2019 Edition

Background

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia did not accept them and maintained troops in previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. This intransigence resulted in years of heightened tension between the two countries. In August 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 February 2018 and ABIY Ahmed Ali took office in April 2018 as Ethiopia's first ethnic Oromo prime minister. In June 2018, ABIY announced Ethiopia would accept the border ruling of 2000, prompting rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea that was marked with a peace agreement in July 2018 and a reopening of the border in September 2018.

Area

Land

1,096,570 sq km

Total

1,104,300 sq km

Water

7,730 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

Highest Point

Ras Dejen 4,550 m

Lowest Point

Danakil Depression -125 m

Mean Elevation

1,330 m

Environment Current 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

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

Signed But Not Ratified

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geographic Coordinates

8 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography Note

note 1: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; Ethiopia is, therefore, 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 note 2: three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

Irrigated Land

2,900 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Djibouti 342 km, Eritrea 1033 km, Kenya 867 km, Somalia 1640 km, South Sudan 1299 km, Sudan 744 km

Total

5,925 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

36.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

15.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

20% (2011 est.)

Forest

12.2% (2011 est.)

Other

51.5% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughtsvolcanism: volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley; Erta Ale (613 m), which has caused frequent lava flows in recent years, 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

Natural Resources

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

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

Terrain

high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Age Structure

0 14 Years

43.21% (male 23,494,593 /female 23,336,508)

15 24 Years

20.18% (male 10,857,968 /female 11,011,100)

25 54 Years

29.73% (male 15,978,384 /female 16,247,086)

55 64 Years

3.92% (male 2,059,129 /female 2,185,814)

65 Years And Over

2.97% (male 1,445,547 /female 1,770,262) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

36 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

23.6% (2016)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

40.1% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

4% (2016)

Death Rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country – more than 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 more than 40 percent of the population below the age of 15 and a fertility rate of over 5 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.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

6.3 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

15.8 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

82.1 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

75.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

48.6% of population

Improved Total

57.3% of population

Improved Urban

93.1% of population

Unimproved Rural

51.4% of population

Unimproved Total

42.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

6.9% of population

Education Expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic Groups

Oromo 34.4%, Amhara (Amara) 27%, Somali (Somalie) 6.2%, Tigray (Tigrinya) 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Afar (Affar) 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Silte 1.3%, Kefficho 1.2%, other 8.8% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

11,000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

690,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

0.3 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

41 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

55.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

48.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 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.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

65.5 years

Male

60.5 years

Total Population

63 years (2018)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

41.1% (2015)

Male

57.2%

Total Population

49.1%

Major Infectious Diseases

Animal Contact Diseases

rabies (2016)

Degree Of Risk

very high (2016)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

Respiratory Diseases

meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2016)

Water Contact Diseases

schistosomiasis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

4.592 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

401 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

18.2 years

Male

17.8 years

Total

18 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

20 years (2016 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Ethiopian

Noun

Ethiopian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

4.5% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

108,386,391 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.83% (2018 est.)

Religions

Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.5%, traditional 2.7%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

28.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

28% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

27.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

71.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

72% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

72.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

8 years (2012)

Male

9 years

Total

8 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

0.99 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.98 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.82 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.99 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.91 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

30.9% (2016 est.)

Male

17.1%

Total

25.2%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

4.63% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

21.2% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

9 ethnically based regional states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

9 02 N, 38 42 E

Name

Addis Ababa

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

Amendments

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 (2017)

History

several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995

Country Name

Abbreviation

FDRE

Conventional Long Form

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Conventional Short Form

Ethiopia

Etymology

the country name derives from the Greek word "Aethiopia," which in classical times referred to lands south of Egypt in the Upper Nile region

Former

Abyssinia, Italian East Africa

Local Long Form

Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik

Local Short Form

Ityop'iya

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 3 October 2017)

Embassy

Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa

Fax

[251] 11 124-2401

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa

Telephone

[251] 11 130-6000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Ato FITSUM Arega (since 9 April 2019)

Consulate S

Houston, New York

Consulate's General

Los Angeles, Seattle

Fax

[1] (202) 587-0195

Telephone

[1] (202) 364-1200

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives

Chief Of State

President SAHLE-WORK Zewde (since 25 October 2018)

Election Results

SAHLE-WORK Zewde elected president; Parliament vote - 659 (unanimous)

Elections Appointments

president indirectly elected by both chambers of Parliament for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2019); prime minister designated by the majority party following legislative elections

Head Of Government

Prime Minister ABIY Ahmed (since 2 April 2018); Deputy Prime Minister DEMEKE Mekonnen Hassen (since 29 November 2012); note - Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012) resigned on 15 February 2018 and continued as caretaker until the new prime minister was sworn into office on 2 April 2018

