Economy - overview:
Ethiopia's economy is based on agriculture, but the government is pushing to diversify into manufacturing, textiles, and energy generation. Coffee is a major export crop. The agricultural sector suffers from poor cultivation practices and frequent drought. Although recent joint efforts by the Government of Ethiopia and donors have strengthened Ethiopia's agricultural resilience, changes in rainfall associated with world-wide weather patterns continue to create food insecurity for millions of Ethiopians.The banking, insurance, telecommunications, and micro-credit industries are restricted to domestic investors, but Ethiopia has attracted significant foreign investment in textiles, leather, commercial agriculture, and manufacturing. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; land use certificates are now being issued in some areas so that tenants have more recognizable rights to continued occupancy and hence make more concerted efforts to improve their leaseholds.While GDP growth has remained high, based on high saving and high investment, per capita income is among the lowest in the world. Ethiopia issued a second state-led Growth and Transformation development plan in mid-2015, which prioritizes industrialization and urbanization. Ethiopia has achieved high single-digit growth rates for the last decade through government-led infrastructure expansion and commercial agriculture development.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$159.2 billion (2015 est.) $146.5 billion (2014 est.) $132.8 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$57.56 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
8.7% (2015 est.) 10.3% (2014 est.) 9.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2015 est.) $1,600 (2014 est.) $1,500 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 212
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
28% of GDP (2015 est.) 25.1% of GDP (2014 est.) 28.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 68.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 8.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 39%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 10.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -26.2% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 41.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 15.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 43% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
49.27 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 85%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 5%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 10% (2009 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
17.5% (2012 est.) 18% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
39% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 25.6% (2005)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33 (2011) 30 (2000)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $9.114 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $11 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
45.8% of GDP (2015 est.) 47.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
note: official data cover central government debt, including debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury and treasury debt owned by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.3% (2015 est.) 7.4% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
NA%
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.5% (31 December 2015 est.) 11% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$11.53 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $9.981 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$23.77 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $20.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$27.75 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $22.58 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$3.78 billion (2015 est.) -$4.704 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$3.761 billion (2015 est.) $3.721 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
coffee, khat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds

Exports - partners:
China 17.1%, Germany 7.6%, US 7.2%, Belgium 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.7% (2014)

Imports:
$10.69 billion (2015 est.) $11.57 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners:
China 19.2%, US 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, India 5% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.589 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $3.483 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$15.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $12.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
birr (ETB) per US dollar - 21.55 (2015 est.) 19.8 (2014 est.) 19.8 (2013 est.) 17.71 (2012 est.) 16.9 (2011 est.)