What is the capital of Yemen?
Sanaa stands at 2,300 metres above sea level beside the Sarawat Mountains, next to Jabal an-Nabi Shu'ayb and Jabal Tiyal, the highest mountains on the Arabian Peninsula.
Sana'a is the capital and seat of government of Yemen. Yemen itself has an estimated population of 41,773,878 (2025).
Sana'a is also the largest city in Yemen, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Sana'a at a glance
| City population | 3,300,000 (2023 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇾🇪 Yemen |
| Largest city in Yemen | Sana'a |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (AST) |
| Currency | Yemeni rial (YER) |
About Sana'a
Sanaa is the seventh highest capital city in the world by elevation.
The Old City of Sanaa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a strikingly distinctive architectural character.
The city is the capital of Sanaa Governorate but is not part of it: it forms a separate administrative unit of its own.
As of 2020 the greater Sanaa urban area held about 10 percent of Yemen's total population.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Sanaa.
Frequently asked questions
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Yemen on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.