Eswatini — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Eswatini: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Eswatini — in Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa. Political status: absolute monarchy. It covers 17,364 sq km. Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains. Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate.
| Capital | Mbabane (administrative capital); Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,137,268 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $12.885 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $10,400 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 2.6% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.6% (2019 est.) |
| Unemployment | 34.4% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 35.9% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Exports | $2.174 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $2.351 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 60.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 24.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 24.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | absolute monarchy |
| Independence | 6 September 1968 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official) |
Eswatini’s GDP is $12.885 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $4.892 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 2.6% (2024 est.). See where Eswatini 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 neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.6%; 96% of its electricity from low-carbon sources
- What drags it down: unemployment at 34.4%; life expectancy of only 61 years
Asbestos, Coal, Hydropower, Diamonds.
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 | 82.3% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 54.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 18.823 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 6.8 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.6 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 5,517 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 53.6%, Solar 5.4%, Coal 3.6% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 96.4% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 142.9 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 | $2.174 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $2.351 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $177.0 million (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | soft drink concentrates, coal, forestry, sugar processing, textiles, and apparel |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Mswati III — King. King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Eswatini maintains 13 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 7 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 | 13 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 7 |
| 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 | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 16 + 1 heliports (registration prefix 3DC) |
| Railways | 301 km |
Major airports
King Mswati III International Airport (SHO) — Mpaka.
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 | absolute monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Eswatini.
Historical timeline of Eswatini
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Eswatini — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Eswatini's power score?
Eswatini has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.