country profile

Eritrea

Sub-Saharan AfricaLow income3.61M population

Last updated August 26, 2026

Fragile/Conflict-Affected Country: This country is classified as experiencing institutional and social fragility.

In fragile and conflict-affected settings, severe data gaps, rapid disruption, and uneven reporting can distort index values. These scores should be read as a limited signal, not a complete picture of conditions in the country.

Critically unprepared

Composite GEFRI Score

Systemwide critical constraints

Eritrea shows critically low readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (3rd percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints.

21.02Composite score

Global percentile: 3rd
Global rank: #173
Regional rank: #42
Viewing data for

Critically unprepared

Infrastructure

28.58

6th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44

Critically unprepared

Human Capital

28.96

3rd percentileGlobal avg. 66.18

Critically unprepared

Innovation

27.21

11th percentileGlobal avg. 48.64

Critically unprepared

Governance

7.59

1st percentileGlobal avg. 47.07

Critically unprepared

Access & Parity

12.77

3rd percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

Eritrea faces substantial readiness constraints across core dimensions. Its weakest results are in Human Capital (29, 3rd percentile), Infrastructure (29, 6th percentile), Innovation (27, 11th percentile), GEFRI Composite (21, 3rd percentile), School Access and Gender Parity (13, 3rd percentile) and Governance (8, 1st percentile). These gaps continue to weigh on overall readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity leans toward boys in secondary pathways, signalling persistent barriers for girls.

Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 3rd percentile.

Places 173rd worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 42nd within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scores range from Human Capital (29.0) to Governance (7.6), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Trails regional peers most clearly in Governance.

Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rank	Regional rank	Country	Score
61	1	Mauritius	69.13
67	2	South Africa	68.78
—	—	SeychellesMicrostate	64.14
86	3	Botswana	63.01
97	4	Namibia	59.03
100	5	Ghana	58.00
115	6	Eswatini	49.17
116	7	Cabo Verde	49.06
123	8	Rwanda	44.81
127	9	Gambia, The	43.01
128	10	Kenya	42.93
129	11	Senegal	42.87
130	12	Gabon	42.59
132	13	Equatorial Guinea	41.26
133	14	Cote d'Ivoire	41.19
139	15	Zambia	38.11
140	16	Lesotho	37.98
—	—	Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate	37.69
141	17	Togo	37.61
144	18	Benin	36.56
145	19	Zimbabwe	36.55
146	20	Tanzania	35.55
147	21	CameroonFCS	35.16
149	22	Mauritania	34.17
150	23	Sierra Leone	33.62
151	24	ComorosFCS	33.36
152	25	Burkina FasoFCS	32.56
153	26	Congo, Rep.FCS	32.39
154	27	Uganda	32.27
155	28	Angola	32.18
157	29	NigeriaFCS	31.67
158	30	MozambiqueFCS	30.55
159	31	MalawiFCS	30.35
160	32	EthiopiaFCS	30.26
161	33	MaliFCS	29.69
162	34	Madagascar	29.63
164	35	Guinea	28.36
165	36	Guinea-BissauFCS	28.36
168	37	Liberia	24.94
169	38	NigerFCS	24.54
170	39	Burundi	24.53
171	40	Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS	24.39
172	41	SudanFCS	23.03
173	42	EritreaFCS	21.02
174	43	ChadFCS	20.62
175	44	Central African RepublicFCS	20.44
176	45	SomaliaFCS	20.32
177	46	South SudanFCS	18.91