Eritrea (State of Eritrea)

https://www.humantruth.info/eritrea.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Eritrea State of Eritrea
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	195th best
Capital	Asmara
Land Area	101 000km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	3.5m₂
Life Expectancy	66.54yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$1 729 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	ER, ERI, 232₅
Internet Domain	.er₆
Currency	Nakfa (ERN)₇
Telephone	+291₈

1. Overview

#eritrea #ethiopia

"Eritrea remains a one-man dictatorship under President Isaias Afewerki, now in his 26th year in power. It has no legislature, no independent civil society organizations or media outlets, and no independent judiciary"₉.

“The UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service, sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked "to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law." Eritrea for several years hosted a UN peacekeeping operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. An increasingly hostile Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision, and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (from 2009, 2011, and 2012) imposing various military and economic sanctions, in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₁₀

“Eritrea, a mere sliver on the Horn of Africa, boasts a wealth of culture, history and natural beauty for travellers to experience. Historically intriguing, culturally compelling and scenically magical, Eritrea is one of the most secretive countries in Africa. For those who have a hankering for off-the-beaten-track places, it offers challenges and excitement aplenty, with a unique blend of natural and cultural highlights. The country wows visitors with its awesome scenery, from the quintessentially Abyssinian landscapes - escarpments, plateaus and soaring peaks - to the deserted beaches of the Red Sea coast.Culturally, Eritrea is a melting pot. It might be a tiddler of a country by Africa´s standards, but it hosts a kaleidoscopic range of ethnic groups who have contributed to a cultural fabric that ranges from rock-cut monasteries and Ottoman-era harbour towns, to the evening passeggiata on Asmara´s main thoroughfare.
Despite its human and natural riches, Eritrea endures the tough political and economic landscape and travellers are severely restricted. Nonetheless, this country remains one of the most inspiring destinations in Africa.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₁

“Largely because of the oppressive nature of the Isaias rule and the prolonged national service, about 12 percent of Eritrea´s population has fled the country. In2016 alone, 52,000 escaped, according to the latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₉

2. Eritrea National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₂
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
176	Eritrea	0.492
177	Guinea-Bissau	0.483
178	Liberia	0.481
179	Congo, DR	0.479
180	Afghanistan	0.478
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
177	Burkina Faso	$2 118
178	Guinea-Bissau	$1 908
179	Afghanistan	$1 824
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
182	Madagascar	$1 484
183	Malawi	$1 466
184	Chad	$1 364
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Denmark	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
191	Angola	140.0
192	Afghanistan	141.2
193	Equatorial Guinea	144.2
194	Chad	144.5
195	Eritrea	146.0
196	S. Sudan	147.5
197	Western Sahara	151.9
198	Somalia	167.3
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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. Eritrea's Demographics and Migration

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

Population:

Eritrea's population is predicted to rise to 8.394 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.79. 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 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
129	Kuwait	4.1m
130	Moldova	4.1m
131	Georgia	4.0m
132	Eritrea	3.5m
133	Uruguay	3.4m
134	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3m
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₂
Pos.		2021 Years₁₂
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
3=	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
6=	Zambia	04.8
7	Eritrea	04.9
8=	Gambia	04.9
9	Angola	05.0
10=	Afghanistan	05.0
10=	Zimbabwe	05.0
12	Nigeria	05.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
178	Afghanistan	0.4%
179	Haiti	0.4%
180	Brazil	0.4%
181	Eritrea	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.3%
183	Lesotho	0.3%
184	Peru	0.3%
185	Colombia	0.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
30	El Salvador	20.5%
31	Micronesia	19.7%
32	Belarus	18.4%
33	Eritrea	18.0%
34	Croatia	17.1%
35	Liechtenstein	17.1%
36	Cyprus	17.0%
37	Marshall Islands	16.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #eritrea #eritrea_human_rights #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
190	Djibouti	143.3
191	Cook Islands	144.5
192	Swaziland	144.6
193	Eritrea	145.3
194	Afghanistan	145.7
195	Brunei	145.9
	Africa Avg	110.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

