Introduction
Background
Algeria has known many empires and dynasties starting with the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Berber dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. It was under the latter that the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping beginning in roughly 1500, peaking in the early to mid-17th century, until finally subdued by the French capture of Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of the entirety of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. The country was heavily colonized by the French in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962.
Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics, though it is falling out of favor with the youth. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 legislative election led the Algerian military to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths – many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS’s armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. FIS membership is illegal.
Former president Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud, and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. Protests broke out across the country in late February 2019 against President BOUTEFLIKA’s decision to seek a fifth term. BOUTEFLIKA resigned in April 2019, and in December 2019, Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country's new president. A longtime FLN member, TEBBOUNE ran for president as an independent. In 2020, Algeria held a constitutional referendum, which President TEBBOUNE enacted in January 2021. Subsequent reforms to the national electoral law introduced open list voting to curb corruption. The new law also eliminated gender quotas in Parliament, and the June 2021 legislative elections saw female representation plummet. Local elections took place in November 2021. The referendum, parliamentary elections, and local elections saw record low voter turnout. Since 2014, Algeria’s reliance on hydrocarbon export revenues to fund the government and finance the large subsidies for the population has fallen under stress because of volatile energy prices and increased domestic consumption of energy products.
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Geography
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates
28 00 N, 3 00 E
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total: 6,734 km
border countries (6): Libya 989 km; Mali 1,359 km; Mauritania 460 km; Morocco 1,941 km; Niger 951 km; Tunisia 1,034 km
Coastline
998 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
Climate
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain
mostly high plateau and desert; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation
highest point: Tahat 2,908 m
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
mean elevation: 800 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use
agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 3.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 13.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.8% (2018 est.)
other: 81.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
12,605 sq km (2016)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Major aquifers
Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft Basin
Population distribution
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts
Geography - note
largest country in Africa but 80% desert; canyons and caves in the southern Hoggar Mountains and in the barren Tassili n'Ajjer area in the southeast of the country contain numerous examples of prehistoric art - rock paintings and carvings depicting human activities and wild and domestic animals (elephants, giraffes, cattle) - that date to the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian
Ethnic groups
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
note: although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as primarily Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers and several other communities; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has officially recognized Berber languages and introduced them into public schools
Languages
Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)
major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)
Demographic profile
For the first two thirds of the 20th century, Algeria's high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962, the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria's population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women's rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women's education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman's age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s.
Algeria's fertility rate experienced an unexpected upturn in the early 2000s, as the average woman's age at first marriage dropped slightly. The reversal in fertility could represent a temporary fluctuation in marriage age or, less likely, a decrease in the steady rate of contraceptive use.
Thousands of Algerian peasants - mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region - faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (known as Harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers' decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification.
Not until Algeria's civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria's construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe.
Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara (today part of Morocco). More than 100,000 Sahrawis are estimated to be living in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.
Age structure
0-14 years: 28.78% (male 6,594,512/female 6,286,191)
15-64 years: 64.29% (male 14,607,255/female 14,166,990)
65 years and over: 6.93% (2023 est.) (male 1,475,635/female 1,627,815)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 58.5
youth dependency ratio: 48.7
elderly dependency ratio: 9.8
potential support ratio: 10.2 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 28.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 28.6 years
female: 29.2 years
comparison ranking: total 143
Population distribution
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization
urban population: 75.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.902 million ALGIERS (capital), 936,000 Oran (2022)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 19.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 84
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 77 years
female: 78.6 years
comparison ranking: total population 84
Gross reproduction rate
1.45 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
53.6% (2018/19)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 99.6% of population
rural: 98.8% of population
total: 99.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.4% of population
rural: 1.2% of population
total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
6.3% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density
1.9 beds/1,000 population (2015)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 98.3% of population
rural: 91.3% of population
total: 96.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population
rural: 8.7% of population
total: 3.5% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
note: on 32 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Algeria is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 160
Tobacco use
total: 21% (2020 est.)
male: 41.3% (2020 est.)
