{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

The area that is modern-day Ethiopia is rich in cultural and religious diversity with more than 80 ethnic groups. The oldest hominid yet found comes from Ethiopia, and Ethiopia was the second country to officially adopt Christianity in the 4th century A.D. A series of monarchies ruled the area that is now Ethiopia from 980 B.C. to 1855, when the Amhara kingdoms of northern Ethiopia united in an empire under Tewodros II. Many Ethiopians still speak reverently about the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when they defeated Italian forces and thus retained their freedom from colonial rule. Emperor Haile SELASSIE became an internationally renowned figure in 1935, when he unsuccessfully appealed to the League of Nations to prevent Italy from occupying Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941. SELASSIE survived an attempted coup in 1960, annexed modern-day Eritrea in 1962, and played a leading role in establishing the Organization of African Unity in 1963. However, in 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed him and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, drought, and massive displacement, the Derg regime was toppled in 1991 by a coalition of opposing forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF became an ethno-federalist political coalition that ruled Ethiopia from 1991 until its dissolution in 2019. Ethiopia adopted its constitution in 1994 and held its first multiparty elections in 1995. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Ethiopia subsequently rejected the 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission demarcation. This intransigence resulted in more than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries.

In 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. Following a wave of popular dissent and anti-government protest that began in 2015, HAILEMARIAM resigned in 2018 and ABIY Ahmed Ali took office the same year as Ethiopia's first ethnic Oromo prime minister. In 2018, ABIY promoted a rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea that was marked with a peace agreement and a reopening of their shared border. In November 2019, Ethiopia's nearly 30-year ethnic-based ruling coalition, the EPRDF, merged into a single unity party called the Prosperity Party; however, the lead coalition party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), declined to join. In November 2020, a military conflict erupted between forces aligned with the TPLF and the Ethiopian military. The conflict - which was marked by atrocities committed by all parties - ended in November 2022 with a cessation of hostilities agreement between the Tigrayan leaders and the Ethiopian Government. However, Ethiopia continues to experience ethnic-based violence as other groups - including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Amhara militias - seek concessions from the Ethiopian Government.

" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Eastern Africa, west of Somalia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "8 00 N, 38 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "1,104,300 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "1,096,570 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "7,730 sq km" }, "note": "note: area numbers are approximate since a large portion of the Ethiopia-Somalia border is undefined" }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "5,925 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Djibouti 342 km; Eritrea 1,033 km; Kenya 867 km; Somalia 1,640 km; South Sudan 1,299 km; Sudan 744 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation" }, "Terrain": { "text": "high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Ras Dejen 4,550 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Danakil Depression -125 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "1,330 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "36.3% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 15.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "12.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "51.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "1,813 sq km (2020)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Tana - 3,600 sq km; Abaya Hayk - 1,160 sq km; Ch'amo Hayk - 550 sq km" }, "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Blue Nile river source (shared with Sudan [m]) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth" }, "Major watersheds (area sq km)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)" }, "Major aquifers": { "text": "Ogaden-Juba Basin, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

volcanism: 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": { "text": "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 may have originated in Ethiopia: coffee (almost certainly), grain sorghum, and castor bean" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "116,462,712 (2023 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Ethiopian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Ethiopian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "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": { "text": "Oromo (official working language of the State of Oromia Regional State) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of Somali Regional State) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the Tigray Regional State) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the Afar Regional State) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (2007 est.)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
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": { "text": "Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%, Muslim 31.3%, Protestant 22.8%, Catholic 0.7%, traditional 0.6%, other 0.8% (2016 est.)" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "

Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country – nearly 80% of the population lives in rural areas – that is in the early stages of demographic transition. Infant, child, and maternal mortality have fallen sharply over the past decade, but the total fertility rate has declined more slowly and the population continues to grow. The rising age of marriage and the increasing proportion of women remaining single have contributed to fertility reduction. While the use of modern contraceptive methods among married women has increased significantly from 6 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2012, the overall rate is still quite low.

Ethiopia’s rapid population growth is putting increasing pressure on land resources, expanding environmental degradation, and raising vulnerability to food shortages. With about 40 percent of the population below the age of 15 and a fertility rate of 4 children per woman (and even higher in rural areas), Ethiopia will have to make further progress in meeting its family planning needs if it is to achieve the age structure necessary for reaping a demographic dividend in the coming decades.

