| Land area (sq. km) |
527,970.00 |
WDI |
| Arable land (% of land area) |
2.91 |
WDI |
| Population, total |
20,329,354.00 |
WDI |
| Population growth (annual %) |
3.13 |
WDI |
| Population density (people per sq. km) |
38.51 |
WDI |
| Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
49.00 (2003) |
WDI/UN/UNICEF |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) |
61.27 |
WDI |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) |
81.60 |
WDI |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population)** |
45.2 (2003) |
WDI/CIA/UNICEF |
| Urban population (% of total) |
26.92 |
WDI |
| Ethnic breakdown |
predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans |
CIA |
| Religious breakdown |
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu |
CIA |
| Language |
Arabic |
CIA |
| Capital City |
Sanaa |
CIA |
| Character of government |
Republic ; Administrative Division: 19 governorates ; Independence day: 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Nort Yemen became independent from Ottoman in 1918, South Yemen from the UK in 1967. |
CIA* |
| Current President/Prime Minister |
President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the merger of North and South Yemen) and Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir BA JAMAL |
CIA* |
| Executive branch description |
President is the chief of state and Prime Minister is the head of government. cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister . elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for second term) |
CIA* |
| Legislative branch description |
a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February 2001 created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six years term) |
CIA* |
| Judicial branch description |
Supreme Court |
CIA |
| Women in national parliament (% of total) |
1.00 (2003) |
WDI |
| Foreign aid per capita (current US$) |
12.39 |
WDI |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflow (BoP, current US$ bn) ** |
0.14 |
WDI |
| GDP growth (annual %) |
3.19 |
WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) |
583.97 |
WDI |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) |
10.83 (2003) |
WDI |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
6.52 |
WDI/CIA/WRI |
| Military expenditure (% of central government expenditure) |
23.90 (1999) |
WDI/WRI/Dept of State/UNICEF |
| Health expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
2.25 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Education expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
9.64 (2001) |
WDI/WRI |
| Main export |
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish |
CIA |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) |
35.00 (2003) |
WDI/CIA |
| External debt, total (DOD, current US$) |
5,488,399,872.00 |
WDI/CIA |
| Currency |
Yemeni Real (YER) |
CIA |
| Local Currency Rate, per US$ |
184.78 |
CIA |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) |
8.85 |
WDI/Comp Industry Almanac |
| Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) |
52.73 |
WDI |
| Personal computers (per 1,000 people) |
14.76 |
WDI |
| Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people) |
39.26 |
WDI |