female: 0.7% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 80
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
56% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 3.8% (2019 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.4%
male: 87.4%
female: 75.3% (2018)
Environment
Environment - current issues
air pollution in major cities; soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Climate
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Land use
agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 3.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 13.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 0.8% (2018 est.)
other: 81.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 75.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 150.01 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 49.94 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 12,378,740 tons (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 990,299 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8% (2013 est.)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Major aquifers
Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft Basin
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 190 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 6.67 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
11.67 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Algiers
geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: name derives from the Arabic "al-Jazair" meaning "the islands" and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast of the capital but joined to the mainland since 1525
Administrative divisions
58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger (Algiers), Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Beni Abbes, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djanet, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Meghaier, El Meniaa, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Ouled Djellal, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Touggourt
Independence
5 July 1962 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Constitution
history: several previous; latest approved by referendum November 2020
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens’ liberties and rights cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2008, 2016; last in 2020
Legal system
mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Nadir LARBAOUI (since 11 November 2023)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament
election results:
2019: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (FLN) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (El-Bina) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Talaie El Hurriyet) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (National Democratic Rally, RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Front El Mustakbal, FM) 6.7%
2014: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament or Barlaman consists of:
Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently); two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)
National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote using the Hare quota method; members serve 5-year terms)
elections:
Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next expected in 2025)
National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)
election results:
Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 54, RND 22, Future Front 7, National Construction Movement 5, FFS 4, other 6, independent 18, appointed 58; composition as of August 2023 - men 163, women 7, percent of women 4.1%
National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, (Future Front) 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 375, women 32, percent of women 7.9%; note - total Parliament percent of women 6.8%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Le Cour Suprême, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals
Political parties and leaders
Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]
Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES]
Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Fatma Zohra ZEROUATI]
Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Fethi GHARES]
Dignity or El Karama [Mohamed DAOUI]
El-Infitah [Omar BOUACHA]
Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ]
Equity and Proclamation Party or PEP [Naima SALHI]
Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID]
Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Yazid BENAICHA]
Justice and Development Front or FJD [Abdellah DJABALLAH]
Movement for National Reform or El Islah [Filali GHOUINI]
Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MAKRI]
National Construction Movement or El-Bina (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani) [Abdelkader BENGRINA]
National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Tayeb ZITOUNI]
National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA]
National Liberation Front or FLN [Abou El Fadhel BAADJI]
National Militancy Front or FMN [Abdallah HADDAD]
National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD [Dalila YALAQUI]
National Republican Alliance or ANR [Belkacem SAHLI]
New Dawn Party (El-Fajr El-Jadid) [Tahar BENBAIBECHE]
New Generation (Jil Jadid) [Soufiane DJILALI]
Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE]
Party of Justice and Liberty or PLJ [Mohamed SAID]
Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Atmane MAZOUZ]
Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Youcef AOUCHICHE]
Union for Change and Progress or UCP [Zoubida ASSOUL]
Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH]
Vanguard of Liberties (Talaie El Hurriyet) [Abdelkader SAADI]
Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]
Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA]
note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohammed HANECHE (since 12 December 2022)
chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800
FAX: [1] (202) 986-5906
email address and website:
mail@algerianembassy.org
https://www.algerianembassy.org/
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Moore AUBIN (since 9 February 2022)
embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030, Alger
mailing address: 6030 Algiers Place, Washington DC 20521-6030
telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000
FAX: [213] (0) 770-08-2299
email address and website:
ACSAlgiers@state.gov
https://dz.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
National symbol(s)
five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red
National anthem
name: "Kassaman" (We Pledge)
lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI
note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 7 (6 cultural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Beni Hammad Fort (c); Djémila (c); Casbah of Algiers (c); M'zab Valley (c); Tassili n'Ajjer (m); Timgad (c); Tipasa (c)
Economy
Economic overview
suffering oil and gas economy; lack of sector and market diversification; political instability chilling domestic consumption; poor credit access and declines in business confidence; COVID-19 austerity policies; delayed promised socio-economic reforms
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$487.716 billion (2021 est.)
$471.223 billion (2020 est.)
