Map of Ethiopia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. 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.


top of page


Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,104,300 km²
Land: 1 million km²
Water: 104,300 km²
Rank: 28
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,925 km
Border countries: (6) Djibouti 342 km; , Eritrea 1033 km; , Kenya 867 km; , Somalia 1640 km; , South Sudan 1299 km; , Sudan 744 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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
Mean elevation: 1330 m
Elevation extremes: -125 m
Note: lowest point: Danakil Depression

Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 36.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 12.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 51.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,900 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: 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; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean


top of page


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:
Rank: 12
Growth rate: 2.83% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 11
Below poverty line: 29.6% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ethiopian(s)
Adjective: Ethiopian

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.)

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.)

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

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.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 82.1 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 75.8 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.3 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 15.8 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 18 years
Male: 17.8 years
Female: 18.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 213

Population growth rate: 2.83% (2018 est.)
Rank: 11

Birth rate: 36 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 17

Death rate: 7.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 110

Net migration rate: -0.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 107

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 20.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.63% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 4.4 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2018)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 48.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 55.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 41 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 31

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63 years
Male: 60.5 years
Female: 65.5 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 197

Total fertility rate: 4.91 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 15

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 36.5% (2017)

Drinking water source
Urban: 6.9% of population
Rural: 51.4% of population
Total: 42.7% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.03 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 0.3 beds/1000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 72.8% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 71.8% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 72% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.9% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 47
People living with hivaids: 610,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 14
Deaths: 15,000 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 16

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.5% (2016)
Rank: 185

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 23.6% (2016)
Rank: 20

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 94

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 49.1% (2015 est.)
Male: 57.2% (2015 est.)
Female: 41.1% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years (2012)
Male: 9 years (2012)
Female: 8 years (2012)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Conventional short form: Ethiopia
Local long form: Ityopiya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
Local short form: Ityopiya
Former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
Abbreviation: FDRE
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

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)

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)

Dependent areas

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.)

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

Constitution
History: several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995 (2017)
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)

Legal system: civil law system

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 SAHLE-WORK Zewde (since 25 October 2018)
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
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of Peoples Representatives
Electionsappointments: 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
Election results: SAHLE-WORK Zewde elected president; Parliament vote - 659 (unanimous): note: SAHLE-WORK Zewde is the first female elected head of state in Ethiopia; she is currently the only female president in Africa

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:: note: House of Federation is responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues and the House of People's Representatives is responsible for passing legislation

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 Peoples 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 Peoples 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 and leaders: Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [Taha AHMED]Argoba People Democratic Organization or APDOAmhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [Demeke MEKONNEN]Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Party or BGPDUPBlue Party (Semayawi Party) [Solomon TESSEMA, spokesman]Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum or MEDREK or FORUM [Beyene PETROS] (includes ESD-SCUP, OFC, SLM, UTDS)Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [ABIY Ahmed] (includes ANDM, OPDO, SEPDM, TPLF)Ethiopian Social Democracy-Sothern Coalition Unity Party or ESD-SCUPGambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDMHarari National League or HNL [Murad ABDULHADI]Oromo Fderalist Congress or OFCOromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [ABIY Ahmed]Sidama Liberaton Movement or SLMSomali People's Democratic Party or SPDPSouthern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement or SEPDM [Muferiat KAMIL]Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF [Meles ZENAWI]Union of Tigraians for Democracy & Sovergnty or UTDS

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)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kassa TEKLEBERHAN Gebrehiwet (since 24 January 2018)
In the us chancery: 3,506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
In the us consulate:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 3 October 2017)
From the us embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
From the us telephone: [251] 11 130-6,000
From the us FAX:  [251] 11 124-2,401

Flag description:

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

National anthem
Name: Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)
Lyricsmusic: DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu: note: adopted 1992

National heritage


top of page


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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 64

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 5

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 204

Gross national saving:
Rank: 26

Gdp composition by end use
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.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 21.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 43.6% (2017 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 13

Labor force: 52.82 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 13
By occupation agriculture: 72.7%
By occupation industry: 7.4%
By occupation services: 19.9% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 180

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 29.6% (2014 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 25.6% (2005)
Highest 10: 25.6% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 114

Budget
Revenues: 11.24 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 13.79 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 139

Taxes and other revenues: 13.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 203

Public debt:
Rank: 83

Revenue

Fiscal year: 8 July - 7 July

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 203

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 54

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 85

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 87

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 84

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 187

Exports:
Rank: 127
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)
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%)

Imports:
Rank: 89
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%)
Partners: China 24.1%, Saudi Arabia 10.1%, India 6.4%, Kuwait 5.3%, France 5.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 110

Debt external:
Rank: 87 (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access population without electricity: 71.2 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 24% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 85% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 10% (2013)
Production: 11.15 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 99
Consumption: 9.062 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 100
Exports: 166 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 78
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 146
Installed generating capacity: 2.784 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 99
Generation sources fossil fuels: 3% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 207
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 88
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 86% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 11
Generation sources other renewable sources: 11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 76

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 133
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 121
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 125
Crude oil proven reserves: 428,000 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 98

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 143
Products consumption: 74,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 89
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 153
Products imports: 69,970 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 67

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 130
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 144
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 102
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 123
Proven reserves: 24.92 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 72

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 12.18 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 99

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.181 million (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 70
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 62.617 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 24

Telephone system
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 (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line subscriptions at 1 per 100 while mobile-cellular stands at 59 per 100; the number of mobile telephones is increasing steadily (2017)
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)

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
Users total: 15,731,741 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 15.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 38

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 580,120 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Rank: 79


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 134

Military and security forces

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)

Space program

Terrorist groups
Home based alShabaab:
Foreign based alShabaab:


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 75 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 7,074,779 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,228,738,320
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ET (2016)

Airports: 57 (2013)
Rank: 83
With paved runways total: 17 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 40 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 20 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 659 km
Note: 1.435-m gauge (2017)
Standard gauge: 659 km: note: electric railway with redundant power supplies; under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia and managed by a Chinese contractor
Rank: 105

Roadways
Total: 110,414 km (2015)
Paved: 14,354 km (2015)
Unpaved: 96,060 km (2015)
Rank: 44

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 11 (2017)
By type: general cargo 9, oil tanker 2 (2017)
Rank: 146

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


top of page


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 Statementthe undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo regionEthiopian 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 Ethiopiacivil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 422,240 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 257,283 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 173,879 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 44,620 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)
IDPs: 2,075,278 (includes conflict- and climate-induced IDPs; 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) (2018)

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