Eritrea is amongst the very worst places in the world at ensuring any human rights and freedoms, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Eritrea does worse than average in LGBT equality₂₀, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁ (amongst the worst in Africa) and in freethought₂₂ (one of the highest in Africa). It sits amongst the bottom 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₃ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (one of the highest in Africa). It is second-from-the-bottom in eliminating modern slavery₂₄. And finally, it is the worst in supporting press freedom₂₅. In 2001, "the government closed all independent newspapers and arrested their editors and leading journalists. None were brought to trial. They remain in solitary detention. There are reliable reports that about half of them had died"₉. "Eritreans are subject to arbitrary imprisonment. Arrest and harsh punishment including torture, are at the whim of security force commanders without trial or appeal"₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Eritrea

5. Eritrea's Health

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

Compared to Africa (2020)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	Morocco	67.9
2	Tunisia	74.4
3	Mauritius	74.6
4	Eritrea	80.7
5	Libya	86.4
6	Cape Verde	87.9
7=	Seychelles	90.9
8	Rwanda	92.3
9	Burundi	94.4
10=	Algeria	95.3
11	Djibouti	95.4
12=	Sao Tome & Principe	99.0
12=	Ethiopia	99.0
	Africa Avg	111.1
q=54.

Health (2020)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
	...
39	Sweden	78.8
40	Nicaragua	79.1
41	France	79.5
42	Eritrea	80.7
43	Vietnam	80.8
44	Armenia	81.5
45	Belgium	81.6
46	Italy	81.9
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₂₇. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₂₇.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₇, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₂₇.

For more, see:

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

Health:

Eritrea does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Eritrea does better than average in terms of its smoking rate₂₈, its alcohol consumption rate₂₉ and in its immunizations take-up₃₀. Eritrea still has work to do. Eritrea does worse than average in its adolescent birth rate₃₁ (still good for Africa), its average life expectancy₁₂ (still high for Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₅ (still good for Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Eritrea in 1990 was 49.8yrs, lower than the global average of 64.6, and in 1999 it had the 3rd worst in the world. But it improved greatly, by +17.5yrs, in the 30 years from then, well over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Eritrea's peak fertility rate was 6.65 in 1983.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₂
Pos.		2021 Years₁₂
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₉
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
28=	Iran	1.0
28=	Vanuatu	1.0
30	Papua New Guinea	1.2
31=	Eritrea	1.3
31=	Guinea	1.3
31=	Mali	1.3
34	Solomon Islands	1.4
35=	Tonga	1.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2014₂₈
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
22	Niger	105
23	Sao Tome & Principe	111
24	India	111
25	Eritrea	114
26	Haiti	114
27	Peru	116
28	Somalia	117
29	Ghana	121
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2016 %₃₂
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
6	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.6
7	Cambodia	21.7
8=	Niger	22.0
8=	Eritrea	22.0
10	Burundi	22.2
11	Uganda	22.4
12	Afghanistan	23.0
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₃₁
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
112	Cambodia	51.6
113	Egypt	51.9
114	St Lucia	53.9
115	Eritrea	54.3
116	Papua New Guinea	54.8
117	Uruguay	56.1
118	Costa Rica	56.5
119	Seychelles	57.4
	Africa Avg	87.5
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₀
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
70	Belize	95.1
71	Algeria	95.0
72	Tuvalu	94.9
73	Eritrea	94.7
74	Singapore	94.6
75	UK	94.6
76	Solomon Islands	94.5
77	Norway	94.3
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Eritrea's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Compared to Africa (2023)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Seychelles	55.3
2	Kenya	57.4
3=	Zambia	57.6
	...
45	Sao Tome & Principe	110.3
46	Congo, (Brazzaville)	111.8
47	Mauritania	114.5
48=	S. Sudan	118.0
49	Zimbabwe	119.0
50	Liberia	125.8
51	Libya	132.8
52	Gabon	141.7
53	Eritrea	155.0
	Africa Avg	90.1
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₃
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
	...
181	Tajikistan	125.0
182	Liberia	125.8
183	Bahrain	128.0
184	Haiti	131.0
185	Libya	132.8
186	Gabon	141.7
187	Palestine	147.5
188	Eritrea	155.0
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Eritrea ranks worst in the world. This rank is derived from 3 data sets. Eritrea does worse than average in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its environmental performance₃₅.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		Total₃₄
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
174	Zimbabwe	-5.1%
175	Panama	-5.2%
176	Samoa	-5.7%
177	Eritrea	-5.7%
178	Colombia	-5.8%
179	Cameroon	-5.9%
180	Venezuela	-6.0%
181	Honduras	-6.3%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2018₃₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
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
168	Afghanistan	37.7
169	Pakistan	37.5
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
143	Niue	1996 May 28
144	Madagascar	1996 Jun 02
145	Tanzania	1996 Jun 06
146	Eritrea	1996 Jun 19
147	Ireland	1996 Jun 20
148	Bulgaria	1996 Jul 16
149	Rwanda	1996 Aug 27
150	St Vincent & Grenadines	1996 Sep 01
	Africa Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