$496.547 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 43
Real GDP per capita
$11,000 (2021 est.)
$10,800 (2020 est.)
$11,600 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 137
GDP (official exchange rate)
$169.912 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.23% (2021 est.)
2.42% (2020 est.)
1.95% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 44
Credit ratings
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 13.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 39.3% (2017 est.)
services: 47.4% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 192; industry 32; agriculture 74
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 42.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 20.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 38.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 11.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 23.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -35.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
potatoes, wheat, milk, watermelons, barley, onions, tomatoes, oranges, dates, vegetables
Industries
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 31.9% (2021 est.)
male: 27.8%
female: 54%
comparison ranking: total 31
Population below poverty line
5.5% (2011 est.)
Average household expenditures
on food: 37.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
Budget
revenues: $55.185 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $64.728 billion (2019 est.)
Public debt
27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
20.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover central government debt as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt
comparison ranking: 174
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$4.608 billion (2021 est.)
-$18.187 billion (2020 est.)
-$16.954 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 185
Exports
$41.776 billion (2021 est.)
$24.902 billion (2020 est.)
$38.551 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
comparison ranking: 68
Exports - partners
Italy 13%, France 13%, Spain 12%, United States 7%, United Kingdom 7%, India 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ammonia (2021)
Imports
$44.322 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$42.347 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$54.259 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 68
Imports - partners
China 18%, France 14%, Italy 8%, Spain 8%, Germany 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, wheat, packaged medical supplies, milk, vehicle parts (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$56.211 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$59.434 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$71.796 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 42
Exchange rates
Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
135.064 (2021 est.)
126.777 (2020 est.)
119.354 (2019 est.)
116.594 (2018 est.)
110.973 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 99.8% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 99.6% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 99.2% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 21.694 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 66.646 billion kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 673 million kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 531 million kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 9.897 billion kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 44; transmission/distribution losses 33; imports 85; exports 68; consumption 43
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 98.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 85,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 85,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 59 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 1,414,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 450,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 633,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 4,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 12.2 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 87,853,976,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 46,945,035,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 42,667,386,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 4,503,900,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
151.633 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 352,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 57.867 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 93.414 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 34
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 5,097,095 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 26
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 47,028,685 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 36
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Algeria has a steadily developing telecom infrastructure with growth encouraged by supportive regulatory measures and by government policies aimed at delivering serviceable internet connections across the country; mobile broadband is largely based on 3G and LTE, and the data rates are also low in global terms; LTE is available in all provinces, investment is required from the mobile network operators (MNOs) to improve the quality of service; the state has previously been hesitant to commit to 5G, instead encouraging the MNOs to undertake upgrades to LTE infrastructure before investing in commercial 5G services; in March 2022, the state is in the process of freeing up the requisite spectrum to enable the MNOs to launch 5G services sometime this year; fixed internet speeds remain slow (2022)
domestic: a limited network of fixed-lines with a teledensity of slightly less than 12 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; mobile-cellular teledensity was approximately 106 telephones per 100 persons in 2020 (2021)
international: country code - 213; ALPAL-2 is a submarine telecommunications cable system in the Mediterranean Sea linking Algeria and the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca; ORVAL is a submarine cable to Spain; landing points for the TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/SeaMeWe-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; MED cable connecting Algeria with France; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; Algeria part of the 4,500 Km terrestrial Trans Sahara Backbone network which connects to other fiber networks in the region; Alcomstat-1 satellite offering telemedicine network (2020)
Broadcast media
state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations
Internet users
total: 31.24 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 71% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 33
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,790,459 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 40
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 87
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,442,442 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 28.28 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
67 (2023)
civil airports: 19
military airports: 11
joint use (civil-military) airports: 14
other airports: 32
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
82
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
4 (2022)
Pipelines
2,600 km condensate, 16,415 km gas, 3,447 km liquid petroleum gas, 7,036 km oil, 144 km refined products (2013)
Roadways
total: 104,000 km (2015)
paved: 71,656 km (2015)
unpaved: 32,344 km (2015)
comparison ranking: total 45
Merchant marine
total: 119 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 4, general cargo 11, oil tanker 14, other 89
comparison ranking: total 84
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
LNG terminal(s) (export): Arzew, Bethioua, Skikda
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard (under ANP but responsible to the President), National Gendarmerie
Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2023)
note: the National Gendarmerie performs police functions outside urban areas under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense; it is comprised of territorial, intervention/mobile, border guard, railway, riot control, and air support units; General Directorate of National Security share responsibility for maintaining law and order
Military expenditures
4.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
5.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
6.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
6% of GDP (2019 est.)
