Country Snapshot
Population (2019, millions)¹ | 0.9 (974,000) |
Population Projections (2030, millions)¹ | 1.1 |
Economically active population in agriculture (as % of Economically active population)12, 2019 | 93 |
Capital | Djibouti |
Surface Area (km²)² | 23,200 |
Weather¹¹ | Hottest months, June-August, 31-41°C; coldest month, January, 23-29°C; driest month, June, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, March, 25 mm average rainfall |
Languages³ | Official: French and Arabic - Others: Somali and Afar |
Main Religions³ | Main: Muslim - Others: Christian |
Time⁴ | Eastern Africa Time (EAT) +0300 UTC |
Driving Orientation⁵ | Right Side |
Internet Country Code⁶ | .dj |
Country Calling Code | +253 |
Plug, Socket and Voltage⁷ | Type C and E - 220V/50Hz |
Currency | Franc (DJF) |
Exchange Rate (As of 27 January 2019, per USD)⁸ | 177.72 |
GDP at Market Prices (2018, current, billions of USD)⁹ | 1.965 |
GDP Growth (2018, annual %)⁹ | 5.96 |
Average GDP Growth (2014-2018, annual %)⁹ | 7.47 |
GDP per Capita, PPP (2017, current international $)⁹ | 1,927 |
Inflation, Consumer Prices (2018, annual %)⁹ | 0.14 |
Average Inflation, Consumer Prices (2013-2017, annual %)⁹ | (0.32) |
Total Reserves in Months of Imports (2017)⁹ | 6.43 |
Sources:
¹United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
²COMESA Statistics, COMESTAT Data Hub.
³CIA World Factbook.
⁴Time and Date Portal.
⁵Chartsbin Portal, "Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country".
⁶Wikipedia, "List of Internet top-level domains"; and, Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, Root Zone Database.
⁷International Electrotechnical Commission, World Plugs.
⁸Banque Centrale de Djibouti.
⁹World Bank, World Development Indicators 2019.
¹¹Economist Intelligence Unit.
12AFDB Socio Economic Database
Reasons to Invest in Djibouti
Source: Djibouti National Investment Promotion Agency – NIPA Online Portal.
Population
Population Projections (millions)
Population (2019) | 0.9 |
Population Projections (2030) | 1.1 |
Source: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Population Residing in Urban Areas (%)
Population Projections (2019) | 77.9 |
Percentage of Population Residing in Urban Areas (2030) | 79.9 |
Source: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Youth Literacy Rates (2017, %)
Youth Literacy Rate, Population 15-24 Years, Both Sexes | 73.23 |
Youth Literacy Rate, Population 15-24 Years, Female | 66.05 |
Youth Literacy Rate, Population 15-24 Years, Male | 80.73 |
Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO Institute of Statistics.
Expenditure on Education (2010, %)
Government Expenditure on Education as % of GDP | 4.49 |
Education Expenditure as % of Total Government Expenditure | 12.32 |
Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO Institute of Statistics.
Labour
Unemployment (2018, % of Total Labour Force, Modeled ILO Estimate)
Unemployment, Total | 11.12 |
Unemployment, Female | 12.02 |
Unemployment, Male | 10.42 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2019.
Labour Force (2017, % of Ages 15+, Modeled ILO Estimate)
Labour Force Participation Rate, Total | 62.97 |
Labour Force Participation Rate, Female | 54.81 |
Labour Force Participation Rate, Male | 71.14 |
Labour Force, Total (number) | 425,274 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2019.
Economy - Overview
GDP
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
GDP at Market Prices (current, billions of USD) | 1.455 | 1.633 | 1.746 | 1.844 | 1.965 |
GDP Growth (annual %) | 8.9 | 9.7 | 8.7 | 4.1 | 5.96 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2019.
