THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: 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 won 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 called 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 2000. Ethiopia subsequently rejected the 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission demarcation. This resulted in more than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries. In 2012, longtime 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 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 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 2022 with a cessation of hostilities agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian Government. However, Ethiopia continues to experience ethnic-based violence as other groups -- including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Amhara militia Fano -- seek concessions from the Ethiopian Government.

Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,104,300 sq km
land: 1,096,570 sq km
water: 7,730 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 5,925 km
border countries: Djibouti 342 km; Eritrea 1,033 km; Kenya 867 km; Somalia 1,640 km; South Sudan 1,299 km; Sudan 744 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Elevation: highest point: Ras Dejen 4,550 m
lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m
mean elevation: 1,330 m
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Land use: agricultural land: 34.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 14.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 17.7% (2023 est.)
forest: 23.7% (2023 est.)
other: 42.2% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,814 sq km (2020)
Major lakes (area sq km): 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;
Major rivers (by length in km): Blue Nile river source (shared with Sudan [m]) - 1,600 kmnote: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Major aquifers: Ogaden-Juba Basin, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)
Population distribution: 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 population distribution map
Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts volcanism: volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley; Erta Ale (613 m) is the country's most active volcano; Dabbahu became active in 2005, forcing evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Alayta, Dalaffilla, Dallol, Dama Ali, Fentale, Kone, Manda Hararo, and Manda-Inakir
Geography - note: the most populous landlocked country in the world; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia

Population: total: 121,372,632 (2025 est.)
male: 60,461,406
female: 60,911,226
Nationality: noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups: 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.)
Languages: Languages: Oromo (official regional working language) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official regional working language) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official regional working language) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official regional working language) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (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)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%, Muslim 31.3%, Protestant 22.8%, Catholic 0.7%, traditional 0.6%, other 0.8% (2016 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.7% (male 23,092,496/female 22,765,882)
15-64 years: 58% (male 34,175,328/female 34,536,238)
65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,794,269/female 2,186,085)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 71.7 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 65.8 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 17.1 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 20.6 years (2025 est.)
male: 20.2 years
female: 20.7 years
Population growth rate: 2.34% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 29.08 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: 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 population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 5.461 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio: 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: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 19.3 years (2019 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 195 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 37.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.7 years (2024 est.)
male: 65.4 years
female: 70 years
Total fertility rate: 3.77 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.86 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 83.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 42.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 51.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 16.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 57.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 48.5% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 3.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density: 0.3 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 50.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 17.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 49.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 91.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 82.2% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 4.5% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: 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.)
Tobacco use: total: 4.5% (2025 est.)
male: 7.7% (2025 est.)
female: 1.4% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 21.2% (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 66.3% (2019 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 14.1% (2016)
women married by age 18: 40.3% (2016)
men married by age 18: 5% (2016)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 16.7% national budget (2024 est.)
Literacy: total population: 60.5% (2022 est.)
male: 71% (2022 est.)
female: 50% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: 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
International environmental agreements: 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
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Land use: agricultural land: 34.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 14.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 17.7% (2023 est.)
forest: 23.7% (2023 est.)
other: 42.2% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 18.519 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 3.427 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 15.092 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 23.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: energy: 1,108.5 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture: 1,948.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste: 356.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other: 143.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 6.533 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.8% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 810 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 51.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 9.687 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 122 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: YeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation: FDRE
etymology: the country name derives from the ancient Greek word used to describe the inhabitants, aithiops, meaning "burnt appearance"
Government type: federal parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Addis Ababa
geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name in Amharic means "new flower;" Empress TAITU gave the name to the new capital city in 1887
Administrative divisions: 12 ethnically based regional states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 chartered cities* (astedader akabibiwach, singular - astedader akabibi); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela), Hareri Hizb (Harari), Oromia, Sidama, Sumale, Tigray, YeDebub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples), YeDebub M'irab Ityop'iya Hizboch (Southwest Ethiopia Peoples), Southern Ethiopia Peoples
Legal system: civil law system
Constitution: history: several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995
amendment process: proposals submitted for discussion require two-thirds majority approval in either house of Parliament or majority approval of one-third of the State Councils; passage of amendments other than constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms and the initiation and amendment of the constitution requires two-thirds majority vote in a joint session of Parliament and majority vote by two thirds of the State Councils; passage of amendments affecting rights and freedoms and amendment procedures requires two-thirds majority vote in each house of Parliament and majority vote by all the State Councils
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Ethiopia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President TAYE Atske Selassie (since 7 October 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister ABIY Ahmed Ali (since April 2018)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives
election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by both chambers of Parliament for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister designated by the majority party following legislative elections
most recent election date: 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (scheduled 29 August 2020 election was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
election results: 2021: SAHLE-WORK Zewde reelected president during joint session of Parliament, vote - 659 (unanimous); ABIY confirmed Prime Minister by House of Peoples' Representatives (4 October 2021)
Legislative branch: legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name: House of Peoples' Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete)
number of seats: 547 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 6/21/2021 to 9/30/2021
parties elected and seats per party: Prosperity Party (448); Other (22)
percentage of women in chamber: 41.9%
expected date of next election: June 2026
Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name: House of the Federation (Yefedereshein Mekir Bete)
number of seats: 153 (all indirectly elected)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 10/4/2021
percentage of women in chamber: 29.7%
expected date of next election: October 2026
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of 11 judges)
judge selection and term of office: president and vice president of Federal Supreme Court recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; other Supreme Court judges nominated by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council (a 10-member body chaired by the president of the Federal Supreme Court) and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; judges serve until retirement at age 60
subordinate courts: federal high courts and federal courts of first instance; state court systems (mirror structure of federal system); sharia courts and customary and traditional courts
Political parties: Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice and Democracy or EZEMA Gedeo People's Democratic PartyIndependentKucha People Democratic Party National Movement of Amhara or NAMAProsperity Party or PP
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador BINALF Andualem Ashenef (since 25 February 2025)
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
email address and website: ethiopia@ethiopianembassy.orghttps://ethiopianembassy.org/
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, St. Paul (MN)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ervin MASSINGA (since 4 October 2023)
embassy: Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
mailing address: 2030 Addis Ababa Place, Washington DC 20521-2030
telephone: [251] 111-30-60-00
FAX: [251] 111-24-24-01
email address and website: AddisACS@state.govhttps://et.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, BRICS, COMESA, EITI, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (accession candidate)
Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world, at least 2,000 years; may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, which appeared in the first century B.C.
National holiday: Derg Downfall Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
Flag: description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red, with a light blue disk centered on the three bands; on the disk is a yellow pentagram with single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the pointsmeaning: green stands for hope and the land's fertility, yellow for justice and harmony, and red for sacrifice and heroism; the blue of the disk symbolizes peace, and the pentagram represents the Ethiopian people's unity and equalityhistory: the emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996
National symbol(s): Abyssinian lion (traditional), yellow pentagram with five rays of light on a blue field (promoted by government)
National color(s): green, yellow, red
National coat of arms: adopted in 1996, the coat of arms features the national symbol, a pentagram; the blue circle symbolizes peace, and the pentagram represents the unity and equality of the Ethiopian people
National anthem(s): title: "Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)
lyrics/music: DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu
history: adopted 1992
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 12 (10 cultural, 2 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (c); Simien National Park (n); Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region (c); Aksum (c); Lower Valley of the Awash (c); Lower Valley of the Omo (c); Tiya (c); Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town (c); Konso Cultural Landscape (c); Gedeo Cultural Landscape (c); Bale Mountains National Park (n); Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia (c)

