List of Yemen Governorates and Capitals - Largest and Smallest by Area & Population

Written and Fact-checked by Whereig Editors | Last Updated On: May 27, 2026

Yemen is divided into 22 governorates, which are further divided into districts. Here is a list of the 22 governorates of Yemen:

Yemen is a country located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia, Oman, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. The country is divided into 22 governorates and the municipality of Sana'a for administration and regional governance. Sana'a is the constitutional capital of Yemen, while Aden serves as the temporary administrative capital and major port city.

Yemen includes mountain highlands, coastal plains, desert regions, fertile valleys, and islands spread across the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. Different governorates are known for agriculture, fishing, trade, oil and gas production, coffee cultivation, and historic architecture, while Yemeni culture reflects ancient Arabian civilizations and centuries of Islamic heritage.

Key Facts

List of Governorates and Capitals of Yemen

Total administrative divisions shown: 23 | Combined population: 34,500,000 | Combined area: 527,968 km²

#	Administrative Division	Capital	Geographic Region	Area (km²)	Population (2024 Estimate)
1	Abyan	Zinjibar	Southern Coastal Region	16,943	650,000
2	Aden	Aden	Southern Port Region	760	1,100,000
3	Al Bayda	Al Bayda	Central Highlands	9,324	900,000
4	Al Hudaydah	Al Hudaydah	Red Sea Coast	13,685	3,400,000
5	Al Jawf	Al Hazm	Northern Desert Region	39,500	650,000
6	Al Mahrah	Al Ghaydah	Eastern Coastal Region	82,405	220,000
7	Al Mahwit	Al Mahwit	Western Highlands	2,858	850,000
8	Amanat Al Asimah	Sana'a	Capital Municipality	552	3,000,000
9	Amran	Amran	Northern Highlands	7,911	1,250,000
10	Dhamar	Dhamar	Central Highlands	7,935	2,100,000
11	Hadhramaut	Mukalla	Eastern Desert and Coast	163,680	1,700,000
12	Hajjah	Hajjah	Northwestern Highlands	8,117	2,400,000
13	Ibb	Ibb	Central Highlands	5,344	3,200,000
14	Lahij	Al Hawtah	Southern Highlands	13,160	1,150,000
15	Ma'rib	Ma'rib	Eastern Desert Region	17,405	600,000
16	Raymah	Al Jabin	Western Highlands	2,442	650,000
17	Saada	Saada	Northern Border Highlands	11,375	1,100,000
18	Sana'a Governorate	Sana'a	Central Highlands	11,864	1,450,000
19	Shabwah	Ataq	South-Central Desert Region	42,584	750,000
20	Socotra	Hadibu	Arabian Sea Islands	3,796	90,000
21	Taiz	Taiz	Southwestern Highlands	10,677	3,500,000
22	Al Dhale'e	Al Dhale'e	Southern Highlands	4,099	900,000
23	Al Jawf	Al Hazm	Northern Desert Region	39,500	650,000

Largest Administrative Divisions by Area

Hadhramaut - 63,197 sq mi (163,680 km²)
Al Mahrah - 31,817 sq mi (82,405 km²)
Shabwah - 16,442 sq mi (42,584 km²)
Al Jawf - 15,251 sq mi (39,500 km²)
Ma'rib - 6,720 sq mi (17,405 km²)
Abyan - 6,542 sq mi (16,943 km²)
Al Hudaydah - 5,284 sq mi (13,685 km²)
Lahij - 5,081 sq mi (13,160 km²)

Most Populous Administrative Divisions

Taiz - Population: 3,500,000 (2024 Estimate)
Al Hudaydah - Population: 3,400,000 (2024 Estimate)
Ibb - Population: 3,200,000 (2024 Estimate)
Amanat Al Asimah - Population: 3,000,000 (2024 Estimate)
Hajjah - Population: 2,400,000 (2024 Estimate)
Dhamar - Population: 2,100,000 (2024 Estimate)
Hadhramaut - Population: 1,700,000 (2024 Estimate)
Sana'a Governorate - Population: 1,450,000 (2024 Estimate)

Smallest Administrative Divisions by Area

Amanat Al Asimah - 213 sq mi (552 km²)
Aden - 293 sq mi (760 km²)
Raymah - 943 sq mi (2,442 km²)
Al Mahwit - 1,103 sq mi (2,858 km²)
Socotra - 1,466 sq mi (3,796 km²)
Al Dhale'e - 1,583 sq mi (4,099 km²)

Administrative Divisions by Geographic Grouping

Arabian Sea Islands: Socotra
Capital Municipality: Amanat Al Asimah
Central Highlands: Al Bayda, Dhamar, Ibb, Sana'a Governorate
Eastern Coastal Region: Al Mahrah
Eastern Desert and Coast: Hadhramaut
Eastern Desert Region: Ma'rib
Northern Border Highlands: Saada
Northern Desert Region: Al Jawf
Northern Highlands: Amran
Northwestern Highlands: Hajjah
Red Sea Coast: Al Hudaydah
South-Central Desert Region: Shabwah
Southern Coastal Region: Abyan
Southern Highlands: Al Dhale'e, Lahij
Southern Port Region: Aden
Southwestern Highlands: Taiz
Western Highlands: Al Mahwit, Raymah

Administrative Divisions with Coastline

Abyan
Aden
Al Hudaydah
Al Mahrah
Hadhramaut
Shabwah
Socotra

Landlocked Administrative Divisions

Al Bayda
Al Dhale'e
Al Jawf
Al Mahwit
Amanat Al Asimah
Amran
Dhamar
Hajjah
Ibb
Lahij
Ma'rib
Raymah
Saada
Sana'a Governorate
Taiz

Administrative Divisions Sharing an International Border

Al Jawf - borders Saudi Arabia
Al Mahrah - borders Oman
Hadhramaut - borders Saudi Arabia
Hajjah - borders Saudi Arabia
Ma'rib - borders Saudi Arabia
Saada - borders Saudi Arabia

Major Economic Activities by Administrative Division

Administrative Division	Main Economic Activity	Known For
Hadhramaut	Oil and trade	Largest governorate and Mukalla port
Aden	Shipping and commerce	Historic port city and refinery
Ibb	Agriculture	Terraced farming and coffee cultivation
Ma'rib	Energy production	Oil and natural gas reserves
Al Hudaydah	Fishing and trade	Major Red Sea port
Socotra	Tourism and fishing	Unique biodiversity and island ecology

Important Natural and Cultural Areas

Old City of Sana'a: Amanat Al Asimah
Socotra Archipelago: Socotra Governorate
Shibam Historic City: Hadhramaut Governorate
Dar al-Hajar Palace: Sana'a Governorate
Aden Crater District: Aden Governorate
Haraz Mountains: Al Mahwit Governorate

Sources

World Countries and Capitals

Location Map of Asian Countries

Yemen Governorates and Capitals List