Value Added by Sector (% of GDP)
Indicator | 2018 | 2019 |
Agriculture | 4.04 | 3.96 |
Manufacturing | 3.13 | 2.99 |
Industry | 26.11 | 26.42 |
Services | 88.86 | 88.62 |
Construction | 15.98 | 16.50 |
Electricity, gas and water | 6.58 | 6.52 |
Mining and quarrying | 0.42 | 0.41 |
Education | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Finance, real estate and business services | 7.55 | 7.54 |
Public administration and Defense | 22.37 | 22.17 |
Health and Social Work | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Other services | 3.41 | 3.31 |
Transport, storage and communication | 33.56 | 33.57 |
Wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants | 21.97 | 22.03 |
Source: AFDB Socio Economic Database.
Trade Profile
Import Partners (Imported Value, thousands, USD)
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
World | 2,589,683 | 1,743,801 | 2,737,091 | 1,585,883 | 1,753,384 |
United States of America | 1,061,149 | 662,552 | 57,169 | 586,757 | 512,672 |
China | 73,058 | 383,340 | 411,934 | 235,213 | 205,292 |
Indonesia | 501 | 810 | 44,931 | 420 | 183,218 |
France | 111,208 | 94,023 | 156,051 | 179,915 | 138,061 |
Ethiopia | 69,977 | 74,761 | 109,289 | 101,105 | 107,338 |
Source: International Trade Center COMTRADE Statistics.
Export Partners (Exported Value, thousands, USD)
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
World | 6,175,378 | 10,554,232 | 7,065,305 | 11,750,936 | 18,990,587 |
South Africa | 15,711 | 153,729 | 4,102,820 | 6,592,483 | 10,084,468 |
China | 2,534,168 | 4,796,528 | 841,752 | 1,894,866 | 3,507,881 |
United Arab Emirates | 321,953 | 798,689 | 1,343,352 | ||
Tanzania | 742 | 1,130 | 747,030 | 405,799 | 1,254,043 |
Zambia | 1,136,844 | 1,703,815 | 618,760 | 691,588 | 1,093,135 |
Source: International Trade Center COMTRADE Statistics.
Djibouti’s Top Import Products (USD ‘000)
Chapter | Description | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
All products | 2,589,683 | 1,743,801 | 2,737,091 | 1,585,883 | 1,753,384 | |
88 | Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof | 677,293 | 211,155 | 19,563 | 533,094 | 296,156 |
73 | Articles of iron or steel | 27,026 | 76,701 | 65,665 | 45,809 | 255,885 |
84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 200,621 | 81,761 | 141,421 | 114,974 | 220,750 |
85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 144,410 | 456,712 | 123,098 | 137,199 | 144,277 |
27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 168,240 | 162,474 | 246,363 | 120,882 | 139,423 |
Source: COMSTAT database
Djibouti’s Top Export Products (USD ‘000)
Chapter | Description | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
All products | 1,323,453 | 667,195 | 2,029,119 | 437,970 | 971,640 | |
87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 192,968 | 32,973 | 511,552 | 32,875 | 638,068 |
27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 682,725 | 93,038 | 82,474 | 87,094 | 99,720 |
85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 8,057 | 91,732 | 205,833 | 101,084 | 84,446 |
84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 3,057 | 11,271 | 74,087 | 130,790 | 84,186 |
88 | Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof | 382,492 | 149,418 | 101,969 | 29,901 | 30,442 |
Source: COMSTAT database
Investment Profile
FDI Inflows (millions of USD)
Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
FDI Inflows | 153 | 124 | 160 | 165 | 265 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2019
FDI Inward Stock (millions of USD)
Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
FDI Inward Stock | 1,505 | 1,629 | 1,789 | 1,954 | 2,219 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2019
FDI Inflows Main Source Countries (in terms of number of projects)
UAE, United States, China, France, South Africa, Tanzania, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, and Germany.
