Djibouti — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Djibouti: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Djibouti is in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia. It covers 23,200 sq km. Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains. Climate: desert; torrid, dry.
| Capital | Djibouti |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,013,703 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $7.995 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $6,800 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 6% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.1% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 25.9% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 33.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $5.25 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $4.765 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 65.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 26.7 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 78.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 27 June 1977 (from France) |
| Languages | French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
Djibouti’s GDP is $7.995 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $4.086 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 6% (2024 est.). See where Djibouti ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.1%; public debt under 34% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: unemployment at 25.9%; life expectancy of only 66 years
Gold, Marble, Salt, Gypsum, Oil.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 65% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 65.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 34.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 10.428 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 3.5 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.2 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 3,056 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 65.0%, Wind 35.0% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 35.0% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 450.0 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $5.25 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $4.765 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $485.0 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | construction, agricultural processing, shipping |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh — President. President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
Djibouti maintains 23 embassies and 4 consulates abroad, hosts 25 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 23 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 25 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 314 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 10 + 6 heliports (registration prefix J2) |
| Major seaports | Djibouti, Doraleh |
| Railways | 97 km |
Major airports
Djibouti-Ambouli Airport (JIB) — Djibouti City.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Djibouti.
Historical timeline of Djibouti
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Djibouti — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Djibouti's power score?
Djibouti has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.