Life stages in Djibouti

Djibouti uses a fragmented age- and role-based framework rather than one institution covering the whole life course. A child or minor is under 18, adolescents are aged 10 to 19, and young people are commonly defined as aged 15 to 24. Children under 18 made up 35.6% of the population in 2023, and adolescents made up 19.9%. More than 60% of the population is under 25. A national map of services for people over 60 has not been established, so demographic figures alone do not show the availability of older-age care. Civil registration is a foundation for several later rights and services. Birth registration takes place through the civil registrar, known locally as état civil, using paper-based or manual procedures. A birth certificate supports identification, school access and later voting rights. A child’s education file commonly includes a child identity document and health record; a foreign child may also need a residence permit and passport. Current nationwide fees and deadlines for registration are not documented in one verified schedule. Missing documents can lead to second-chance or non-formal education pathways, including LEC where available. The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, or MENFOP, oversees the main education pathway. Preschool entry generally begins at age 3 and primary school at age 6. Public primary education is mandatory and free for ages 6 to 16 under the state guarantee, and parents are expected to enrol children and support regular attendance. Primary access reached 99.2% in 2024, while preschool participation was 28.5%, with a target of at least 40% by 2030. Secondary completion was 79% overall, 77% for girls, 75% in urban areas and 31% in rural areas. These differences affect later training and work opportunities. Youth support focuses on keeping people in education and helping them enter work. Technical and professional options remain limited. Community Development Centers are being used as local training hubs, with commitments including 1,500 apprenticeships, volunteering opportunities and links between vocational and university pathways. Youth unemployment was about 75% for ages 15 to 24 in a 2017 baseline, and about 25% were not in employment, education or training, commonly abbreviated as NEET. Work entry is generally from age 16. Workers aged 16 to 18 have equal occupational rights, but restrictions apply to domestic work, hotels, bars and establishments serving drinks, with an exception for restaurant-only work. Marriage is legally permitted from age 18 under article 163 of the Civil Code. Registration through the civil registry generally requires recent birth extracts issued within three months, identity documents, a certificate of celibacy, a prenuptial certificate, witnesses and, where applicable, a contract. A marriage certificate is required for registering a child’s birth. The Family Code also covers divorce, maintenance, custody, parentage, guardianship, succession, incapacity and emancipation. The CNSS, Djibouti’s formal social-security system, covers retirement, survivor, invalidity and work-accident branches. Its family benefit applies to formal employees and equivalent categories for dependent resident children, up to six children, at 1,400 FDJ per month per child paid quarterly. Eligibility can include a father, a salaried divorced or widowed mother, or a single salaried mother when the spouse is unemployed. Declared private- and parapublic-sector contributors can receive maternity protection for 26 weeks, with compensation split equally between CNSS and the employer and paid over periods of 8, 6 and 12 weeks. No equivalent general entitlement has been established for informal workers; social-protection coverage therefore remains limited. In 2019, children’s social-protection coverage was 4%, while 12% of the population received at least one benefit. The normal CNSS retirement pension requires registration, a minimum age of 60 and a contribution period. For cohorts born from 1951 onward, the required contribution period is 25 years. An application can be submitted up to three months before age 60; after age 60, the pension is due from the first day of the month following the application and is paid quarterly. A proportional pension may be available from age 55, and an early pension from age 50 in cases of illness or incapacity. A surviving spouse may receive 50% of the deceased person’s pension subject to the applicable conditions, while orphans may share 30%. Disability support is established but access is fragmented. The ANPH, created in 2018, coordinates inclusion. The CMI, or Carte Mobilité Inclusion, records disability and can support access advantages, school and professional priority, a social allowance for the disabled person or legal guardian, and public-service benefits. ANPH social workers assess requests and can help with wheelchairs, white canes, crutches, Braille devices, hearing aids and other equipment supporting independent movement. Services are documented in Djibouti-ville, Arta, Ali-Sabieh, Tadjourah, Dikhil and Obock. Children with multiple disabilities may be referred to CAOR. Disability evidence and a medical certificate are normally needed, while nationwide fees and processing times are not uniform. No general all-age long-term-care benefit or residential elder-care system has been established. Child protection applies when a minor lacks family support, lives on the street, faces educational neglect, abuse, sexual or economic exploitation, begging, trafficking, organised crime or parental incapacity. The 2015 legal protection framework provides special treatment in child justice matters. In imminent danger, authorities can arrange safe placement and summon a parent or legal representative; the judge for children, prosecutor and social services may be involved. UNICEF supports referral systems, social workers and listening centres. Droughts, floods and other climate shocks can disrupt household income, schooling and basic services. A 2026 consortium involving UNICEF, IOM, WFP, the Italian Red Cross, the Djibouti Red Crescent and the government planned 24 months of assistance for more than 41,000 people across the five regions and urban areas. Cash, in-kind aid and social-protection measures depend on the programme and target group; they do not create a universal entitlement. Rural and peri-urban households, girls, refugees and migrants, people with disabilities, poor households and climate-affected communities often face additional access barriers, including documentation requirements. Community-based support can fill gaps, but it remains case-specific rather than a nationwide substitute for formal services.