Central government debt, total in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Central government debt, total was 31.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
31.4%
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
68th
of 83 countries
All-time high
90.3%
in 1994
All-time low
10.7%
in 2013
Years of data
17
1990–2019

Central government debt, total in Ethiopia, 1990–2019

204060801001990200420191990: 47.2 % of GDP1991: 49.6 % of GDP1992: 43.3 % of GDP1993: 71.5 % of GDP1994: 90.3 % of GDP1995: 80.6 % of GDP1996: 70.4 % of GDP1997: 67.7 % of GDP1998: 76.1 % of GDP1999: 83.5 % of GDP2013: 10.7 % of GDP2014: 26.9 % of GDP2015: 27.9 % of GDP2016: 29 % of GDP2017: 30.1 % of GDP2018: 32.5 % of GDP2019: 31.4 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2019, central government debt, total in Ethiopia stood at 31.4%.

That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and up 193.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, central government debt, total in Ethiopia peaked at 90.3% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2013.

Ethiopia ranks 68th of 83 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Central government debt, total in Ethiopia, year by year

Annual values for Central government debt, total (% of GDP) in Ethiopia, 1990 to 2019.
Year % of GDP Change
1990 47.2%
1991 49.6% +5.2%
1992 43.3% -12.8%
1993 71.5% +65.1%
1994 90.3% +26.2%
1995 80.6% -10.7%
1996 70.4% -12.7%
1997 67.7% -3.8%
1998 76.1% +12.3%
1999 83.5% +9.7%
2013 10.7% -87.1%
2014 26.9% +151.0%
2015 27.9% +3.7%
2016 29.0% +3.8%
2017 30.1% +3.8%
2018 32.5% +8.1%
2019 31.4% -3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 68.0% 43.3% 90.3% 10
2010s 27.0% 10.7% 32.5% 7

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 65 Peru 35.2% compare
  2. 66 Republic of Moldova 34.3% compare
  3. 67 Belarus 33.2% compare
  4. 69 Norway 30.9% compare
  5. 70 Indonesia 30.0% compare
  6. 71 Malta 30.0% compare

See the full ranking of 90 places →

More economy & growth data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is central government debt, total in Ethiopia?
Central government debt, total in Ethiopia was 31.4% in 2019, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 90.3% in 1994.
What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2013.
How does Ethiopia rank for central government debt, total?
Ethiopia ranks 68th out of 83 countries with data for 2019.
Is central government debt, total rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is up 193.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Central government debt, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Central government debt, total in Ethiopia. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/central-government-debt-total-percent-of-gdp/ethiopia/

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About this data

Indicator
Central government debt, total (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
90 places, 1,726 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.