Timor-Leste

Official name (in Tetum)

Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e

Official name (in Portuguese)

República Democrática de Timor-Leste

Name etymology

the name partly derives from the Indonesian and Malay word timur, meaning "east;" leste is the Portuguese word for "east," so "Timor-Leste" literally means "Eastern-East"

DesignMeaning

1. The National Flag is rectangular and formed by two isosceles triangles with superimposed bases, one being a black triangle with a height equal to one third of the length, which is superimposed on the yellow one, whose height is equal to half the length of the flag. In the centre of the black triangle is placed a white five-pointed star, [...] The white star has one of its points turned towards the upper left end of the flag. The remaining part of the flag is red.

Unofficial translation by Worldometer

EnglishPortuguese

Title (in Portuguese)

Pátria

Title (in English, translated)

Fatherland

Lyrics

PortugueseEnglish

Chorus

Pátria, pátria, Timor-Leste nossa nação. Glória ao povo e aos heróis da nossa libertação.

Pátria, pátria, Timor-Leste nossa nação. Glória ao povo e aos heróis da nossa libertação.

1

Vencemos o colonialismo. Gritamos: abaixo o imperialismo. Terra livre, povo livre, não, não, não à exploração.

Avante, unidos, firmes e decididos. Na luta contra o imperialismo, o inimigo dos povos, até à vitória final, pelo caminho da revolução!

Land area

14,874 km²

Water area

0.00 km²

Indonesia

253 km

Avg. temperature

24.6 °C

Avg. daily range

21.9 to 27.9 °C

Annual precipitation

1,628 mm

Temperature °CMeanDaily range

°C°F

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Precipitation mm

Monthly climate normals

Month	Avg. high, °C	Mean, °C	Avg. low, °C	Precipitation, mm
January	28	25.3	23.2	283
February	27.8	25.1	23	259
March	27.9	25	22.7	247
April	27.9	24.8	22.4	163
May	27.4	24.3	21.9	108
June	26.6	23.4	21	69
July	26.3	22.9	20.2	37
August	26.8	23	19.8	17
September	28.1	24.1	20.5	18
October	29.3	25.4	21.8	40
November	29.7	26.1	23	122
December	28.7	25.7	23.3	264

Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.

Arable land

111,500 hectares (7.5%)

Permanent crops

79,900 hectares (5.4%)

Permanent meadows & pastures

150,000 hectares (10.1%)

Forest

1,056,026 hectares (71.0%)

Other land

89,574 hectares (6.0%)

Birth rate

21.4 per 1,000 population

Death rate

7.1 per 1,000 population

Net migration rate

−1.2 per 1,000 population

MaleAgeFemale

80+70-7960-6950-5940-4930-3920-2910-190-9

% of total population

Population by age group, % of total population

Age	Male	Female
80+	0.4%	0.5%
70-79	1.1%	1.4%
60-69	2.0%	2.0%
50-59	3.6%	3.3%
40-49	4.4%	4.4%
30-39	6.9%	6.9%
20-29	10.0%	9.8%
10-19	11.0%	10.7%
0-9	11.0%	10.6%

Share aged 65 and over

5.2%

Share aged under 18

38.9%

Total dependency ratio

61

Youth dependency ratio

52

Elderly dependency ratio

8

Sex ratio

1.02 male / female

Austronesian groups include the Tetun, Mambai, Tokodede, Galoli, Kemak and Baikeno.Melanesian-Papuan groups include the Bunak, Fataluku and Bakasai.

Islam, Buddhist, and Hindu adherents each account for less than 1%.

The President, "symbol and guarantor of national independence", is elected by universal, free, direct, secret and personal suffrage, with a second round if no one wins over half; the state's name is "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste" (Arts. 1, 74, 76).

The Prime Minister is designated by the most voted party or majority alliance and appointed by the President; the Government answers to both President and Parliament, falls on censure by absolute majority, and dissolution requires a grave institutional crisis (Arts. 86, 106, 107, 112).

1. ThuJan 1New Year's Day
2. TueMar 3Veteran's Day
3. FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
4. FriApr 3Good Friday
5. FriMay 1International Worker's Day
6. WedMay 20Restoration of Independence Day
7. WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
8. ThuJun 4Corpus Christi
9. SunAug 30Popular Consultation Day
10. SunNov 1All Saints' Day
11. MonNov 2All Souls' Day
12. TueNov 3National Women's Day
13. ThuNov 12National Youth Day
14. SatNov 28Proclamation of Independence Day
15. MonDec 7Memorial Day
16. TueDec 8Day of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Timor-Leste Patroness
17. FriDec 25Christmas Day
18. ThuDec 31National Heroes Day

Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.

