Yemen is located in Western Asia, and its capital is Sanaa. It has a population of approximately 40,583,164 and covers an area of about 527,970 km². Its official currency is the Yemeni rial (YER).
What stands out
People & place
76.9 /km² across 527,970 km²
Yemen has a recorded population of 40,583,164 and a reported surface area of 527,970 km².
Economic snapshot
$21.61 billion nominal GDP
Nominal GDP is recorded at $21.61 billion and GDP per capita at $634 for 2018. These measures do not describe income distribution or household wealth.
Yemen is a nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, a land of ancient civilisations, mud-brick skyscrapers and dramatic highlands. Once known to the Romans as Arabia Felix, fortunate Arabia, for its fertility and incense trade, it holds a deep and storied heritage. In recent years it has been devastated by a prolonged and severe conflict.
Yemen ranges from the fertile, surprisingly green western highlands around Sanaa to coastal plains along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and the vast desert of the Rub al Khali in the interior. The remote island of Socotra, with its unique flora, lies far offshore. The climate is mostly hot and arid.
Yemeni culture is among the oldest in the Arab world, famed for its distinctive tower-house architecture, the social ritual of chewing qat, traditional jambiya daggers, and rich traditions of poetry, music and craft. Islam shapes daily life, and tribal identity remains strong.
Home to ancient kingdoms such as Saba, the legendary land of the Queen of Sheba, Yemen grew wealthy on the incense trade. North and South Yemen unified in 1990, but the country later descended into civil war, producing one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises.
Key facts
The old city of Sanaa is famed for its ancient mud-brick tower houses.
Socotra island hosts unique species found nowhere else, like the dragon blood tree.
Ancient Yemen was home to the Sabaean kingdom, linked to the Queen of Sheba.
North and South Yemen united into a single state in 1990.
This overview is AI-assisted and grounded with available atlas facts and reference material. Treat linked primary data as authoritative. Read the methodology.
Population, area and economic figures use the latest available values from World Bank Open Data; reporting years can vary by country. See sources and methodology for indicator definitions, mapping attribution, and editorial limitations.
Yemen has a recorded population of approximately 40,583,164 people.
How big is Yemen?
Yemen covers an area of about 527,970 km².
What is the population density of Yemen?
Yemen has a population density of roughly 76.9 /km² (people per square kilometre).
What is the GDP of Yemen?
Yemen has a gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $21.61 billion as of 2018.
What is the GDP per capita of Yemen?
Yemen has a GDP per capita of approximately $634.
What currency is used in Yemen?
Yemen uses the Yemeni rial (YER), with the symbol ﷼.
Where is Yemen located?
Yemen is located in Western Asia, Asia.
What is the native name of Yemen?
The native name of Yemen is اليَمَن.
What are people from Yemen called?
People from Yemen are referred to as Yemeni.
What is the phone calling code for Yemen?
The international dialing code for Yemen is +967.
What is the internet domain for Yemen?
The country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Yemen is .ye.
What time zone is Yemen in?
Yemen uses the Asia/Aden time zone.
What is Yemen known for?
Yemen is a nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, a land of ancient civilisations, mud-brick skyscrapers and dramatic highlands. Once known to the Romans as Arabia Felix, fortunate Arabia, for its fertility and incense trade, it holds a deep and storied heritage. In recent years it has been devastated by a prolonged and severe conflict.
Western Asia