Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a diverse and historically significant country located in the Horn of Africa, known for its ancient cultural heritage and complex geopolitical landscape. With a population of over 114 million people, it is the second-most populous nation...
Your Ethiopia Roadmap
40+ page relocation analysis tailored to your profile.
- Custom Tax & Cost Projection
- District Matching for your Lifestyle
- Vetted Local Partner Directory
With a safety index of 50/100, Ethiopia offers moderate safety conditions for expats and their families.
All foreign nationals require a visa to enter Ethiopia, except citizens of Kenya and Djibouti who enjoy visa-free access with a valid passport.[5] U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia passport holders must obtain an eVisa in advance via the official portal at evisa.gov.et before travel, as travelers without a valid visa will be denied entry.[1][2][7] The eVisa application requires a passport valid for at least 6 months from entry date, a recent photo, flight itinerary, and payment of non-refundable fees. Processing...
Discover Cities in Ethiopia
Create your free profile to see personalized match scores.
14% below EU avg
23% below EU avg
61% below EU avg
81% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
Addis Ababa
Timezone
UTC+03:00
Area
1,104,300 km²
Population
114,963,583
Ethiopia shows a purchasing power index of 14/100, indicating below average economic conditions for expats.
GDP
$111.26B
HDI
0.5
Quality of Life
26/100
-17 vs NYC
Purchasing Power
6/100
-36 vs NYC
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Ethiopia. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Affordable costs (CPI: 41.7). Groceries (44.7), rent (17.4), and restaurants (22.9) are low compared to NYC=100 baseline, with regional variations.
Housing Market
Property prices average 44.2 years of household income, making housing very expensive. Rent index (17.4) offers some affordability in urban areas.
Average Income Levels
Low purchasing power index of 13.1 indicates weak buying power. GDP per capita around $1,134 supports limited incomes with growth at 7.3% in 2024.
Tax System
Progressive personal income tax up to 35%, corporate tax 30%, VAT 15%. Recent tax reforms aim to broaden base amid fiscal deficit reduction to 1.8% in FY24.
Business Environment
Ranked 159th out of 190 in ease of doing business (2019 data). High regulatory burden and bureaucracy hinder startups despite economic growth averaging 7%.
Social Security
Limited social safety nets with basic pension and healthcare via public system. Low coverage and quality, HDI 0.498 reflects challenges in programs for unemployment and poverty.
Ethiopia, spanning over 1.1 million km² in the Horn of Africa, features highly diverse climates driven by its dramatic topography, from scorching desert lowlands to cold Afro-alpine highlands. Defined by five altitude-based zones, the country experiences bimodal rainfall patterns with Kiremt (June-September) bringing heavy rains to highlands and Belg (February-May) affecting lowlands.
5 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
65.5
Population
114,963,583
Religions
Ethnic Composition
Research in Progress
We're currently analyzing expat perspectives for Ethiopia. Check back soon for insights from real experiences!
We're gradually rolling out this feature and continuously improving the insights. The data is based on real expat discussions and will become more comprehensive over time.
Ethiopia operates as a federal parliamentary republic led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2018, with President Taye Atske Selassie elected in 2024. The Prosperity Party dominates the bicameral legislature following the 2021 elections. The country faces challenges including armed conflicts, shrinking civic space, and preparations for 2026 elections.
Your Ethiopia Roadmap
40+ page relocation analysis tailored to your profile.
- Custom Tax & Cost Projection
- District Matching for your Lifestyle
- Vetted Local Partner Directory
Population
114,963,583
Currency
ETB
Timezone
UTC+03:00
Calling Code
+251
Week starts on
Monday
Gini Coefficient
35 (2015)
Traffic side
right side
Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.