Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 8.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia, 1995–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia stood at 8.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia peaked at 12.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2004.
Ethiopia ranks 88th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 10.4% | — |
| 1999 | 6.1% | -42.1% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | -13.9% |
| 2010 | 9.4% | +80.6% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | +31.8% |
| 2021 | 8.9% | -27.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.3% | 6.1% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 10.9% | 9.4% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More poverty & inequality data for Ethiopia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.99 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,632 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -0.9299 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via -50 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.497 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 10.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Ethiopia was 8.9% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2004.
- How does Ethiopia rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Ethiopia ranks 88th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.