National Identity
- Official name
- Kingdom of Eswatini
- Official name (in Swati)
- Umbuso weSwatini
- Name etymology
the country name derives from 19th century King MSWATI II, under whose rule Swati territory was expanded and unified
Sources:- The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005 ↗ - The Government Of the Kingdom Of Eswatini
- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
As published by the United Nations Three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
As published in EnglishSource:- un.int ↗ - the United Nations
- National anthem
- Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati1:08
- Title (in Swati)
- Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati
- Title (in English, translated)
- Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi
- Lyrics
Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati; Siyatibonga tonkhe tinhlanhla, Sibonga iNgwenyama yetfu, Live netintsaba nemifula.
Busisa tiphatsimandla takaNgwane Nguwe wedvwa Somandla wetfu; Sinike kuhlakanipha lokungenabucili Simise usicinise, Simakadze.
Source: - Citizens
- emaSwati
- Official name:The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005 ↗ - The Government Of the Kingdom Of Eswatini
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- National flag:un.int ↗ - the United Nations
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
- Total area
- 17,364 km²
- Land area
- 17,204 km²
- Water area
- 160 km²
- Land borders
- 546 km(2 countries)
- South Africa
- 438 km
- Mozambique
- 108 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Coastline
- 0 km(Landlocked)
- Terrain
Mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains - Mean elevation
- 305 m
- Highest point
- 1,862 mEmlembe
- Lowest point
- 21 mGreat Usutu River
- Climate
Varies from tropical to near temperate - Avg. temperature
- 19.7 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 14.9 to 25.9 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 866 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 28.3 23.2 19.1 145 February 28.5 23.3 19.2 119 March 27.8 22.3 18.2 101 April 25.9 20 15.6 53 May 24.6 17.5 12.3 23 June 22.9 15.2 9.5 13 July 22.5 14.9 9.3 14 August 24.1 16.9 11.3 23 September 25.9 19.2 13.7 39 October 25.8 20 15.2 78 November 26.8 21.4 16.8 121 December 27.9 22.7 18.3 137 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable10.3%Perm. crops1.0%Pasture58.1%Forest25.4%Other5.2%
- Arable land
- 177,000 hectares (10.3%)
- Permanent crops
- 18,000 hectares (1.0%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 1,000,000 hectares (58.1%)
- Forest
- 436,070 hectares (25.4%)
- Other land
- 88,930 hectares (5.2%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Drought4.7Medium#55/191Epidemics4.1Medium#123/191River floods1.8Very low#145/191Tropical cyclones0.2Very low#64/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowCoastal floods0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +1.09% per year+13,685 people/yearWorld Rank96thof 237
- Birth rate
- 22.9 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.8 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −4.3 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 22.7 yearsWorld Rank181stof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years32.6%15-64 years63.0%65 years +4.4%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 4.4%
- Share aged under 18
- 38.8%
- Total dependency ratio
- 59
- Youth dependency ratio
- 52
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 7
- Sex ratio
- 0.97 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.4% 70-79 0.8% 1.2% 60-69 1.6% 2.4% 50-59 2.9% 3.4% 40-49 5.4% 5.6% 30-39 7.5% 7.6% 20-29 9.2% 9.0% 10-19 10.5% 10.5% 0-9 11.1% 10.9% - 2026
- 0.44 above the replacement level for Eswatini ()2.64 births per womanreplacement 2.20123World Rank66thof 237
- 1.20 daughters per woman0.20 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +15.1 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 15.1 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −4.3 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 27.2% live in cities345,714 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2026
- Manzini
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
- Population distribution
- Because of its mountainous terrain, the population distribution is uneven throughout the country, concentrating primarily in valleys and plains.
- Ethnic groups
- Predominantly Swazi, with smaller populations of other African groups, including the Zulu, and people of European ancestry.