Poverty, drought, political repression, and forced government resettlement have driven Ethiopia’s internal and external migration since the 1960s. Before the 1974 revolution, only small numbers of the Ethiopian elite went abroad to study and then returned home, but under the brutal Derg regime thousands fled the country, primarily as refugees. Between 1982 and 1991 there was a new wave of migration to the West for family reunification. Since the defeat of the Derg in 1991, Ethiopians have migrated to escape violence among some of the country’s myriad ethnic groups or to pursue economic opportunities. Internal and international trafficking of women and children for domestic work and prostitution is a growing problem.

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "38.91% (male 22,821,026/female 22,498,331)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "57.55% (male 33,345,764/female 33,672,933)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3.54% (2023 est.) (male 1,887,831/female 2,236,827)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "75.7" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "70.2" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.5" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "18.1 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "19.8 years" }, "male": { "text": "19.6 years" }, "female": { "text": "20.1 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.42% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "29.97 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "23.2% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "5.461 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.84 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.3 years (2019 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "267 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "32.44 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "37.13 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "27.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "68.59 years" }, "male": { "text": "66.43 years" }, "female": { "text": "70.81 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "3.92 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "1.93 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "37.7% (2020)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 98.5% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 70.2% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 76.4% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 1.5% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 29.8% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 23.6% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "3.5% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2020)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "0.3 beds/1,000 population (2016)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 52.5% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 8.1% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 17.7% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 47.5% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 91.9% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 82.3% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2023)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria and dengue fever" }, "water contact diseases": { "text": "schistosomiasis" }, "animal contact diseases": { "text": "rabies" }, "respiratory diseases": { "text": "meningococcal meningitis" }, "note": "note: on 22 March 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Ethiopia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine" }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "4.5% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "1.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "5.1% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "8.8% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "1.3% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "21.1% (2019)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "67.5% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 15": { "text": "14.1%" }, "women married by age 18": { "text": "40.3%" }, "men married by age 18": { "text": "5% (2016 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "4.5% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "51.8%" }, "male": { "text": "57.2%" }, "female": { "text": "44.4% (2017)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "9 years" }, "male": { "text": "8 years" }, "female": { "text": "8 years (2012)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "5.7%" }, "male": { "text": "4.4%" }, "female": { "text": "7.2% (2021 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "36.3% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 15.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "12.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "51.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "23.2% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Food insecurity": { "widespread lack of access": { "text": "due to conflict in Tigray Region, drought conditions in southeastern areas, high food prices - according to the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, about 20.1 million people are estimated to be in need of emergency food assistance; the difficult food security situation is mainly the result of the lingering impact of the conflict in northern areas, episodes of intercommunal violence across the country, and the drought in southern areas that are affecting food availability and access; food insecurity is exacerbated by severe macroeconomic challenges including insufficient foreign currency reserves and the continuous depreciation of the national currency, which constrains imports of key commodities including fertilizers, as well as a very high inflation, with the year‑on‑year inflation rate estimated at 30.8 percent in May 2023 (2023)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "5.81% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "34.36 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "14.87 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "114.21 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "6,532,787 tons (2015 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Tana - 3,600 sq km; Abaya Hayk - 1,160 sq km; Ch'amo Hayk - 550 sq km" }, "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Blue Nile river source (shared with Sudan [m]) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth" }, "Major watersheds (area sq km)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)" }, "Major aquifers": { "text": "Ogaden-Juba Basin, Sudd Basin (Umm Ruwaba Aquifer)" }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "9.69 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "122 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Ethiopia" }, "local long form": { "text": "Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik" }, "local short form": { "text": "Ityop'iya" }, "former": { "text": "Abyssinia, Italian East Africa" }, "abbreviation": { "text": "FDRE" }, "etymology": { "text": "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": { "text": "federal parliamentary republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Addis Ababa" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "9 02 N, 38 42 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name in Amharic means \"new flower\" and was bestowed on the city in 1889, three years after its founding" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "11 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 Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sidama, Sumale (Somali), Tigray, YeDebub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples), YeDebub M'irab Ityop'iya Hizboch (Southwest Ethiopia Peoples)" }, "Independence": { "text": "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": { "text": "Derg Downfall Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995" }, "amendments": { "text": "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" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Ethiopia" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "4 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President SAHLE-WORK Zewde (since 25 October 2018)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister ABIY Ahmed Ali (since April 2018); Deputy Prime Minister DEMEKE Mekonnen Hassen (since 29 November 2012)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president indirectly elected by both chambers of Parliament for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election held on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (the scheduled 29 August 2020 election was postponed by Prime Minister ABIY due to the COVID-19 pandemic); prime minister designated by the majority party following legislative elections" }, "election results": { "text": "2021: SAHLE-WORK elected president during joint session of Parliament, vote - 659 (unanimous); ABIY confirmed Prime Minister by House of Peoples' Representatives (4 October 2021)

