Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Yemen economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Yemen best banks and safest banks are also available.
Basic Information
Government Type: In transition
Capital City: Sanaa
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
| Central Bank |
Central Bank of Yemen |
|---|---|
| Currency |
Yemeni rials (YER) |
| International Reserves | N/A |
| Gross Domestic Product – GDP |
USD 26.9 billion (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) |
Intl$ 84.5 billion (2017, estimate) |
GDP Data
| Real GDP growth |
2014 -0.2% 2015 -16.7% 2016 -13.6% 2017* -5.9% 2018* -2.7% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita – current prices |
USD 873.4 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP per capita – PPP |
Intl$ 2,377.2 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (PPP) – share of world total |
0.05% (2019, estimate) |
| GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 4.0% industry: 28.7% services: 13.5% |
| Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) | N/A |
| Inflation |
2015 22.0% 2016 21.3% 2017* 30.4% 2018* 27.6% 2019* 14.7% *Estimate |
Yemen
Economics, Policy & Regulation
Restoring The Peace: Q&A With Ahmed Ghaleb al-Maaqbi, Central Bank…
Award Winners
Winner Profiles | The Best In Islamic Finance | 2016
Inflation & Debt
| Inflation |
2015 22.0% 2016 21.3% 2017* 30.4% 2018* 27.6% 2019* 14.7% |
|---|---|
| Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: N/A Moody’s: N/A Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017) |
| Unemployment rate | N/A |
| Household saving rates | N/A |
| Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) |
2015 65.6% 2016 79.6% 2017* 84.3% 2018* 64.8% 2019* 56.3% *Estimate |
| Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2015 -10.0% 2016 -9.3% 2017* -5.3% 2018* -6.3% 2019* -6.9% *Estimate |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | N/A |
| Largest Companies | N/A |
Import/Export
| Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) |
5.9% (2017) |
|---|---|
| Shares in world total merchandising export |
0.004% (2018) |
| Shares in world total commercial services export |
0.008% (2018) |
| Total exports |
USD 1.6 billion (2018 estimate) |
| Export commodities |
Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs |
| Total imports |
USD 8.3 billion (2018 estimate) |
| Import commodities |
Machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products |
| Exports – major partners |
India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017) |
| Imports – major partners |
China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3%(2017) |
Competitiveness & Trade
| Current account balance |
USD -0.5 billion (2018 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Current account balance by percentage of GDP |
-1.8% (2018 estimate) |
| FDI inflows |
2016 USD -561 million 2017 USD -270 million 2018 USD -282 million |
| FDI Outflows |
2016 USD 0.8 million 2017 USD 5.6 million 2018 USD 3.6 million |
| Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
N/A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
| Best countries for doing business |
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Overall ranking: 187 out of 190 countries Subcategories: Starting a Business: 156 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 186 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 187 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 86 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 186 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 162 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 89 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 188 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 143 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 159 out of 190 countries |
| Global competitiveness ranking |
140 out of 141 countries (2019) |
| Index of Economic Freedom | N/A |
Population & Geographic Data
| Total Area |
527,968 sq km |
|---|---|
| Total Population |
1990 12.09 million 2000 17.94 million 2010 24.4 million 2015 28.3 million 2020* 32.5 million |
| Urban population as % of total population |
1960 9.1% 1980 17.5% 2000 26.3% 2018 36.6% |
| Population median age |
19.8 years (2018 estimate) |
| Population growth rate |
2.17% (2018 estimate) |
| Life expectancy |
65.2 years (2018 estimate) |
| % of population living on less than $3.10 a day |
52.2% (2014) |
| Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) |
36.7 (2014) |
| Freedom House rating |
Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 6 (2019) (1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating) |
| Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed 4.3% Mobile 55.2% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
| Internet users as % of total population | 26.7% (2017) |
Language & Religon
| Languages |
Arabic (official) |
|---|---|
| Literacy |
Total population: 70.1% Male: 85.1% Female: 55% (2015 est.) (age 15 and over can read and write) |
| Religions |
Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha’i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2010 est.) CIA World Factbook / Religions |
World Rankings
| Population | 2.8 M |
|---|---|
| Mercer Cost of living index | N/A |
| C02 Emissions per capita |
1.9 metric tons per capita (2018) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Yemen
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000