Source: Financial Times, fDi Markets, 2018
FDI Inflows Main Sectors (in terms of number of projects)
Business Services, Transportation, Financial Services, Warehousing & Storage, Renewable energy, Communications, Real Estate, Coal, Oil and Natural Gas, Hotels & Tourism, and Chemicals.
Source: Financial Times, fDi Markets, 2018
FDI Inflows Main Companies (in terms of number of projects)
Exim Bank (Tanzania), Black Rhino, AAE-1 Consortium, Ayla Hotels and Resorts, United Trademark and Patent Services, Silk Road International Bank (SIB), Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), China Merchants Group, Stereau, and Industrial Maintenance International.
Source: Financial Times, fDi Markets, 2018
Doing Business
Overall Doing Business Ranking
2020 | 112/190 |
2019 | 99/190 |
Source: World Bank, Doing Business, 2020
Starting a Business
2020 Rank | 112/190 |
Procedures (number) | 6 |
Time (days) | 14 |
Cost (% of income per capita*) | 39.7 |
Paid-in Minimum Capital (% of income per capita*) | 0.0 |
*GNI per capita used: USD 2,880
Source: World Bank, Doing Business, 2020
Paying Taxes
Paying Taxes
2020 Rank | 133/190 |
Payments (number per year) | 35 |
Time (hours per year) | 76 |
Total Tax Rate (% of profit) | 37.9 |
Profit Tax (% of profit) | 17.7 |
Labor Tax and Contributions (% of profit) | 17.7 |
Other Taxes (% of profit) | 2.6 |
Source: World Bank, Doing Business, 2020
Trading Across Borders
2020 Rank | 147/190 |
Time to Export: Border Compliance (hours) | 72 |
Cost to Export: Border Compliance (USD) | 605 |
Time to Export: Documentary Compliance (hours) | 60 |
Cost to Export: Documentary Compliance (USD) | 95 |
Time to Import: Border Compliance (hours) | 118 |
Cost to Import: Border Compliance (USD) | 1055 |
Time to Import: Documentary Compliance (hours) | 50 |
Cost to Import: Documentary Compliance (USD) | 100 |
Assumptions:
* It is assumed that shipment travels from a warehouse in the largest business city of the exporting economy to a warehouse in the largest business city of the importing economy.
* It is assumed that each economy imports a standardized shipment of 15 metric tons of containerized auto parts (HS 8708) from its natural import partner—the economy from which it imports the largest value (price times quantity) of auto parts. It is assumed that each economy exports the product of its comparative advantage (defined by the largest export value) to its natural export partner—the economy that is the largest purchaser of this product.
* A shipment is a unit of trade. Export shipments do not necessarily need to be containerized, while import shipments of auto parts are assumed to be containerized.
* Shipping cost based on weight is assumed to be greater than shipping cost based on volume.
* If government fees are determined by the value of the shipment, the value is assumed to be $50,000.
* The mode of transport is the one most widely used for the chosen export or import product and the trading partner, as is the seaport, airport or land border crossing.
* Time is measured in hours, and 1 day is 24 hours.
* Costs do not include tariffs.
Source: World Bank, Doing Business, 2020
Investment Regime
Legal Framework
Investment Code – LAW N°58/AN/94/3-rd.
Key guarantees in terms of investment protection include:
Source: COMESA Regional Investment Agency, Investors Guide to Doing Business in Djibouti, NIPA.
Investment Incentives
Minimum investment required:
REGIM A :
REGIM B:
Free Zone
Although the term Free Zone only applied to the port, Djibouti now levies customs duties on most commodities. The 42-acre Djibouti Free Zone has been operational since 2004 and can house up to 100 companies. In July 2012, the government approved a new 57 hectares free zone (Jabanaas Free Zone) just outside of the capital.
Conditions: the company has to export at least 80% of its production. The benefits of this regime remain valid for a period of 25 years and can be renewed
Type of benefits :
Source: Deloitte, Guide to Fiscal Information, Key Economies in Africa 2018