2018: SAHLE-WORK elected president during joint session of Parliament, vote - 659 (unanimous); note - snap election held on 25 October 2018 due to resignation of President MULATA Teshome" }, "note": "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": { "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (153 seats maximum; 144 seats current; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms)
House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats maximum; 470 seats current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; 22 seats reserved for minorities; all members serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "House of Federation - last held 4 October 2021 (next expected in October 2026)
House of People's Representatives - last held in two parts on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (next expected in June 2026)" }, "election results": { "text": "House of Federation - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - NA; composition - men 100, women 44, percent of women 30.6%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - Prosperity Party 454, NAMA 5, EZEMA 4, Gedeo People's Democratic organization 2, Kucha People Democratic Party 1, independent 4; composition - men 275, women 195, percent of women  41.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 38.9%" }, "note": "notes: 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; percent of vote percentages are calculated on the number of members actually seated versus on the constitutional maximums" }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "Federal Supreme Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the House of Federation has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues" }, "judge selection and term of office": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "House of People's Representatives:
Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice and Democracy or EZEMA [BERHANU Nega]   
Gedeo People's Democratic Party
Independent [n/a]
Kucha People Democratic Party 
National Movement of Amhara or NAMA [BELETE Molla]
Prosperity Party or PP [ABIY Ahmed Ali]", "note": "note: Ethiopia has over fifty national-level and regional-level political parties. The ruling party, the Prosperity Party, was created by Prime Minister ABIY in November 2019 from member parties of the former Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which included the Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM), plus other EPRDF-allied parties such as the Afar National Democratic Party (ANDP), Benishangul Gumuz People’s Democratic Party (BGPDP), Gambella People’s Democratic Movement (GPDM), Somali People’s Democratic Party (SPDP), and the Harari National League (HNL). Once the Prosperity Party was created, the various ethnically-based parties that comprised or were affiliated with the EPRDF were subsequently disbanded; in January 2021, the Ethiopian electoral board de-registered the Tigray People’s Liberation Front or TPLF; national level parties are qualified to register candidates in multiple regions across Ethiopia; regional parties can register candidates for both national and regional parliaments, but only in one region of Ethiopia" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (accession candidate)" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador SELESHI Bekele Awulachew (since 7 June 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 364-1200" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 587-0195" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
ethiopia@ethiopianembassy.org

https://ethiopianembassy.org/" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Los Angeles" }, "consulate(s)": { "text": "New York" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON (since 25 February 2022)" }, "embassy": { "text": "Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa" }, "mailing address": { "text": "2030 Addis Ababa Place, Washington DC  20521-2030" }, "telephone": { "text": "[251] 111-30-60-00" }, "FAX": { "text": "[251] 111-24-24-01" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
AddisACS@state.gov

