The area that is modern-day Ethiopia is rich in cultural and religious diversity with more than 80 ethnic groups. The oldest hominid yet found comes from Ethiopia, and Ethiopia was the second country to officially adopt Christianity in the 4th century A.D. A series of monarchies ruled the area that is now Ethiopia from 980 B.C. to 1855, when the Amhara kingdoms of northern Ethiopia united in an empire under Tewodros II. Many Ethiopians still speak reverently about the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when they defeated Italian forces and thus retained their freedom from colonial rule.
Emperor Haile SELASSIE became an internationally renowned figure in 1935, when he unsuccessfully appealed to the League of Nations to prevent Italy from occupying Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941. SELASSIE survived an attempted coup in 1960, annexed modern-day Eritrea in 1962, and played a leading role in establishing the Organization of African Unity in 1963. However, in 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed him and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, drought, and massive displacement, the Derg regime was toppled in 1991 by a coalition of opposing forces, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF became an ethno-federalist political coalition that ruled Ethiopia from 1991 until its dissolution in 2019. Ethiopia adopted its constitution in 1994 and held its first multiparty elections in 1995.
A two-and-a-half-year border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Ethiopia subsequently rejected the 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission demarcation. This intransigence resulted in more than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries. In 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. Following a wave of popular dissent and anti-government protest that began in 2015, HAILEMARIAM resigned in 2018 and ABIY Ahmed Ali took office the same year as Ethiopia’s first ethnic Oromo prime minister. In 2018, ABIY promoted a rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea that was marked with a peace agreement and a reopening of their shared border. In November 2019, Ethiopia’s nearly 30-year ethnic-based ruling coalition, the EPRDF, merged into a single unity party called the Prosperity Party; however, the lead coalition party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), declined to join. In November 2020, a military conflict erupted between forces aligned with the TPLF and the Ethiopian military. The conflict - which was marked by atrocities committed by all parties - ended in November 2022 with a cessation of hostilities agreement between the Tigrayan leaders and the Ethiopian Government. However, Ethiopia continues to experience ethnic-based violence as other groups - including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Amhara militias - seek concessions from the Ethiopian Government.
land: 1,096,570 sq km
water: 7,730 sq km
note: area numbers are approximate since a large portion of the Ethiopia-Somalia border is undefined
border countries (6): Djibouti 342 km; Eritrea 1,033 km; Kenya 867 km; Somalia 1,640 km; South Sudan 1,299 km; Sudan 744 km
lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m
mean elevation: 1,330 m
arable land: 15.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)
forest: 12.2% (2018 est.)
other: 51.5% (2018 est.)
salt water lake(s): Lake Turkana (shared with Kenya) - 6,400 sq km; Abhe Bid Hayk/Abhe Bad (shared with Djibouti) - 780 sq km;
note 2: three major crops may have originated in Ethiopia: coffee (almost certainly), grain sorghum, and castor bean
116,462,712 (2023 est.)
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Oromo 35.8%, Amhara 24.1%, Somali 7.2%, Tigray 5.7%, Sidama 4.1%, Guragie 2.6%, Welaita 2.3%, Afar 2.2%, Silte 1.3%, Kefficho 1.2%, other 13.5% (2022 est.)
Oromo (official working language of Oromia Regional State) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of Somali Regional State) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of Tigray Regional State) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of Afar Regional State) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (2007 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Kitaaba Addunyaa Waan Qabataamaatiif - Kan Madda Odeeffannoo bu’uraawaatiif baay’ee barbaachisaa ta’e. (Oromo)
የአለም እውነታ መጽሐፍ፣ ለመሠረታዊ መረጃ እጅግ አስፈላጊ የሆነ ምንጭ። (Amharic)
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Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%, Muslim 31.3%, Protestant 22.8%, Catholic 0.7%, traditional 0.6%, other 0.8% (2016 est.)
Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country – nearly 80% of the population lives in rural areas – that is in the early stages of demographic transition. Infant, child, and maternal mortality have fallen sharply over the past decade, but the total fertility rate has declined more slowly and the population continues to grow. The rising age of marriage and the increasing proportion of women remaining single have contributed to fertility reduction. While the use of modern contraceptive methods among married women has increased significantly from 6 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2012, the overall rate is still quite low.Ethiopia’s rapid population growth is putting increasing pressure on land resources, expanding environmental degradation, and raising vulnerability to food shortages. With about 40 percent of the population below the age of 15 and a fertility rate of 4 children per woman (and even higher in rural areas), Ethiopia will have to make further progress in meeting its family planning needs if it is to achieve the age structure necessary for reaping a demographic dividend in the coming decades.Poverty, drought, political repression, and forced government resettlement have driven Ethiopia’s internal and external migration since the 1960s. Before the 1974 revolution, only small numbers of the Ethiopian elite went abroad to study and then returned home, but under the brutal Derg regime thousands fled the country, primarily as refugees. Between 1982 and 1991 there was a new wave of migration to the West for family reunification. Since the defeat of the Derg in 1991, Ethiopians have migrated to escape violence among some of the country’s myriad ethnic groups or to pursue economic opportunities. Internal and international trafficking of women and children for domestic work and prostitution is a growing problem.
0-14 years: 38.91% (male 22,821,026/female 22,498,331)
15-64 years: 57.55% (male 33,345,764/female 33,672,933)
65 years and over: 3.54% (2023 est.) (male 1,887,831/female 2,236,827)
total dependency ratio: 75.7
youth dependency ratio: 70.2
elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
potential support ratio: 18.1 (2021 est.)
total: 20.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 20 years
female: 20.5 years
2.4% (2023 est.)
30.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
highest density is found in the highlands of the north and middle areas of the country, particularly around the centrally located capital city of Addis Ababa; the far east and southeast are sparsely populated as shown in this
urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
5.461 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
19.3 years (2019 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
267 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 38.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.8 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 67.1 years (2023 est.)
male: 64.9 years
female: 69.4 years
3.92 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.93 (2023 est.)
37.7% (2020)
improved: urban: 98.5% of population
rural: 70.2% of population
total: 76.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.5% of population
rural: 29.8% of population
total: 23.6% of population (2020 est.)
3.5% of GDP (2020)
0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
0.3 beds/1,000 population (2016)
improved: urban: 52.5% of population
rural: 8.1% of population
total: 17.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 47.5% of population
rural: 91.9% of population
total: 82.3% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
4.5% (2016)
total: 1.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 5.1% (2020 est.)
male: 8.8% (2020 est.)
female: 1.3% (2020 est.)
21.1% (2019)
67.5% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 14.1%
women married by age 18: 40.3%
men married by age 18: 5% (2016 est.)
4.5% of GDP (2019 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.8%
male: 57.2%
female: 44.4% (2017)
total: 9 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2012)
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; loss of biodiversity; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management; industrial pollution and pesticides contribute to air, water, and soil pollution
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
agricultural land: 36.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 15.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)
forest: 12.2% (2018 est.)
other: 51.5% (2018 est.)
urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
widespread lack of access: due to conflict in Tigray Region, drought conditions in southeastern areas, high food prices - The difficult and worsening food security situation is the result of multiple shocks affecting food availability and access including: the conflict in northern Tigray Region and in adjacent areas of Amhara and Afar regions, which began in November 2020; in Tigray region alone, 5.3 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure; the failure of the March‑May 2022 “Gu‑Genna” rains in southern pastoral areas of southern Oromiya Region and southern Somali Region, exacerbated drought conditions prevailing since late 2020, causing severe crop and livestock losses; severe macroeconomic challenges including insufficient foreign currency reserves and the continuous depreciation of the national currency, as a result, inflation is at very high levels, with the year‑on‑year food inflation rate estimated at 35.5 percent in July, one the highest of the last decade; these difficulties are exacerbated by the ripple effects of the Ukraine war, which triggered hikes in international prices of wheat, fuel, and fertilizers (2023)
5.81% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 21.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 14.87 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 114.21 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 6,532,787 tons (2015 est.)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Tana - 3,600 sq km; Abaya Hayk - 1,160 sq km; Ch’amo Hayk - 550 sq km
salt water lake(s): Lake Turkana (shared with Kenya) - 6,400 sq km; Abhe Bid Hayk/Abhe Bad (shared with Djibouti) - 780 sq km;
Blue Nile river source (shared with Sudan [m]) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Ogaden-Juba Basin, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)
municipal: 810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 9.69 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
122 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
growing Horn of Africa construction- and services-based economy; port access via Djibouti and Eritrea; widespread but declining poverty; COVID-19, locust invasion, and Tigray crisis disruptions; public investment increases; second largest African labor force
$278.945 billion (2021 est.)
$264.059 billion (2020 est.)
$248.972 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
5.64% (2021 est.)
6.06% (2020 est.)
8.36% (2019 est.)
$2,300 (2021 est.)
$2,300 (2020 est.)
$2,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$92.154 billion (2019 est.)
26.84% (2021 est.)
20.36% (2020 est.)
15.81% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: B (2014)
Moody’s rating: B2 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: B (2014)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 34.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 21.6% (2017 est.)
services: 43.6% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 69.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 10% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 43.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 8.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -31.2% (2017 est.)
maize, cereals, wheat, sorghum, milk, barley, sweet potatoes, roots/tubers nes, sugar cane, millet
food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, garments, chemicals, metals processing, cement
7.26% (2021 est.)
56.664 million (2021 est.)
3.69% (2021 est.)
3.24% (2020 est.)
2.33% (2019 est.)
total: 5.7% (2021 est.)
male: 4.4%
female: 7.2%
23.5% (2015 est.)
35 (2015 est.)
on food: 56.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2005)
revenues: $11.308 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $13.979 billion (2020 est.)
-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
31.45% of GDP (2019 est.)
32.53% of GDP (2018 est.)
30.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
6.2% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
8 July - 7 July
-$4.507 billion (2021 est.)
-$2.719 billion (2020 est.)
-$5.025 billion (2019 est.)
$9.496 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$7.715 billion (2020 est.)
$7.588 billion (2019 est.)
China 17%, United States 16%, United Arab Emirates 8%, Saudi Arabia 6%, South Korea 5%, Germany 5% (2019)
coffee, gold, sesame seeds, vegetables, cut flowers, aircraft parts (2021)
$20.859 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$17.17 billion (2020 est.)
$19.227 billion (2019 est.)
China 27%, India 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, France 9%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)
aircraft, gas turbines, packaged medicines, electric filament, cars (2019)
$3.046 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$2.993 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$3.987 billion (31 December 2018 est.)
$27.27 billion (2019 est.)
$26.269 billion (2018 est.)
birr (ETB) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
43.734 (2021 est.)
34.927 (2020 est.)
29.07 (2019 est.)
27.429 (2018 est.)
23.866 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: 59 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 54.1% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 94.3% (2019)
electrification - rural areas: 42.7% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 4.856 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 9,778,100,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 1 billion kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 3.374 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 95.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 689,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 528,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 107,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 400,000 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
69,970 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
16.798 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.474 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 15.324 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
3.219 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 75
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 11,501,244 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,089,280,000 (2018) mt-km
ET
57 (2021)
17
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
40
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
total: 659 km (2017) (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
standard gauge: 659 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
note: electric railway with redundant power supplies; under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia and managed by a Chinese contractor
total: 120,171 km (2018)
paved: (2018)
unpaved: (2015)
total: 12 (2022)
by type: general cargo 10, oil tanker 2
Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia