Turkmenistan	23.40
144=	Djibouti	23.40
145	Papua New Guinea	24.10
146=	Zimbabwe	24.20
146=	Ghana	24.20
148	Kiribati	24.70
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better56
Pos.		2023 %56
1	Slovakia	24.1%57
2	Slovenia	24.3%57
3	Belarus	24.4%58
	...
127	Bolivia	40.9%57
128	Haiti	41.1%59
129	USA	41.3%60
130	Djibouti	41.6%61
131	Papua New Guinea	41.9%62
132	Cameroon	42.2%57
133	Cape Verde	42.4%63
134	Madagascar	42.6%59
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Djibouti - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#atheism #bahá'í_faith #buddhism #christianity #djibouti #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)47
Pos.		Lower is better %47
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
85=	Congo, DR	88
85=	Nigeria	88
85=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
92=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
96=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₄:

Christian	2.3%
Muslim	96.9%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.3%
Jewish	0.2%
Unaffiliated	0.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%₆₅.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₆₆, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Djibouti states:

“Although the constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief, Islam is the state religion and the president and other government employees, including magistrates, are required to take religious oaths₆₇. More than 99% of the population identifies as Sunni Muslim. Citizens officially are considered Muslims if they do not specifically identify with a faith; there are no figures available on the number of atheists in the country. Muslims are required to marry in an Islamic ceremony. Non-Muslims - who are known to include Roman Catholics, Protestants, Copts, and Bahá'ís - must marry in accordance with the rites of the religion with which they are registered. The government allows civil marriage only for non-Muslim foreign residents; so if there were atheist Djibouti who wanted to marry, they would not be able to do so (unless they hid their atheism and registered with a religion). A non-Muslim man may marry a Muslim woman only after converting to Islam₆₇. According to the family code, "impediment to a marriage occurs when a Muslim woman marries a non-Muslim."

The president is required to take a religious oath at inauguration; other government employees are also required to do so, such as magistrates, the presidents of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Chamber of Accounts, and the inspector general of state. While there is no penalty established by law, it remains an official custom written in the Constitution for the president of the country and required by law for others. No legal provision exists for opposite practice.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₆₈

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems