LocationsDriving Data with Digital Technology: Eritrea Strengthens Data Systems with Landmark Survey
May 8, 2026
Eritrea National Statistic Office in Asmara, Eritrea
Asmara, Eritrea – Eritrea is making significant and steady strides toward strengthening its national data and statistical systems—an essential foundation for evidence-based planning and accountable governance. Under the Joint Programme on Data for Development (D4D), the Eritrean National Statistics Office (NSO) demonstrated strong, accelerated momentum in 2025, advancing its agenda with substantial efficiency. These efforts are already contributing to improved national policy formulation by providing decision-makers with reliable, timely data to design targeted interventions in health, resource allocation, and development planning.
A key achievement was the successful completion of the Fourth Round Eritrea Population and Health Survey (EPHS 2025), the country’s most comprehensive population and health data source in more than a decade. The survey covered all six regions, ensuring full national representation, and reached 9,794 households across 405 Enumeration Areas, achieving a remarkable 98.4 percent household completion rate. Response rates for women’s and men’s interviews stood at 92 percent and 72 percent, respectively, despite the logistical challenges in accessing remote and hard-to-access communities.
This historic achievement was made possible by the strategic deployment of advanced digital data collection technology, which fundamentally transformed the survey’s efficiency and reliability. By moving away from traditional paper-based methods, the new technology enabled field teams to gather, validate, and transmit large volumes of information in near real time, reducing processing delays and minimizing human errors. This technological leap enabled the national survey to be completed with exceptional cost-efficiency and speed, all while maintaining rigorous accuracy across every data point, even in Eritrea’s most remote and logistically challenging regions. The adoption of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) has replaced decades of manual paperwork, resulting in a streamlined, high-integrity data collection process. Over 85 field staff from the NSO, the Ministry of Health, and regional administrations were trained and deployed through a highly coordinated national effort, ensuring that the power of this technology was matched by strong, system-wide institutional ownership and intersectoral collaboration.
Demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusivity, the questionnaires were translated into seven local languages: Tigrigna, Tigre, Saho, Afar, Bilen, Kunama, and Nara. The CAPI system also supported key functions, including household listing, random household selection, biomarker data collection, and real-time data cleaning. Nearly 400 tables across 20 chapters of the main survey report have already been produced, with report writing, printing, and dissemination scheduled for 2026. The survey was implemented with technical support from Mikro International Consultancy Service, based in Oslo, Norway, and UNECA.
Staff from the National Statistics Office (NSO), the Ministry of Health, and regional administrations during a training session in preparation for the Fourth Round Eritrea Population and Health Survey. Building capacity for quality data collection.
Concurrently, Eritrea achieved an important breakthrough in economic statistics, strengthening its core national infrastructure. The NSO successfully compiled national accounts estimates for 2023 using the production (value-added) approach. Building on this momentum, the NSO has already begun collecting secondary data from ministries and departments to compile the 2024 national accounts, further strengthening the national accounts system.
Another notable achievement in 2025 was the installation of a solar power system at the NSO, marking a significant step toward greener operations. By transitioning to clean, renewable energy, the NSO has reinforced its commitment to environmentally sustainable practices. The installation directly supports the timely implementation of the EPHS and economic statistics activities, while enhancing the office's long-term operational resilience.
With data collection now complete, the focus in 2026 will shift to analysis, reporting, dissemination, and advanced statistical capacity building. Next steps include finalizing and disseminating the EPHS 2025 report, conducting in-depth research on population and health issues, estimating 2024 GDP, and launching the Eritrea Household Income and Expenditure Survey (EHIS). Training sessions are also planned on topics such as mortality estimation, population projections, database management, and national accounts.
Overall, these achievements mark an important milestone in Eritrea’s statistical development, strengthened by the strategic use of modern data technologies to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. This progress reinforces the country's ability to generate and use reliable, gender-disaggregated data to guide policy, improve service delivery, and accelerate sustainable national development.