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red, with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; green represents hope and the fertility of the land, yellow symbolizes justice and harmony, while red stands for sacrifice and heroism in the defense of the land; the blue of the disk symbolizes peace and the pentagram represents the unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia

Government Type

federal parliamentary republic

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 coalesced in the first century B.C.)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), 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, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UN Security Council (temporary), UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Federal Supreme Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the House of Federation has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues

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

Legal System

civil law system

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (153 seats; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms) House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; 22 seats reserved for minorities; all members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

House of Federation - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - NA; composition - men 104, women 49, percent of women 32% House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - EPRDF 501, SPDP 24, BGPDUP 9, ANDP 8, GPUDM 3, APDO 1, HNL 1; composition - men 335, women 212, percent of women 38.8%; note - total Parliament percent of women 37.3%

Elections

House of Federation - last held 24 May 2015 (next to be held in 2020) House of People's Representatives - last held on 24 May 2015 (next to be held in 2020)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu

Name

"Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)

National Holiday

Derg Downfall Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

National Symbol S

Abyssinian lion (traditional), yellow pentagram with five rays of light on a blue field (promoted by current government); national colors: green, yellow, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [Taha AHMED] Argoba People Democratic Organization or APDO Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Party or BGPDUP Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum or MEDREK or FORUM [Beyene PETROS] (includes ESD-SCUP, OFC, SLM, and UTDS) Ethiopia Citizens for Social Justice (ECSJ) Party; formed in May 2019 from 7 other parties, including Patriotic Genbot 7, Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP), Semayawi Party, New Generation Party, Gambella Regional Movement (GRM), Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) Party [Berhanu Negu] Ethiopian Prosperity Party (EPP); created in November 2019 from member parties of the former Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF, which included the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM), and Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), plus other ERPRF allies [ABIY Ahmed]; note: the TPLF [Meles ZENAWI] has refused to join the EPP as of late November 2019 Ethiopian Social Democracy-Southern Coalition Unity Party or ESD-SCUP Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM Harari National League or HNL [Murad ABDULHADI] Oromo Fderalist Congress or OFC Sidama Liberaton Movement or SLM Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP Union of Tigraians for Democracy & Sovergnty or UTDS (2019)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

cereals, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, khat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Budget

Expenditures

13.79 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

11.24 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

NA

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

12.2%

31 December 2017

13.5%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$6.574 billion

2017

-$6.551 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$24.82 billion

31 December 2017

$26.05 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2000

30

2011

33

Economy Overview

Ethiopia - the second most populous country in Africa - is a one-party state with a planned economy. For more than a decade before 2016, GDP grew at a rate between 8% and 11% annually – one of the fastest growing states among the 188 IMF member countries. This growth was driven by government investment in infrastructure, as well as sustained progress in the agricultural and service sectors. More than 70% of Ethiopia’s population is still employed in the agricultural sector, but services have surpassed agriculture as the principal source of GDP.Ethiopia has the lowest level of income-inequality in Africa and one of the lowest in the world, with a Gini coefficient comparable to that of the Scandinavian countries. Yet despite progress toward eliminating extreme poverty, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world, due both to rapid population growth and a low starting base. Changes in rainfall associated with world-wide weather patterns resulted in the worst drought in 30 years in 2015-16, creating food insecurity for millions of Ethiopians.The state is heavily engaged in the economy. Ongoing infrastructure projects include power production and distribution, roads, rails, airports and industrial parks. Key sectors are state-owned, including telecommunications, banking and insurance, and power distribution. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to tenants. Title rights in urban areas, particularly Addis Ababa, are poorly regulated, and subject to corruption.Ethiopia’s foreign exchange earnings are led by the services sector - primarily the state-run Ethiopian Airlines - followed by exports of several commodities. While coffee remains the largest foreign exchange earner, Ethiopia is diversifying exports, and commodities such as gold, sesame, khat, livestock and horticulture products are becoming increasingly important. Manufacturing represented less than 8% of total exports in 2016, but manufacturing exports should increase in future years due to a growing international presence.The banking, insurance, telecommunications, and micro-credit industries are restricted to domestic investors, but Ethiopia has attracted roughly $8.5 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), mostly from China, Turkey, India and the EU; US FDI is $567 million. Investment has been primarily in infrastructure, construction, agriculture/horticulture, agricultural processing, textiles, leather and leather products.To support industrialization in sectors where Ethiopia has a comparative advantage, such as textiles and garments, leather goods, and processed agricultural products, Ethiopia plans to increase installed power generation capacity by 8,320 MW, up from a capacity of 2,000 MW, by building three more major dams and expanding to other sources of renewable energy. In 2017, the government devalued the birr by 15% to increase exports and alleviate a chronic foreign currency shortage in the country.