7. Eritrea's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	S. Africa	54.1
2	Egypt	71.3
3	Tunisia	74.3
	...
45	Central African Rep.	146.3
46	Equatorial Guinea	149.3
47	Chad	150.6
48	Niger	151.0
49	Guinea	157.5
50	Comoros	160.5
51	S. Sudan	164.0
52	Sierra Leone	167.8
53	Eritrea	193.5
	Africa Avg	120.2
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
198	Niger	151.0
199	Solomon Islands	152.7
200	Haiti	153.8
201	Guinea	157.5
202	Comoros	160.5
203	S. Sudan	164.0
204	Sierra Leone	167.8
205	Eritrea	193.5
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		2021 Years₃₇
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
183	Yemen	9.1
184	Senegal	9.0
185	Pakistan	8.7
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
189	Sudan	7.9
190	Djibouti	7.4
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		2016₃₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
194	Myanmar (Burma)	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
197	Guinea	2%
198	Somalia	2%
199	Burundi	2%
200	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1%
201	Eritrea	1%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. National Culture

#corruption #eritrea #politics

, with only a few signs of improvement.

Corruption Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 Points₃₉
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
160	Honduras	23.0
161=	Iraq	23.0
162	Sudan	22.0
163=	Eritrea	22.0
164	Congo, (Brazzaville)	21.0
165=	Guinea-Bissau	21.0
166	Congo, DR	20.0
167=	Nicaragua	19.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Eritrea has a poor long-term record on corruption and in 2014 it fell into the 10th-worst position on the Corruption Perception Index.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#human_development #peace #politics

Global Peace Index Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2023 Score₄₀
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
130	S. Africa	2.41
131	USA	2.45
132	Brazil	2.46
133	Eritrea	2.51
134	Palestine	2.54
135	Lebanon	2.58
136	Mexico	2.60
137	Libya	2.61
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2019₄₁
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
131	India	19.70
132	Madagascar	21.10
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
137=	Kenya	22.50
137=	Bolivia	22.50
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #eritrea #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion_in_eritrea

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 below₄₂:

Christian	62.9%
Muslim	36.6%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.4%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant₄₃.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: The government does not respect its peoples' right to freedom of religion and belief. In recent years there has been an "increase in serious government violations of religious freedom, including mass arrests, torture and death for members of minority belief groups"₄₄. Since 2002, only four official religious groups have been allowed to exist (Sunni Islam, Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Evangelical (Lutheran)₉_,₄₅ and the government controls them closely. Failure to be a member of one of them is enough to be denied government services, and sometimes even arrested on the spot₄₄.

Links: