Ethiopia has released new gross domestic product (GDP) figures that put the size of its economy at 31.86 trillion birr, or about $210.7 billion, for the 2025/26 fiscal year.
The figures were unveiled in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, November 4, according to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency's (ENA) report on the launch. They come from a rebasing exercise, which updates how the country measures its economy.
ENA also shared the headline figure in a post on its official X account.
What changed
Ethiopia moved its GDP base year to 2024/25 (2017 in the Ethiopian calendar), replacing the old 2015/16 benchmark, according to ENA and a Ministry of National Strategy report detailed by Birr Metrics.
Under the new method, GDP for 2024/25 is 24.03 trillion birr, about $201.42 billion. Under the old series it was 15.09 trillion birr. That is an upward revision of about 59%, according to the ministry report.
The ministry said the new figures count economic activity that was previously missed or under-recorded, using agricultural and business census data and household surveys.
The economy did not suddenly grow
Officials have stressed that the jump is a measurement change, not new production. "This does not mean the economy grew overnight," the Ministry of National Strategy said in its report, as quoted by Birr Metrics.
Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa said the new figures will support economic planning, fiscal and monetary policy and domestic revenue mobilization, ENA reported.
ECONOMIC REPORTS
Ethiopia Rebases GDP: Economy Now Measured at $210.7 Billion
Nov 4, 2026
Nov 5, 2026
3 min read
Published
Updated:
Ethiopia has released new gross domestic product (GDP) figures that put the size of its economy at 31.86 trillion birr, or about $210.7 billion, for the 2025/26 fiscal year.
The figures were unveiled in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, November 4, according to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency's (ENA) report on the launch. They come from a rebasing exercise, which updates how the country measures its economy.
ENA also shared the headline figure in a post on its official X account.
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What changed
Ethiopia moved its GDP base year to 2024/25 (2017 in the Ethiopian calendar), replacing the old 2015/16 benchmark, according to ENA and a Ministry of National Strategy report detailed by Birr Metrics.
Under the new method, GDP for 2024/25 is 24.03 trillion birr, about $201.42 billion. Under the old series it was 15.09 trillion birr. That is an upward revision of about 59%, according to the ministry report.
The ministry said the new figures count economic activity that was previously missed or under-recorded, using agricultural and business census data and household surveys.
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The economy did not suddenly grow
Officials have stressed that the jump is a measurement change, not new production. "This does not mean the economy grew overnight," the Ministry of National Strategy said in its report, as quoted by Birr Metrics.
Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa said the new figures will support economic planning, fiscal and monetary policy and domestic revenue mobilization, ENA reported.
Why it matters
A bigger GDP figure changes the ratios that lenders and investors watch. Because debt and tax totals stay the same, debt-to-GDP and tax-to-GDP ratios fall on paper.
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Analysis by bne IntelliNews, using IMF projections, estimates public debt would fall from about 45% of GDP to about 27% under the new base, and tax revenue from about 9% to under 6%. The government has not yet published its own new ratios.
The timing matters. IntelliNews describes Ethiopia as being in debt distress and in an IMF-supported loan programme, and reported that IMF staff are expected to hold talks on the programme's sixth review this month.
What happens next
National Strategy Minister Bereket Fesehatsion said rebasing will now be repeated every five years, according to ENA's report on his remarks. Officials say the work was done with technical help from the IMF. Whether the IMF and World Bank adopt the new figures in their own estimates remains to be seen.
