Eritrea

Eastern Africa

Africa

A very low-cost East African economy with English as a working language, but a weak passport (~38 destinations), a long 20-year naturalization wait and weak institutions.

Overall score

Low · Penalty applied · 78% data coverage

Language

Tigrinya, Arabic, English

Currency

ERN

Citizenship

20 years

Personal tax

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

Cost of living

Consumer price level 34 (world = 100, 2021)

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

Score breakdown

Access

17%

32Residence12%

35Citizenship and passport5%

Earning power

25%

–Salary and work12%

43Buying power13%

Business and wealth

20%

40Taxes7%

16Business8%

46Investment5%

Daily life

25%

31Quality of life18%

28Education7%

Rights and institutions

13%

3Freedom6%

6Rule of law7%

Severe safety risk (25) cut the overall score from 30 to 21.

Healthcare collapse (32) cut the overall score from 21 to 19.

Weak rights and institutions (5) cut the overall score from 19 to 9.

Pros

Relative affordability score 82/100
Human development score 50/100
Business environment score 18/100

Cons

Institutional environment score 9/100
Passport mobility score 20/100
Tax friendliness score 40/100

Best for

English-speaking applicantsCost-conscious residentsPeople 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

Limited

Migrant stock0.4% of population (2024)

Regulatory quality-2.04 (−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

Limited

Years required	20 years
Dual allowed	Conditional or route-dependent
Language	Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route.
Residence	Headline ordinary naturalization period: 20 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

Low

49 / 198

Mobility

#92

Global rank

Biometric

Visa-free12
On arrival34
eTA3
Visa required149

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

Earning power

Salary & work

Labour-market strength

Data not available

–

Unemployment6.0% (2025)

Participation78.3% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tech salary (estimate)	GNI per capita benchmark: $1,720 PPP (2011); this is not a technology salary quote.
Freelance	Internet use is 14%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status.
Job market	Latest comparable unemployment rate: 6.0%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector.

Buying power

Purchasing power score

Limited

GNI / person$1,720 PPP (2011)

Consumption / person$1,342 PPP (2011)

Price level34 (US = 100) (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living

Affordability

Excellent

Price level34 (US = 100) (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent	Model benchmark: about $210 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing.
Monthly	Model benchmark: about $520 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline.
Cities	Asmara, Keren, Massawa

Economy

Economic strength

Moderate

Output & income

GDP$2.1B (2011)

GDP / person$689 (2011)

GNI / person$1,720 PPP (2011)

GDP growth8.7% / yr (2011)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour

Unemployment6.0% (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition

Agriculture14.1% of GDP (2009)

Industry21.8% of GDP (2009)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries

Mining (gold, copper)AgricultureFishing

Top exports

GoldCopper & zincAgricultural products

Type	Low-income, mining- and agri-led
Key sectors	Mining, Subsistence agriculture
Summary	A closed, state-controlled economy reliant on mining and subsistence agriculture, with limited published data.
Currency	Eritrean nakfa

Business and wealth

Taxes

Tax friendliness

Limited

Personal	PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Eritrea.
Corporate	PwC does not publish a headline corporate tax rate for Eritrea.
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 Eritrea.
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 Eritrea.
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

Low

Regulation & bureaucracy

Regulatory quality-2.04 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Government effectiveness-1.46 (−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

Moderate

Private credit53% of GDP (2014)

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

Data not available

–

Salary & work

Data not available

–

Business

Low

Investment

Moderate

Tax friendliness

Limited

Cost of living

Excellent

Daily life

Safety

Safety & stability

Low

Personal safety

Homicide rate15.6 per 100,000 (2012)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability

Control of corruption-1.63 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Political stability-0.71 (−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 expectancy68.9 years (2024)

Under-5 mortality34.3 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing

Physicians0.09 per 1,000 (2022)

Hospital beds1.02 per 1,000 (2023)

Health spending$87 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: $87 PPP per person (2023).

Environment

Environment score

Moderate

Environmental pressure

PM2.5 exposure33.7 μg/m³ annually (2023)

Water stress11.2% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure

Infrastructure score

Limited

Digital infrastructure

Internet use14.3% (2020)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Utilities

Electricity access54.4% (2023)

Grid losses11.8% of output (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport

Transport quality1.86 / 5 (2018)

Air connectivity137 departures / million people (2020)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education

Education score

Low

Attainment

Expected schooling7.3 years (2023)

Mean schooling5.1 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment

Tertiary enrolment3% gross (2016)

Education spending2.1% of GDP (2006)

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	Tigrinya, Arabic, English
Student work	Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits.

HDI

Human development score

Moderate

HDI0.503 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life

Life expectancy68.6 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge

Expected schooling7.3 years (2023)

Mean schooling5.1 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025