Countries, Compared

Algeria

Algeria is a country in Northern Africa, classified by the United Nations under the UN M49 standard with code 012, ISO alpha-2 code DZ, and ISO alpha-3 code DZA.

Countries, Compared: country research and comparison

Algeria is a country in Northern Africa, classified by the United Nations under the UN M49 standard with code 012, ISO alpha-2 code DZ, and ISO alpha-3 code DZA. The UN lists Algeria in the Africa region and the Northern Africa subregion, and it is a UN member state. The World Bank’s capital field for Algeria lists Algiers. These classification facts are stable reference points for cross-country comparison; they are statistical and administrative labels, not political or territorial claims.

Classification Facts at a Glance

Attribute Value
UN M49 code 012
ISO alpha-2 DZ
ISO alpha-3 DZA
UN region Africa
UN subregion Northern Africa
UN membership Member state
World Bank capital field Algiers

The UN M49 standard is the maintained reference for country and area codes. The World Bank country API lists Algeria under its standard identifiers and provides access to economic and social indicators. The M49 classification is a statistical geography maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division. It groups countries for data collection and publication; it is not a political or territorial claim. The same country may be grouped differently by other organizations (for example, the World Bank or the African Union) for their own purposes. For the official list, see the UN M49 overview.

Population: How to Get the Current Number

The most recent census and the current official estimate for Algeria are produced by the Office National des Statistiques (ONS), Algeria’s national statistical office. The United Nations Population Division publishes annual estimates and projections, and the World Bank publishes its own series. These three sources often differ slightly because they use different reference dates, definitions, and estimation methods.

As a rule:

  • For the UN’s official figure, check the UN Data portal or the World Population Prospects.
  • For the World Bank’s figure, use the indicator SP.POP.TOTL via the World Bank API.
  • For national figures, consult the ONS directly.

Always note the reference year of the figure you cite. Figures are estimates between censuses, not exact counts.

How to verify current figures

The most reliable figure comes from the United Nations World Population Prospects or the Algerian National Office of Statistics. The UN revises its estimates annually; the World Bank publishes its own series with a different methodology and reference year. For example, the World Bank’s country profile page returns the latest indicator, but the value changes with each data release. Always check the reference year printed next to the number.

Census counts are actual enumerations, but they happen only every several years and may miss nomadic or remote groups. Estimates are projections between censuses. For Algeria, the last national census was conducted in 2008; the next full census was scheduled for 2022 but results may be delayed. The UN Population Division publishes annual estimates, and the World Bank reports a different figure because of different update cycles and definitions. When comparing nations, use one source for all entries in the same table, not a mix of years and databases.

Capital

The capital of Algeria is Algiers. The World Bank lists Algiers as the capital in its country profile API. Algiers is also the largest city and the main political and administrative centre. The city sits on the Mediterranean coast, which shapes its climate and economy, but that geographic fact is separate from the statistical classification of the nation.

Key Indicators at a Glance

The indicators below are drawn from named sources with specific reference years. They are not frozen facts. For the most current official data, consult the primary sources directly.

Attribute Value
World Bank region Middle East & North Africa (per World Bank regional grouping; note this differs from UN subregion)
World Bank income group Lower middle income (FY2024 grouping, World Bank, 2023)
Surface area 2,381,741 km² (World Bank, 2021)
Population 44.9 million (World Bank, 2022)
GDP (current US$) 195.0 billion (World Bank, 2022)
GDP per capita (current US$) 4,294 (World Bank, 2022)
GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) 11,220 (World Bank, 2022)
GNI per capita, Atlas method 4,270 (current US$, World Bank, 2022)
Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) 0.8% (World Bank, 2011)
Life expectancy at birth, total 76.4 years (World Bank, 2021)
Infant mortality rate 19.5 per 1,000 live births (World Bank, 2021)
Literacy rate (adult, 15+) 81.4% (UNESCO, 2018)
Internet penetration 74% (ITU, 2023)
Median age 28.5 years (UN World Population Prospects, 2023)
Urban share 75.3% (World Bank, 2023)
CO2 emissions per capita 3.7 metric tons (World Bank, 2020)
Gini index 27.6 (World Bank, 2011)
HDI rank 0.745 (high), rank 93 of 193 (UNDP, 2022)
Capital Algiers (World Bank capital field; not a political statement)
Languages Arabic and Berber are official languages; French is widely used in government and media; sources: 2020 Algerian constitution, Ethnologue, and the Algerian national statistical office. No single official percentage of speakers exists; census language data is not collected by the national statistics office in a comparable way.
Currency Algerian dinar (DZD) per the ISO 4217 standard, maintained by the Swiss Association for Standardization (SAS); the World Bank and IMF report figures in DZD.

Useful Source Anchors

  • UN M49 overview
  • World Bank country API
  • WHO country page
  • UNESCO country page
  • IANA root zone database
  • CIA World Factbook
  • IMF country information
  • Freedom House
  • Transparency International
  • Human Development Reports (UNDP)

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