- Religions2015
- Christian90.0%Muslim2.0%Other8.0%
- Christian
- 90.0%
- Zionist - a blend of Christianity and traditional African religions
- 40.0%
- Roman Catholic
- 20.0%
- Other Christian (includes Anglican, Methodist, Church of Jesus Christ, Jehovah's Witness)
- 30.0%
Other includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, indigenous, Jewish.
Source:- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Languages
- Swati (SiSwati), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization, Largest cities:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Absolute monarchyThe King and iNgwenyama is a hereditary Head of State, with succession under the Constitution and Swazi law and custom, and commands the army, police and correctional services; the Constitution calls Swaziland "a unitary, sovereign, democratic Kingdom" (ss. 1, 4, 5).Source:
- System of government
- Monarch-led executiveThe Constitution establishes a "tinkhundla-based system"; the King appoints the Prime Minister on his Advisory Council's recommendation, the Cabinet answers to both King and Parliament, and the King may dissolve Parliament at any time (ss. 67, 69, 79, 134).Source:
- The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005 (Act No. 001 of 2005) ↗, ss. 67, 69, 79, 134
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Capital
- Mbabane60,691 people(2017)LobambaLegislative3,045 people(2025)
- National holidays
- 13 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- SunApr 19King's Birthday
- MonApr 20King's Birthday (observed)
- SatApr 25National Flag Day
- FriMay 1Worker's Day
- ThuMay 14Ascension Day
- WedJul 22Birthday of Late King Sobhuza
- SunSep 6Independence Day
- MonSep 7Independence Day (observed)
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- SASTSouth Africa Standard TimeUTC+2
- Currency
- Swazi Lilangeni (SZL)
- Calling code
- +268
- Internet TLD
- .sz
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- SZ, SWZ
- Infrastructure
- Railways301 km
- Passengers carried
- 36,157 by the country's airlines(2022)
- Heliports
- 1
- Aircraft departures
- 1,943 by the country's airlines(2022)
- Air freight
- 0 million tonne-km(2022)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 3DC
Sources:- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Eswatini AirState-owned
- 2025
- 23 / 100World Rank153rdof 182
Significant declinerDown 20 points since 2014, when it scored 43.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 37 33 40 2013 39 36 42 2014 43 38 48 2017 39 29 49 2018 38 31 45 2019 34 24 44 2020 33 24.9 41.1 2021 32 20.3 43.7 2022 30 20.3 39.7 2023 30 20.3 39.7 2024 27 21.3 32.7 2025 23 15.4 30.6 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005 (Act No. 001 of 2005) ↗ - Judiciary of Eswatini
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Lower middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +3.7% per yearWorld Rank70thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $4,775 (130th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services52.4% of GDPIndustry33.6% of GDPAgriculture6.4% of GDPManufacturing28.1%part of industry
- Households
- +63.5%
- Government
- +21.5%
- Investment
- +15%
- Exports
- +53.8%
- Imports
- −53.7%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 2.9%down 0.2 percentage points0.2pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 424,112 (34% of population)World Rank159thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 51.2% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 34.6%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 54.4% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $21.7 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 6% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 1.8% of GDP, $111 million surplus
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt37.2% of GDPInterest on debt3% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$2.3 billion90.9%
- Services$233.7 million9.1%
- Total exports
- $2.6 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 17.8 percent on the previous year17.8%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- 2024
- +0.30World Rank62ndof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +2.8% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Sugar cane, Pineapples, Maize (corn)
- 1Sugar cane5.4×
- 2Pineapples4.4×
- 3Maize (corn)0.1×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- soft drink concentrates, coal, forestry, sugar processing, textiles, and apparel
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2025
- SZL 11,416 per month$638 (USD)
- Median
- SZL 4,000 per month($224)
- Men
- SZL 12,683 per month($709)
- Women
- SZL 9,776 per month($546)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- SZL 600 per month, gross$33 (USD)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.695MediumWorld Rank126thof 193EswatiniWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Eswatini World 1990 0.570 0.608 1991 0.565 0.611 1992 0.558 0.614 1993 0.550 0.617 1994 0.543 0.620 1995 0.540 0.625 1996 0.532 0.631 1997 0.523 0.636 1998 0.511 0.641 1999 0.504 0.646 2000 0.493 0.651 2001 0.484 0.657 2002 0.473 0.662 2003 0.469 0.669 2004 0.467 0.675 2005 0.472 0.681 2006 0.485 0.688 2007 0.497 0.694 2008 0.507 0.698 2009 0.519 0.701 2010 0.534 0.707 2011 0.545 0.713 2012 0.562 0.717 2013 0.578 0.721 2014 0.592 0.726 2015 0.607 0.731 2016 0.619 0.735 2017 0.631 0.739 2018 0.643 0.741 2019 0.653 0.745 2020 0.657 0.742 2021 0.658 0.742 2022 0.695 0.752 2023 0.695 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2016latest available
- 54.6
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 8.7 years
- Expected for a child today
