Share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Share of population living below national poverty lines was 33.1% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia, 1995–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2021, share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia stood at 33.1%.
That represents a change of up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia peaked at 45.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 23.5%, in 2015.
Ethiopia ranks 9th of 70 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 45.5% | — |
| 1999 | 44.2% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 38.7% | -12.4% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | -23.5% |
| 2015 | 23.5% | -20.6% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | +40.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.9% | 44.2% | 45.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 38.7% | 38.7% | 38.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 23.5% | 29.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 33.1% | 33.1% | 33.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 6 Argentina 38.1% compare
- 7 South Africa 37.9% compare
- 8 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 37.7% compare
- 9 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 33.1% compare
- 11 Colombia 31.8% compare
- 12 Republic of Moldova 31.6%
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 share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia?
- Share of population living below national poverty lines in Ethiopia was 33.1% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living below national poverty lines recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 45.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest share of population living below national poverty lines recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.5% in 2015.
- How does Ethiopia rank for share of population living below national poverty lines?
- Ethiopia ranks 9th out of 70 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of population living below national poverty lines rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living below national poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.