Country Profile: Armenia

Armenia, a landlocked nation located in Southwestern Asia, is nestled between Turkey and Azerbaijan and is often seen as part of Europe. With a population of nearly 3 million, the country boasts a rich cultural heritage as the first nation to adopt Christianity in the early 4th century. Its economy shows resilience with a significant focus on copper and gold exports, while the government operates as a parliamentary democracy. The country has faced geopolitical challenges, particularly regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh region, impacting its governance and security frameworks.

Geography

Armenia is situated in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains and is defined by its mountainous terrain and highland continental climate, featuring hot summers and cold winters. Being landlocked, it shares borders with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran, with no coastline to speak of. The country's area totals approximately 29,743 sq km, with a majority of the population residing in the northern regions, primarily in the capital city of Yerevan.

1,570 km - Total land boundaries.
4,090 m - Highest point (Aragats Lerrnagagat').
28,203 sq km - Total land area.
58.6% - Percentage of agricultural land (2023 est.).
11.8% - Percentage of forested land (2023 est.).
1,360 sq km - Size of Lake Sevan, the largest lake in Armenia.

People and Society

Armenia has a population of approximately 2.96 million as of 2025, predominantly ethnic Armenians (98.1%). The country exhibits high literacy rates at 99.8%, and the median age is around 39.5 years. With 63.7% of the population urbanized, Yerevan stands out as the most populous city, housing over a million residents. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the primary religion, practiced by 95.2% of the population.

10.24 births/1,000 population - Birth rate (2025 est.).
76.7 years - Life expectancy at birth (2024 est.).
3.36 physicians/1,000 population - Physician density (2022).
99.8% - Literacy rate (2023 est.).
2.631 billion m³ - Consumption of natural gas (2023 est.).

Economy

Armenia's economy is characterized as an upper-middle-income, rapidly growing market with a focus on mining and exports of copper and gold. The GDP for 2024 is estimated at $60.909 billion (PPP), representing a growth rate of 5.9%. The nation faces challenges such as unemployment, estimated at 13.4% in 2024, and a dependency on imports due to geopolitical tensions affecting trade routes.

$25.787 billion - GDP at official exchange rate (2024 est.).
24.8% - Percentage of the population living below the poverty line (2022 est.).
5.5% - Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP (2024 est.).
76.3% - Percentage of GDP from exports of goods and services (2024 est.).
13.5% - Percentage of municipal solid waste recycled (2022 est.).

Government

Armenia operates as a parliamentary democracy with a constitution that was last adopted in 1995. The country is administratively divided into 11 provinces. The president is indirectly elected by the National Assembly, while the prime minister leads the executive branch. Recent political developments include the "Velvet Revolution," leading to significant changes in leadership and governance.

President: Vahagn Khachatryan (since March 2022).
Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan (since September 2021).
107 - Members of the unicameral National Assembly.
18 years - Age of suffrage.
4.1 - Potential support ratio (2025 est.).

Military and Security

The Armenian Republic Armed Forces include land, air, and air defense forces, with approximately 40,000 to 50,000 active personnel as of 2025. The military budget constitutes 5.5% of the GDP, reflecting Armenia's focus on defense, particularly regarding tensions with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Recent conflicts have redefined security strategies and military partnerships.

24 months - Length of conscription service.
1 - Number of operational nuclear reactors (2025).
5.5% - Military expenditures as a share of GDP (2024 est.).

Energy

Armenia's energy sector includes a diverse mix of electricity generation sources, primarily from fossil fuels and nuclear. The country's total installed generating capacity stands at 4.265 million kW, with a significant reliance on nuclear power for approximately 31.1% of electricity production. Electricity access is universal, and the energy consumption per capita is about 54.689 million Btu.

100% - Electrification rate of the total population (2022 est.).
7.012 billion kWh - Electricity consumption (2023 est.).
43% - Percentage of electricity from fossil fuels (2023 est.).
0.42 GW - Net capacity of operational nuclear reactor (2025).

Environment

Armenia faces several environmental challenges, including soil pollution, deforestation, and river contamination. The agricultural land represents a substantial portion of land use, and the country is part of multiple international environmental agreements addressing climate change and biodiversity.

58.6% - Percentage of land used for agriculture (2023 est.).
7.769 billion m³ - Total renewable water resources (2022 est.).
492,800 tons - Annual municipal solid waste generated (2024 est.).

Transportation

Armenia’s transportation infrastructure includes 11 airports and 686 km of railways. The civil aircraft registration code is EK, and the country has one heliport for air travel.

11 - Number of airports (2025).
1 - Number of heliports (2025).

Communications

The telecommunications sector in Armenia has expanded, with approximately 4.01 million mobile cellular subscriptions, resulting in a high penetration rate. The country also boasts a significant number of internet users, making up around 80% of the population.

80% - Percentage of the population using the internet (2023 est.).
546,000 - Total fixed broadband subscriptions (2023 est.).

Key Metrics

Metric	Value	Note
Population	2,963,837	(2025 est.)
Area	29,743 sq km
GDP (PPP)	$60.909 billion	(2024 est.)
Unemployment Rate	13.4%	(2024 est.)
Birth Rate	10.24 births/1,000 people	(2025 est.)
Life Expectancy	76.7 years	(2024 est.)
Electricity Access	100%	(2022 est.)
Military Expenditures	5.5% of GDP	(2024 est.)
Literacy Rate	99.8%	(2023 est.)
Urban Population	63.7%	(2023)