Demographics of Eritrea

A Tigrigna traditional dance.

The majority of the Tigrinya inhabit the highlands of Eritrea; however, migration to other parts of the country has occurred. Their language is called Tigrinya. They are the largest ethnic group in the country, constituting about 60% of the population.[7] The predominantly Tigrinya populated urban centers in Eritrea are the capital Asmara, Mendefera, Dekemhare, Adi Keyh, Adi Quala and Senafe, while there is a significant population of Tigrinya in other cities including Keren, and Massawa.

They are 96% Christians, (of which 90% are of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 5% Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic (whose mass is held in Ge'ez as opposed to Latin), and 5% belonging to various Protestant and other Christian denominations, the majority of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea).

Traditional Tigre dance

The Tigre reside in the western lowlands in Eritrea. Many also migrated to Sudan at the time of the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict and lived there since. They are a nomadic and pastoralist people, related to the Tigrinya and to the Beja people. They are a predominantly Muslim nomadic people who inhabit the northern, western, and coastal lowlands of Eritrea, where they constitute 30% of local residents.[7] Some also inhabit areas in eastern Sudan. 95% of the Tigre people adhere to the Islamic religion Sunni Islam, but there are a small number of Christians among them as well (often referred to as the Mensaï in Eritrea). Their language is called Tigre.

The Rashaida are one of Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups. They represent around 2% of the population of Eritrea.[7] The Rashaida reside in the northern coastal lowlands of Eritrea and the northern eastern coasts of Sudan. They are predominantly Muslim and are the only ethnic group in Eritrea to have Arabic as their communal language, specifically the Hejazi dialect. The Rashaida first came to Eritrea in the 19th century from the Arabian Coast.[9]

The Jeberti people in Eritrea trace descent from early Muslim adherents. The term Jeberti is also locally sometimes used to generically refer to all Islamic inhabitants of the highlands.[10] The Jeberti in Eritrea speak Arabic and Tigrinya.[11] They account for about 4% of the Tigrinya speakers in the nation.

According to the CIA, the Afar constitute under 5% of the nation's population.[7] They live in the Debubawi Keyih Bahri Region of Eritrea, as well as the Afar Region in Ethiopia, and Djibouti. They speak the Afar language as a mother tongue, and are predominantly Muslim. Afars in Eritrea number about 397,000 individuals, the smallest population out of the countries they reside in. In Djibouti, there are about 780,000 group members, and in Ethiopia, they number approximately 1,300,000.

The Saho represent 4% of Eritrea's population.[7] They principally reside in the Debubawi Keyih Bahri Region and the Northern Red Sea Region of Eritrea. Their language is called Saho. They are predominantly Muslim, although a few Christians known as the Irob live in the Debub Region of Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The Bilen in Eritrea represent around 2% of the country's population.[7] They are primarily concentrated in the north-central areas, in and around the city of Keren, and south towards Asmara, the nation's capital. Many of them entered Eritrea from Kush (central Sudan) in the 8th century and settled at Merara, after which they went to Lalibela and Lasta. The Bilen then returned to Axum in Ethiopia's Tigray Province, and battled with the natives; in the resulting aftermath, the Bilen returned to their main base at Merara. The Bilen include adherents of both Islam and Christianity. They speak the Bilen as a mother tongue. Christian adherents are mainly urban and have intermingled with the Tigrinya who live in the area. Muslim adherents are mainly rural and have interbred with the adjacent Tigre.

The Beja in Eritrea, or Hedareb, constitute under 5% of local residents.[7] They mainly live along the north-western border with Sudan. Group members are predominantly Muslim and communicate in Hedareb as a first or second language. The Beja also include the Beni-Amer people, who have retained their native Beja language alongside Hedareb.

According to the CIA, the Kunama constitute around 2% of Eritrea's population.[7] They mainly live in the country's Gash Barka Region, as well as in adjacent parts of Ethiopia's Tigray Region. Many of them reside in the contested border village of Badme. Their language is called Kunama. Although some Kunama still practice traditional beliefs, most are converts to either Christianity (Roman Catholic and Protestant) or Islam.

The Nara represent under 5% of the nation's population.[7] They principally reside along the south-western border with Sudan and Ethiopia. They are generally Muslim, with a few Christians and some practising their indigenous beliefs. Their language is called Nara.

A few monolingual Italian Eritreans remain. As of 2008, they were estimated at 900 people, down from around 38,000 residents at the end of World War II.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[18]

Fertility data as of 2002 (DHS Program):[19]

5,970,646 (July 2018 est.)

Population pyramid of Eritrea in 2017

0-14 years: 39.53% (male 1,186,749 /female 1,173,530)

15-24 years: 19.94% (male 592,365 /female 598,305)

25-54 years: 32.88% (male 965,405 /female 997,771)

55-64 years: 3.7% (male 96,967 /female 123,895)

65 years and over: 3.95% (male 97,816 /female 137,843) (2018 est.)

0–14 years: 42.9% (male 1,085,116/female 1,072,262)

15–64 years: 53.5% (male 1,332,349/female 1,355,494)

65 years and over: 3.6% (male 88,068/female 95,186) (2008 est.)

3.9 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 37th

According to 2002 official survey, fertility rate was 4.8 with 3.5 in urban and 5.7 in rural.[23]

29.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 40th

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 126th

0.89% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 123rd

2.445% (2011 est.)

total: 19.9 years Country comparison to the world: 194th

male: 19.4 years

female: 20.4 years (2018 est.)

21.3 years (2010 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

8.4% (2010)

-13.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 215th

total dependency ratio: 85 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 78.3 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio: 14.8 (2015 est.)

urban population: 40.1% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 3.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

total population: 65.6 years (2018 est.)

male: 63 years (2018 est.)

female: 68.2 years (2018 est.)

noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean

Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni-Amer, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)[24]

Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Afar, Arabic (spoken by the Rashaida), Beja (spoken by the Hedareb), Blin, Kunama, Nara, Saho, Tigre, Tigrinya, as a second language. English, Italian and Arabic are the foremost second languages.

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 73.8% (2015 est.)

male: 82.4% (2015 est.)

female: 65.5% (2015 est.)

total: 5 years (2015)

male: 6 years (2015)

female: 5 years (2015)