Economic overview: low-income, fast-growing Horn of Africa economy; widespread poverty and food insecurity worsened by conflict and environmental factors; landlocked with tensions over seaport access; development aid supporting reforms to boost private-sector growth and financial stability; challenge of creating jobs for growing labor force
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $380.895 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $354.926 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $332.97 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 7.3% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 6.6% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.3% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $2,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,800 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $126.773 billion (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 21% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 30.2% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 33.9% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 34.9% (2024 est.)
industry: 25.4% (2024 est.)
services: 37.6% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 80.2% (2024 est.)
government consumption: 5.5% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
exports of goods and services: 5.6% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services: -11.8% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products: maize, cereals, wheat, milk, sorghum, barley, taro, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes (2023)
Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, garments, chemicals, metals processing, cement
Industrial production growth rate: 9.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 54.47 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 3.4% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.5% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 5.4% (2024 est.)
male: 4% (2024 est.)
female: 7.2% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 23.5% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021: 31.1 (2021 est.)
Average household expenditures: on food: 37.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% (2021 est.)
highest 10%: 24.8% (2021 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2023: 0.33% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget: revenues: $8.808 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $12.49 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2019: 31.4% of GDP (2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 3.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2023: -$4.788 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$5.16 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$4.507 billion (2021 est.)
Exports: Exports 2023: $10.865 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $10.971 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $9.496 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners: USA 12%, China 10%, UAE 8%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
Exports - commodities: coffee, garments, dried legumes, cut flowers, oil seeds (2023)
Imports: Imports 2023: $22.951 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $24.187 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $20.859 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners: China 26%, Djibouti 16%, India 7%, Kuwait 7%, Saudi Arabia 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, fertilizers, plastics, raw sugar, cars (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $3.784 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $2.028 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.192 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $25.426 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: birr (ETB) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2023: 54.601 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 51.756 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 43.734 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 34.927 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2019: 29.07 (2019 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 55% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 94%
electrification - rural areas: 43%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 5.69 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 12.298 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 1.762 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 4.194 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 3.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 96.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
geothermal: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal: production: 456,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 1.653 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 1,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
imports: 1.153 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption: 102,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 428,000 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: proven reserves: 24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 2.366 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 766,000 (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 85.9 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 65 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media: 10 public/state broadcasters; 9 public/state radio stations; 13 commercial FM radio stations; 18 commercial TV stations; 45 community radio stations; 5 community TV stations (2023)
Internet country code: .et
Internet users: percent of population: 17% (2021 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 566,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ET
Airports: 58 (2025)
Heliports: 1 (2025)
Railways: total: 659 km (2017) (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
standard gauge: 659 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
Merchant marine: total: 12 (2023)
by type: general cargo 10, oil tanker 2

Military and security forces: Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF; aka Federal Defense Force of Ethiopia, FDRE): Army, Air Force, Naval Force, Defense Cyber Main Directorate (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 0.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: available information varies widely; estimated 150-300,000 active-duty Defense Force (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the ENDF's inventory has traditionally been comprised of Russian, Soviet, and Eastern Bloc armaments; it suffered considerable equipment losses during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict; in more recent years, Ethiopia has diversified its arms sources to include such suppliers as China, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UAE; Ethiopia's defense industry produces small arms, as well as armored vehicles under license (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; 24-month service obligation; no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2025)
Military deployments: 1,500 South Sudan (UNMISS); estimated to have as many as 10,000 troops Somalia (approximately 2,500 under the AU; the remainder under a bilateral agreement with the Somali Government) (2025)
Military - note: the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is focused on both external threats emanating from its neighbors and internal threats from multiple internal armed groups; since 1998, the ENDF has engaged in several conventional and counterinsurgency operations, including border wars with Eritrea (1998-2000) and Somalia (2006-2008) and internal conflicts with the Tigray regional state (2020-2022), multiple insurgent groups and ethnic militias, and the al-Shabaab terrorist group; as of 2025, the ENDF was actively conducting counterinsurgency operations against anti-government militants in several states, including the Amhara militia Fano and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), as well as al-Shabaab in Somalia (2025)

Space agency/agencies: Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (ESSGI; formed in 2022 from the joining of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute or ESSTI and the Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute or EGII) (2025)
Space program overview: focuses on acquiring and operating satellites, as well as conducting research; jointly builds satellites with foreign partners, and operates and exploits remote sensing (RS) satellites; developing the ability to manufacture satellites and their payloads; involved in astronomy and the construction of space observatories; works with a variety of countries, including China, France, India, Russia, and multiple African countries, particularly Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda; shares RS data with neighboring countries (2025)
Key space-program milestones: 2015 - established Entoto Observatory and Space Science Research Center2019 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (Ethiopia RS Satellite or ETRSS-1) built and launched by China2020 - second RS satellite (ET-SMART-RSS) built with assistance from and launched by China; began construction of satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing facility2021 - established a multi-mission ground control station for RS satellites2024 - declared second satellite ground station operational2025 - announced plans to launch third RS satellite (ETRSS-02) in partnership with China in 2026

Terrorist group(s): al-Shabaab

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 1,071,881 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 3,134,600 (2024 est.)

Ethiopia