Algeria

The main languages spoken in Algeria are:
Arabic - the official language and lingua franca, spoken throughout the country.
French - widely used as a second/business language, though it has no official status.
Berber (Tamazight) - also an official language, with regional dialects including Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, and Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq).
Arabic and Tamazight are both official languages of Algeria.

Geography

Location: Northern Africa, on the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,740 sq km (largest country in Africa)

Land boundaries:
border countries: Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, Western Sahara

Coastline: 998 km

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 far north; Sahara Desert dominates south

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

People

Population: 47,735,685 (2025 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.8%
15-64 years: 62.3%
65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.27% (2023 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.3 years (2025 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.9 years
male: 77.2 years
female: 78.7 years (2024 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Religions: Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)

Population distribution: the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean coast

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

Data code: AG

Government type: presidential republic

National capital: Algiers

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Ayman BENABDERRAHMANE (since 7 July 2021)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Barlaman) consisting of the Council of the Nation (Majlis al-Umma) and the People's National Assembly

Economy

Economy - overview: state-dominated economy, a legacy of Algeria's socialist post-independence development model; hydrocarbons long the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 30% of GDP, 60% of budget revenues, and nearly 95% of export earnings; 10th-largest natural gas reserves in the world and 6th-largest gas exporter; government has pursued import substitution and restricted foreign involvement in recent years

GDP (purchasing power parity): $941.54 billion (2026 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2025 est.)

GDP - per capita: $19,676 PPP (2026 est.)

Inflation rate: 2.7% (August 2025)

Unemployment rate: 11.6% (2025 est.)

Labor force: 13,294,279 (2023)

Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing, manufacturing

Exports: $48.03 billion (2024); petroleum, natural gas, petroleum products, nitrogen fertilizers, cement

Exports - partners: Italy 24.5%, France 14.4%, Spain 12.5%, South Korea 7.56%, United States 5.23% (2024)

Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD)

Communications

Broadcast media: Radio Algerienne is the state-run radio broadcaster; the National Company of Television (ENTV) is the primary state-run public TV station (2024)

Military

Military branches: Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard, National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2025)

Transnational Issues

Trafficking in persons - tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List (2025)