- 15.2 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2022
- 90.8% of adults
- Education expenditure2024
- 6% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 19.4%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 63.4% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 70.5%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 1.7 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 35,641
- Fixed broadband
- 2.5 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 5% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 32%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 65%
- Mobile-money account
- 50%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 61%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 1,404 people
- Asylum seekers
- 3,269
- Internally displaced persons
- 8All due to disasters
- Refugees from Eswatini abroad
- 162
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2022
- Official tourism site393,000 arrivalsdown 42% against 201942% below 2019World Rank104thof 139
- Per resident
- 3.2 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 109,600 arrivals
- $22.6 million(2023)
- Share of GDP
- 1.3% tourism direct GDP(2024)
- Domestic trips
- 129,600 overnight trips by residents
- Residents' trips abroad
- 711,000 overnight trips
- $42.2 million(2023)
- Hotel beds
- 6,148
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- Medium5.2 out of 10Drought and drier conditionsSeverity by monthSep 2024 to Aug 2026What the score is made ofImpact of the crisis5.4Conditions of people affected5.2Complexity of the crisis4.9
Data reliability as rated by INFORM: High. Last updated Aug 25, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate2024
- High by global standards13.7 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank16thof 115
- Crime rates
- 3 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 13.7 170 2024 Serious assault 347.9 4,198 2021 Kidnapping 4.5 54 2021 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 279.3 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 3,405
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 64.5 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 7.5% of GDP$296 per person
- Physicians2023
- 0.56 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2013
- 2 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 36.0 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 118 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 7.2 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2022
- 11.4% of adults
- Men
- 20.3%
- Women
- 2.6%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 33.5 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 1.09 Mt per yearup 1.5 percent on the previous year1.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0.7 t per personWorld Rank162ndof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 1.38 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.46 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 2.93 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 18.3 µg/m³ of PM2.51.3 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted70thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- limited supplies of potable water
- overhunting depleting wildlife
- population growth, deforestation, and overgrazing lead to soil erosion and soil degradation
- International agreements
- 18 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 51 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1997 Kyoto Protocol in force 2006 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1993 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1993 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1995 CITES in force 1997 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2013 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2006 Nagoya Protocol in force 2016 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 2013 World Heritage Convention in force 2006 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1997 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2005 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2012 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2006 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2012 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 25.9% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 4.5 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 3,700 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 41% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 1.1 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 94%
- Water stress
- 78% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 11.6% of the population100,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 29.6% of adults
- Men
- 15%
- Women
- 42.5%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2021
- 5% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 20.2 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 51% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 1 TWh imported, nothing exported in 20240.6 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.6 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 1.5 TWh per year
- Imports
- 1 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 2016Consumption20246,255 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.4% of GDP$79.7 million, 4.8% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- estimated 3,000active-duty Defense Force
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryno conscription; men and women 18–35
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Eswatini - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
