Djibouti

Eastern Africa

Africa

A low-cost East African economy with low local wage costs, but a weak passport (~45 destinations), limited English and a long 10-year naturalization wait.

Overall score

Limited · Penalty applied · 88% data coverage

Language

Arabic, French

Currency

DJF

Citizenship

10 years

Personal tax

PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Djibouti.

Cost of living

Consumer price level 50 (world = 100, 2025)

Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.

Score breakdown

Access

17%

54Residence12%

51Citizenship and passport5%

Earning power

25%

23Salary and work12%

61Buying power13%

Business and wealth

20%

40Taxes7%

39Business8%

41Investment5%

Daily life

25%

37Quality of life18%

30Education7%

Rights and institutions

13%

24Freedom6%

30Rule of law7%

Severe safety risk (36) cut the overall score from 40 to 37.

Healthcare collapse (30) cut the overall score from 37 to 32.

Weak rights and institutions (27) cut the overall score from 32 to 30.

Pros

Internet use 65%
Relative affordability score 63/100
Human development score 51/100

Cons

Passport mobility score 23/100
Institutional environment score 33/100
Tax friendliness score 40/100

Best for

Applicants prepared to use local languagesResidents prioritizing opportunity over low pricesPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route

Score profile

Access

Residence

Citizenship

Passport

Earning power

Salary & work

Buying power

Cost of living

Economy

Business and wealth

Taxes

Personal tax

Corporate tax

Business

Investment

Wealth building

Daily life

Safety

Healthcare

Environment

Infrastructure

Education

HDI

Rights and institutions

Freedom

Rule of law

How the scores are calculated

Access

Residence

Openness to residents

Moderate

Migrant stock10.8% of population (2024)

Regulatory quality-0.85 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways

Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible

Student	Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary.
Work	A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply.
Self-employed	Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required.
Permanent	Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation.

Citizenship

Citizenship accessibility

Moderate

Years required	10 years
Dual allowed	Yes
Language	Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route.
Residence	Headline ordinary naturalization period: 10 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply.
Notes	This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it.

Passport

Passport power

Limited

61 / 198

Mobility

#80

Global rank

Yes

Biometric

Visa-free24
On arrival34
eTA3
Visa required137

Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.

Earning power

Salary & work

Labour-market strength

Low

Output per worker$41,264 PPP (2024)

Unemployment26.0% (2025)

Participation31.7% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees

Overall$450 · $812 PPP (2017)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

Tech salary (estimate)	GNI per capita benchmark: $8,660 PPP (2025); this is not a technology salary quote.
Freelance	Internet use is 65%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status.
Job market	Latest comparable unemployment rate: 26.0%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector.

Buying power

Purchasing power score

Moderate

GNI / person$8,660 PPP (2025)

Consumption / person$4,854 PPP (2024)

Price level50 (US = 100) (2025)

Income inequality41.6 Gini (2017)

Inflation-0.3% / yr (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living

Affordability

Good

Price level50 (US = 100) (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent	Model benchmark: about $300 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing.
Monthly	Model benchmark: about $750 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline.
Cities	Djibouti City, Ali Sabieh

Economy

Economic strength

Moderate

Output & income

GDP$4.6B (2025)

GDP / person$3,906 (2025)

GNI / person$8,660 PPP (2025)

GDP growth7.0% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour

Inflation-0.3% / yr (2025)

Unemployment26.0% (2025)

Output per worker$41,264 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition

Agriculture2.3% of GDP (2025)

Industry16.6% of GDP (2025)

Services75.7% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries

Port & logisticsMilitary basesServicesConstruction

Top exports

Re-exports & transit servicesLive animals

Type	Lower-middle-income, logistics-driven
Key sectors	Strategic ports (the gateway for Ethiopia), Foreign military bases, Logistics
Summary	A small economy built on its strategic location, serving as a port, logistics and military-base hub on the Red Sea.
Currency	Djiboutian franc (pegged to the US dollar)

Business and wealth

Taxes

Tax friendliness

Limited

Personal	PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Djibouti.
Corporate	PwC does not publish a headline corporate tax rate for Djibouti.
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Personal tax

Limited

Personal	PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Djibouti.
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.

Corporate tax

Limited

Corporate	PwC does not publish a headline corporate tax rate for Djibouti.
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Business

Business friendliness

Limited

Regulation & bureaucracy

Regulatory quality-0.85 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Government effectiveness-0.49 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Operating rules

Foreign company	Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks.
Local company	Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary.
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.

Investment

Investing environment

Limited

Private credit25% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains	Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position.
Dividends	Data not available yet
ETFs & funds	Data not available yet
Wealth tax	Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes.
Brokers	Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding.
Foreign access	Data not available yet
Tax-advantaged	Data not available yet

Wealth building

Wealth accumulation

Limited

Salary & work

Low

Business

Limited

Investment

Limited

Tax friendliness

Limited

Cost of living

Good

Daily life

Safety

Safety & stability

Limited

Institutions & stability

Control of corruption-0.89 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Political stability-0.56 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Healthcare

Healthcare score

Limited

Outcomes

Life expectancy66.2 years (2024)

Under-5 mortality48.9 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing

Physicians0.21 per 1,000 (2022)

Hospital beds1.40 per 1,000 (2018)

Health spending$155 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs

System	Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location.
Insurance	Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route.
Average cost	Health expenditure: $155 PPP per person (2023).

Environment

Environment score

Moderate

Environmental pressure

PM2.5 exposure40.3 μg/m³ annually (2023)

Water stress6.3% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure

Infrastructure score

Moderate

Digital infrastructure

Internet use65.3% (2024)

Internet resilience45 / 100 (2026)

Fixed speed46 / 100 download index (2026)

Mobile speed44 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities

Electricity access65.2% (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport

Transport quality2.30 / 5 (2022)

Rail density33.7 km / 1,000 km² (2003)

Air connectivity3,294 departures / million people (1991)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education

Education score

Limited

Attainment

Expected schooling6.2 years (2023)

Mean schooling4.0 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment

Tertiary enrolment5% gross (2011)

Education spending3.8% of GDP (2018)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition	Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used.
Public university	Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution.
Languages	Arabic, French
Student work	Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits.

HDI

Human development score

Moderate

HDI0.513 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life

Life expectancy66.0 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge

Expected schooling6.2 years (2023)

Mean schooling4.0 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025