World average 42

highly corruptvery clean

Significant improverUp 16 points since 2015, when it scored 28.

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Confidence interval

Corruption index score by year

Year	Score	Lower bound	Upper bound
2012	33	23	42
2013	30	25	35
2014	28	20	36
2015	28	20	36
2016	35	25	44
2017	38	26	50
2018	35	27	43
2019	38	30.6	45.4
2020	40	35.6	44.4
2021	41	34.9	47.1
2022	42	33.7	50.3
2023	43	34.5	51.5
2024	44	35.6	52.4
2025	44	35.6	52.4

GDP per capita (nominal)

$1,520 (169th in the world)

The shape of the economy

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GDP by end use

Households

+83.6%

Government

+60.6%

Investment

+30.1%

Exports

+10.6%

Imports

−84.9%

Current account

38.5% of GDP, $836 million deficit

By specializationBy volume

ProductSpecialization index

1. 1Coffee (green)28.7×
2. 2Coconuts (in shell)17.1×
3. 3Avocados13.6×
4. 4Beans (dry)12.1×
5. 5Raw milk of goats8.6×
6. 6Mangoes and guavas and mangosteens4.1×
7. 7Meat of pig with the bone (fresh or chilled)2.9×
8. 8Rice2.6×
9. 9Groundnuts (in shell)2×
10. 10Maize (corn)2×

Median

$200 per month

Men

$263 per month

Women

$243 per month

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Timor-LesteWorld

Human Development Index by year

Year	Timor-Leste	World
2000	0.507	0.651
2001	0.521	0.657
2002	0.534	0.662
2003	0.534	0.669
2004	0.547	0.675
2005	0.564	0.681
2006	0.588	0.688
2007	0.609	0.694
2008	0.634	0.698
2009	0.631	0.701
2010	0.645	0.707
2011	0.655	0.713
2012	0.650	0.717
2013	0.646	0.721
2014	0.637	0.726
2015	0.628	0.731
2016	0.618	0.735
2017	0.621	0.739
2018	0.624	0.741
2019	0.642	0.745
2020	0.650	0.742
2021	0.644	0.742
2022	0.633	0.752
2023	0.634	0.756

Expected for a child today

13.3 years

Share of government spending

7.5%

Households with Internet access

18.2%

Fixed telephone lines

2,075

Fixed broadband

0 subscriptions per 100 people

Counts subscriptions, not people.

Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2021

Per resident

0.4 arrivals per 100 residents

Visitor spending in the country

$63.6 million(2024)

Residents' spending abroad

$135.3 million(2024)

Hotel beds

1,452

Average hotel stay

5.7 nights

A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.

A low figure can also mean weak recording.

Persons held

763

Men

76.4%

Women

21.1%

CO₂ per capita

0.5 t per person

World Rank175thof 207

Share of global CO₂

< 0.01%

Methane (CH₄)

1.01 Mt CO₂-eq

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

0.23 Mt CO₂-eq

All greenhouse gases

1.94 Mt CO₂-eq

WHO guideline

5 µg/m³

Treaty	Standing	Joined
Climate
Paris Agreement	in force	2017
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change	in force	2007
Kyoto Protocol	in force	2009
Ozone layer
Montreal Protocol	in force	2009
Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer)	in force	2009
Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity	in force	2007
CITES	not a party
Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn)	not a party
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety	not a party
Nagoya Protocol	not a party
Land and heritage
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands	not a party
World Heritage Convention	in force	2017
UN Convention to Combat Desertification	in force	2003
Chemicals and waste
Basel Convention	not a party
Rotterdam Convention (PIC)	not a party
Stockholm Convention (POPs)	not a party
Minamata Convention on Mercury	not a party
Oceans
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea	in force	2013
High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)	in force	2026
MARPOL 73/78	not a party

Per person

5,999 m³ per year

Dependency ratio

0% originates outside the country

Annual water withdrawal

1.2 billion m³ per year

Withdrawn for agriculture

91%

Water stress

28% of available freshwater withdrawn

Men

1.7%

Women

5.5%

Per capita

7.14 GJ per person

Share of world total

< 0.01%

Supply

Deficitproduces 41% of what it consumes, 2024

OverviewBy source

Generation

0.5 TWh per year

Consumption

0.4 TWh per year

According to Timorese law on military service, all citizens 18–30 must contribute to the defense of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country and render their contribution through defense and security institutions.