5.5% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 8
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 250,000 active armed forces personnel (100,000 Army, 15,000 Air Force/Air Defense, 10,000 Navy, 1,000 Republican Guard, 125,000 Gendarmerie); approximately 200,000 General Directorate of National Security (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the ANP's inventory includes mostly Russian-sourced equipment; in recent years, Algeria has received arms from a variety of countries with Russia as the leading supplier (2023)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19-30 years of age for mandatory service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2023)
note: as of 2020, conscripts comprised an estimated 70% of the military
Military - note
the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities; key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco; Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK); border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel; the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamic militant groups; the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations
the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991; it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule; the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office
the ANP is well-funded and one of the better-equipped militaries in North Africa; over the past decade, it has made large investments in more modern equipment, including armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia but also China and Western European suppliers; it is a conscript-based force that exercises regularly, including jointly with foreign militaries such as those of Russia, Tunisia, and some Sahel countries; the ANP is part of the African Union’s Standby Force for North Africa; the core combat units of the Land Forces consists of multiple armored and mechanized divisions, as well as a combined airborne and special forces division, plus several separate brigades of mechanized or motorized infantry and tanks; the Naval Forces’ principal warships include nearly 20 frigates and corvettes and 6 attack submarines; in 2015, the Naval Forces acquired from Italy its first amphibious transport dock (LHD) ship, which is capable of carrying helicopters, small landing craft, and more than 300 troops; the Air Force has more than 100 Russian-made combat aircraft, as well as about 200 Russian-made combat helicopters (2023)
Space
Space agency/agencies
Algerian Space Agency (Agence Spatiale Algérienne, ASAL; established 2002) (2023)
Space program overview
has a national space policy and a national space research program with stated goals of supporting internal development, managing resource usage, mastering space technology, and reinforcing national sovereignty; builds and operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; researching and developing a range of space-related capabilities, including satellites and satellite payloads, communications, RS, instrumentation, satellite image processing, and geo-spatial information; has bilateral relationships with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Argentina, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the UK; also a member of the Arab Space Coordination Group, established by the UAE in 2019 (2023)
note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) – Algeria; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Algeria-Morocco: the Algerian-Moroccan land border remains closed; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; the National Liberation Front's (FLN) assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco remain a dormant dispute
Algeria-Libya: dormant dispute includes Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria
Algeria-Mali: none identified
Algeria-Mauritania: none identified
Algeria-Niger: none identified
Algeria-Tunisia: none identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): more than 100,000 (Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf); 7,345 (Syria) (mid-year 2022)
Trafficking in persons
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Algeria does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government made key achievements during the reporting period, therefore Algeria was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; authorities identified more trafficking victims, increased investigations and prosecutions, while continuing to convict traffickers; Algeria partnered with international organizations to train officials and conduct public awareness campaigns; however, government identification of and services for victims remained insufficient; authorities continued to punish some potential victims for unlawful acts traffickers compelled them to commit (2022)
trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims; Algerian women and girls are vulnerable to sex trafficking due to financial problems or after running away from home; undocumented sub-Saharan migrants are vulnerable to labor and sex trafficking and are exploited in restaurants, houses, and informal worksites; sub-Saharan men and women needing more funds for their onward journey to Europe work illegally in construction and commercial sex and are vulnerable to sex trafficking and debt bondage; foreign women and girls, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are subject to sex trafficking in bars and informal brothels; criminal begging rings that exploit sub-Saharan African migrant children are common and reportedly increasing (2022)