Exchange Rates

2013

19.8

2014

21.55

2015

21.732

2016

21.732

2017

25

Currency

birr (ETB) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$2.814 billion

2017

$3.23 billion

Exports Commodities

coffee (27%, by value), oilseeds (17%), edible vegetables including khat (17%), gold (13%), flowers (7%), live animals (7%), raw leather products (3%), meat products (3%)

Exports Partners

Sudan 23.3%, Switzerland 10.2%, China 8.1%, Somalia 6.6%, Netherlands 6.2%, US 4.7%, Germany 4.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, UK 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal Year

8 July - 7 July

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

8.1% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

10% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

69.6% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-31.2% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

43.5% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

-0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

34.8% (2017 est.)

Industry

21.6% (2017 est.)

Services

43.6% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$80.87 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$1,900

2016

$2,000

2017

$2,200

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$167.6 billion

2016

$181 billion

2017

$200.6 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

10.4%

2016

8%

2017

10.9%

Gross National Saving

2015

32.4% of GDP

2016

32.7% of GDP

2017

32.1% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

25.6% (2005)

Lowest 10

4.1%

Imports

2016

$14.69 billion

2017

$15.59 billion

Imports Commodities

machinery and aircraft (14%, by value), metal and metal products, (14%), electrical materials, (13%), petroleum products (12%), motor vehicles, (10%), chemicals and fertilizers (4%)

Imports Partners

China 24.1%, Saudi Arabia 10.1%, India 6.4%, Kuwait 5.3%, France 5.2% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

10.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, garments, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

7.3%

2017

9.9%

Labor Force

52.82 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

72.7%

Industry

7.4%

Services

19.9% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

29.6% (2014 est.)

Public Debt

2016

53.2% of GDP

2017

54.2% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$3.022 billion

31 December 2017

$3.013 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$8.757 billion

31 December 2017

$9.042 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$25.78 billion

31 December 2017

$27.66 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$8.757 billion

31 December 2017

$9.042 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

13.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2011

18%

2012

17.5%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

12.18 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

428,000 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

26.5% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

42.9% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

85.4% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

58 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

9.062 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

166 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

3% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

86% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

2.784 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

11.15 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

74,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

69,970 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

Total

580,120

Broadcast Media

6 public TV stations broadcasting nationally and 10 public radio broadcasters; 7 private radio stations and 19 community radio stations (2017)

Internet Country Code

.et

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

15.4% (July 2016 est.)

Total

15,731,741

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line subscriptions at 1 per 100 while mobile-cellular stands at 59 per 100; the number of mobile telephones is increasing steadily (2018)

General Assessment

Ethio Telecom maintains a monopoly over telecommunication services; open-wire, microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; mobile broadband services via 3G and LTE networks; 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service; international Internet bandwidth increased 56% in 2016 to reach 35 Gb/s (2018)

International

country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

1.181 million

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

59 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

62.617 million

Airports

57 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

4 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

8 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

3 (2017)

Total

17 (2017)

Under 914 M

2 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

9 (2013)

2 438 To 3 047 M

3 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

20 (2013)

Total

40 (2013)

Under 914 M

8 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

ET (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 9, oil tanker 2 (2018)

Total

11

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

1,228,738,320 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

7,074,779 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

75 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia

Railways

Standard Gauge

659 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)

Total

659 km (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) (2017)

Roadways

120,171 km (2018)

Military And Security Forces

Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF); note - as of December 2018, a committee was tasked to reestablish a naval force and a special operations command (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

0.77% of GDP

2015

0.71% of GDP

2016

0.67% of GDP

2017

0.68% of GDP

2018

0.64% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2012)

Disputes International

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia

Illicit Drugs

transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Idps

2,164,201 (includes conflict- and climate-induced IDPs, excluding unverified estimates from the Amhara region; border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Somali and Oromia regions; natural disasters; intercommunal violence; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2019)

Refugees Country Of Origin

320,957 (South Sudan), 188,911 (Somalia), 146,690 (Eritrea), 51,855 (Sudan) (2019)

Terrorist Groups Foreign Based

aim(s): punish Ethiopia for participating in the African Union Mission in Somalia; compel Ethiopia to withdraw troops from Somalia area(s) of operation: aspires to conduct attacks in Addis Ababa; no permanent presence (April 2018)

Terrorist Groups Home Based

aim(s): punish Ethiopia for participating in the African Union Mission in Somalia; compel Ethiopia to withdraw troops from Somalia area(s) of operation: aspires to conduct attacks in Addis Ababa; no permanent presence (2018)