https://et.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "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", "note": "note: Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag (adopted ca. 1895) were so often appropriated by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors; the emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996" }, "National symbol(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "\"Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia\" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu" }, "note": "note: adopted 1992" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { "text": "9 (8 cultural, 1 natural)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (c); Simien National Park (n); Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region (c); Axum (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)" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "growing Horn of Africa construction- and services-based economy; port access via Djibouti and Eritrea; widespread but declining poverty; COVID-19, locust invasion, and Tigray crisis disruptions; public investment increases; second largest African labor force" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$278.945 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$264.059 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$248.972 billion (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "5.64% (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2020": { "text": "6.06% (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "8.36% (2019 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$2,300 (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$2,300 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$2,200 (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$92.154 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "26.84% (2021 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020": { "text": "20.36% (2020 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "15.81% (2019 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B (2014)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "B2 (2020)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B (2014)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "34.8% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "21.6% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "43.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "69.6% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "10% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "43.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "-0.1% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "8.1% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-31.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "maize, cereals, wheat, sorghum, milk, barley, sweet potatoes, roots/tubers nes, sugar cane, millet" }, "Industries": { "text": "food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, garments, chemicals, metals processing, cement" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "7.26% (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "56.664 million (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "72.7%" }, "industry": { "text": "7.4%" }, "services": { "text": "19.9% (2013 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "3.69% (2021 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2020": { "text": "3.24% (2020 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "2.33% (2019 est.)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "5.7%" }, "male": { "text": "4.4%" }, "female": { "text": "7.2% (2021 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "23.5% (2015 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015": { "text": "35 (2015 est.)" } }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "56.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "3.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "4.1%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "25.6% (2005)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$11.308 billion (2020 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$13.979 billion (2020 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2019": { "text": "31.45% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Public debt 2018": { "text": "32.53% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Public debt 2017": { "text": "30.1% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "6.2% (of GDP) (2020 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "8 July - 7 July" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "-$4.507 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2020": { "text": "-$2.719 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "-$5.025 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2021": { "text": "$9.496 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2020": { "text": "$7.715 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$7.588 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "China 17%, United States 16%, United Arab Emirates 8%, Saudi Arabia 6%, South Korea 5%, Germany 5% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "coffee, gold, sesame seeds, vegetables, cut flowers, aircraft parts (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { "text": "$20.859 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2020": { "text": "$17.17 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$19.227 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 27%, India 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, France 9%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "aircraft, gas turbines, packaged medicines, electric filament, cars (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020": { "text": "$3.046 billion (31 December 2020 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019": { "text": "$2.993 billion (31 December 2019 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018": { "text": "$3.987 billion (31 December 2018 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2019": { "text": "$27.27 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Debt - external 2018": { "text": "$26.269 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "birr (ETB) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "43.734 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "34.927 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "29.07 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "27.429 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "23.866 (2017 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "population without electricity": { "text": "(2020) 59 million" }, "electrification - total population": { "text": "54.1% (2021)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "94.3% (2019)" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "42.7% (2021)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "4.856 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "9,778,100,000 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "1 billion kWh (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "3.374 billion kWh (2019 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "3.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "95.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "689,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "528,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "107,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "400,000 barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "69,970 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "16.798 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "1.474 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "15.324 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "3.219 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "890,000 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "(2021 est.) less than 1" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "65 million (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "54 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Ethio telecom is the major provider, but no longer has a complete monopoly on all telecom services; the World Bank in early 2021 provided a $200 million loan to help develop the country’s digital transformation, while the government has embarked on its 2020-2030 program as well as its Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, both aimed at making better use of digital technologies to promote socioeconomic development (2023)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions less than 1 per 100 while mobile-cellular stands at a little over 54 per 100 people (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) (2016)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "6 public TV stations broadcasting nationally and 10 public radio broadcasters; 7 private radio stations and 19 community radio stations (2017)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".et" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "20.4 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "17% (2021 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "212,000 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "0.2 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "75" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "11,501,244 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "2,089,280,000 (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "ET" }, "Airports": { "text": "57 (2021)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "text": "17", "note": "note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)" }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "text": "40", "note": "note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "659 km (2017) (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "659 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge" }, "note": "note: electric railway with redundant power supplies; under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia and managed by a Chinese contractor" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "120,171 km (2018)" } }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "12" }, "by type": { "text": "general cargo 10, oil tanker 2 (2022)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "text": "Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia" } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF) (2023)", "note": "note 1: national and regional police forces are responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order, with the ENDF sometimes providing internal security support; the Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) report to the Prime Minister’s Office

note 2: the regional governments control regional security forces, including \"special\" paramilitary forces, which generally operate independently from the federal government and in some cases operate as regional defense forces maintaining national borders; local militias also operate across the country in loose and varying coordination with these regional security and police forces, the ENDF, and the EFP; in April 2023, the federal government ordered the integration of these regional special forces into the EFP or ENDF

note 3: in 2020 the Ethiopian Government announced it had re-established a navy, which had been disbanded in 1996; in March 2019, Ethiopia signed a defense cooperation agreement with France which stipulated that France would support the establishment of an Ethiopian navy, which would reportedly be based out of Djibouti; in 2018, Ethiopia established a Republican Guard military unit responsible to the Prime Minister for protecting senior officials


" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.7% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "0.5% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "0.6% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "information varies; prior to the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, approximately 150,000 active-duty troops, including about 3,000 Air Force personnel (no personnel numbers available for the re-established Navy) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the ENDF's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, the ENDF has received arms from a variety of countries, including China, Israel, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates; Ethiopia has a modest industrial defense base centered on small arms and production of armored vehicles (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (although the military may, when necessary, recruit a person more than 22 years old); no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2023)", "note": "note: during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, the Ethiopian Government issued a nationwide state of emergency that enabled officials to order military-age citizens to undergo training and accept military duty; the order also recalled retired military officers to active duty" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "5-8,000 Somalia (approximately 4,000 for ATMIS; the remainder under a bilateral agreement with Somalia; note - bilateral figures are prior to the 2020-22 conflict with Tigray); 250 Sudan (UNISFA); 1,450 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2022)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) has traditionally been one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest, most experienced, and best equipped militaries, but it suffered heavy casualties and equipment losses during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict; the Ground Forces are estimated to have more than 20 infantry divisions, including several that are mechanized, along with at least 1 division of commandos/special forces; the Air Force has combat squadrons of multipurpose fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles; ENDF operations are often supported by sizeable regional state paramilitary units 

the 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), several insurgent groups and ethnic militias (including the ethnonationalist Amhara Fano), and the al-Shabaab terrorist group (see Appendix T); the ENDF is currently conducting counterinsurgency operations against anti-government militants in several states, including in Oromya (Oromia) against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an insurgent group that claims to be fighting for greater autonomy for the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group; in 2022, militants from the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group launched an incursion into Ethiopia's Somali (Sumale) regional state, attacking villages and security forces; the Ethiopian Government claimed that regional security forces killed hundreds of al-Shabaab fighters and subsequently deployed additional ENDF troops into Somalia’s Gedo region to prevent further incursions (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "al-Shabaab; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force", "note": "note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "

Ethiopia-Eritrea: 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

Ethiopia-Somalia: While border clashes continue in the al-Fashqa (Fashaga) area, the US views the 1902 boundary treaty between Ethiopia and Sudan as being in force; 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; 

Ethiopia-Sudan: Ethiopia's construction of a large dam (the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) on the Blue Nile since 2011 has become a focal point of relations with Egypt and Sudan; as of 2020, four years of three-way talks between the three capitals over operating the dam and filling its reservoir had made little progress; Ethiopia began filling the dam in July 2020; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia

" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "416,881 (South Sudan), 284,955 (Somalia), 165,450 (Eritrea), 13,513 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "2.73 million (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) (2023)" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Ethiopia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts included prosecuting more potential trafficking crimes, convicting more traffickers, increasing training for law enforcement officials, drafting regulations to create a victim protection fund, and conducting awareness campaigns at the federal and regional levels; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous year to improve its anti-trafficking capacity; corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns; protection services for victims remained limited and the government continued to rely on civil society organizations to provide most victim services without financial support; officials continued to focus mostly on transnational trafficking rather than on internal trafficking crimes, including domestic servitude and child sex trafficking; many officials continued to conflate human trafficking and migrant smuggling; government efforts to protect Ethiopian trafficking victims abroad remained minimal, and protection services for returning victims were inadequate; therefore, Ethiopia remained on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2022)" }, "trafficking profile": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Ethiopia, as well as Ethiopians abroad; girls from rural areas are exploited in domestic servitude and sex trafficking within the country and boys in forced labor in weaving, construction, agriculture, forced begging, and street vending; girls are exploited by brothel owners in Addis Ababa; traffickers fraudulently recruit vulnerable populations and exploit them in forced labor; several million internally displaced persons are vulnerable to trafficking; nearly 60,000 Ethiopians fleeing conflict in northern regions to seek asylum in Sudan and other neighboring countries are increasingly vulnerable to trafficking; international organizations report armed actors, including Eritrean forces, regional forces, Ethiopian National Defense Force, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front have committed human rights abuses and gender-based violence against women and girls in Tigray, including potential trafficking crimes; Ethiopian girls are exploited in domestic servitude and sex trafficking in neighboring countries, particularly Djibouti and Sudan; Ethiopian boys face forced labor or criminal activity in Djibouti; Ethiopian women and children are exploited in forced begging in Saudi Arabia, and some women suffer forced labor in Romania’s hotel industry; Ethiopia hosts more than 840,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea, who are increasingly vulnerable to trafficking; Cuban medical professionals in Ethiopia may have been forced to work by the Cuban government (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "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" } } }