Ethiopia (Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)

Ethiopia Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	169th best
Capital	Addis Ababa
Land Area	1 000 000km21
Location	Africa
Population	109.2m2
Life Expectancy	64.97yrs (2017)3
GNI	$2 361 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	ET, ETH, 2315
Internet Domain	.et6
Currency	Birr (ETB)7
Telephone	+2518

1. Overview
2. Ethiopia National and Social Development
3. Ethiopia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Ethiopia's Health
6. Ethiopia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Ethiopia's Modernity and Learning
8. Ethiopia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#animism #christianity #egypt #eritrea #italy

“Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“In Ethiopia you´d be hard-pressed to find a better combination of nature and culture. The best part: there´ll be no crowds to hinder the experience. Ethiopia´s landscape impresses in both scale and beauty. Travellers will be thrilled by the amazing backdrop of canyons, chasms, lakes, savannah plains and high plateaus, not to mention the mesmerisingly desolate Danakil Depression, peppered with an astonishing 25% of Africa´s active volcanoes.

Ethiopia is one of the few African countries to have escaped European colonialism, so it has also retained much of its cultural identity. A highlight of any trip to the Horn is witnessing some of the many ceremonies and festivals that are an integral part of traditional culture in the region. They may be Christian, Islamic or animist festivals, or village events, such as a wedding, a rite-of-passage celebration or a local market day.

Its wide-ranging and fertile highlands are laden with historical treasures ranging from ancient Aksumite tombs and obelisks to 17th-century castles. It´s not dubbed the Cradle of Humanity for nothing: archaeologically speaking, Ethiopia is to sub-Saharan Africa what Egypt is to North Africa.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Ethiopia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
176	Eritrea	0.492
177	Guinea-Bissau	0.483
178	Liberia	0.481
179	Congo, DR	0.479
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
168	Tanzania	$2 664
169	Solomon Islands	$2 482
170	Guinea	$2 481
171	Ethiopia	$2 361
172	Rwanda	$2 210
173	Uganda	$2 181
174	Gambia	$2 172
175	Togo	$2 167
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
166	Libya	115.8
167	Cameroon	116.0
168	Laos	117.2
169	Ethiopia	117.2
170	Malawi	117.5
171	Niger	117.8
172	Sierra Leone	117.8
173	Syria	118.6
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.4
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Ethiopia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Ethiopia's population is predicted to rise to 118.51 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.06. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
9	Russia	145.7m
10	Japan	127.2m
11	Mexico	126.2m
12	Ethiopia	109.2m
13	Philippines	106.7m
14	Egypt	98.4m
15	Vietnam	95.5m
16	Congo, DR	84.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
148	Papua New Guinea	65.4
149	Marshall Islands	65.3
150	Sudan	65.3
151	Ethiopia	65.0
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
181	Ethiopia	4.06
182	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.10
183	Equatorial Guinea	4.17
184	Togo	4.20
185	Zambia	4.24
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
37=	Papua New Guinea	06.4
38=	Ghana	06.5
38=	Palestine	06.5
40=	Ethiopia	06.6
40=	Swaziland	06.6
42=	Central African Rep.	06.8
42=	Sudan	06.8
42=	Mauritania	06.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
148	Sierra Leone	1.3%
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.1%
155	Guinea	1.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
178	Papua New Guinea	0.9%
179	USA	0.8%
180	Namibia	0.7%
181	Ethiopia	0.7%
182	Tanzania	0.7%
183	Brazil	0.7%
184	Saudi Arabia	0.7%
185	Qatar	0.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #ethiopia #ethiopia_women #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
176	UAE	133.5
177	Guinea	135.7
178	Libya	135.9
179	Ethiopia	136.3
180	Qatar	136.5
181	Yemen	136.9
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Ethiopia is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Ethiopia does worse than average when it comes to combatting modern slavery₁₉, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀, freethought₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂ (still good for Africa), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₃, supporting press freedom₂₄, its average Freedom in the World rating and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₆ and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₇. There are severe restrictions on independent media, political life and civil society, with "arbitrary detention of those who do not actively support the government"₂₈. In 2017, security forces killed over 1000 protesters and detailed "tens of thousands more"₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Ethiopia

5. Ethiopia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #ethiopia #ghana #health #life_expectancy #longevity #madagascar #nigeria #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #sao_tome_&_principe #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
21=	Mauritania	126.0
22	Togo	126.2
23	Lesotho	127.0
24	Ethiopia	127.1
25	Gambia	127.3
26	Burundi	127.8
27	Swaziland	128.3
28	Comoros	130.6
29	Guinea-Bissau	131.1
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
163=	Mauritania	126.0
164	Togo	126.2
165	Lesotho	127.0
166	Ethiopia	127.1
167	Gambia	127.3
168	Burundi	127.8
169	Swaziland	128.3
170	Papua New Guinea	129.9
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Ethiopia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Ethiopia comes in the best 20 for its smoking rate₃₁ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂ (amongst the best in Africa). It does better than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. Ethiopia still has work to do. Ethiopia does worse than average when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁ (still high for Africa), its adolescent birth rate₃₄ (still good for Africa), childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₅, its immunizations take-up₃₆ and in its fertility rate₁₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Ethiopia in 1990 was the eight lowest in the world, at 44.6yrs. But it improved greatly, by +21.3yrs, in the 30 years from then, well over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Ethiopia's peak fertility rate was 7.4 in 1984.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
148	Papua New Guinea	65.4
149	Marshall Islands	65.3
150	Sudan	65.3
151	Ethiopia	65.0
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
52=	Uzbekistan	2.7
52=	Ghana	2.7
52=	Maldives	2.7
55	Ethiopia	2.9
56=	Fiji	3.0
56=	Benin	3.0
58	Togo	3.1
59=	Central African Rep.	3.3
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
180	Liberia	4.02
181	Ethiopia	4.06
182	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.10
183	Equatorial Guinea	4.17
184	Togo	4.20
185	Zambia	4.24
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better31
Pos.		Total %31
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
4	Ethiopia	5.2%
5	Turkmenistan	5.6%
6	Benin	6.3%
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Ethiopia had the lowest smoking rate in the world on average in the 2000s; although this continued to decline, other countries done better, so that in the 2010s it was only 3^rd-best (after Ghana and Nigeria).

Overweight Adults Lower is better32
Pos.		1976 %32
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
11	Burkina Faso	6.8
12	Maldives	7.2
13=	Sri Lanka	7.5
13=	Ethiopia	7.5
15	Myanmar	7.6
16	Burundi	7.7
17	Niger	7.8
18	Rwanda	7.9
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 %37
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
4	Madagascar	3.8%
5	Eritrea	4.2%
6	Cambodia	4.4%
7	Burundi	4.5%
8	Rwanda	4.6%
9	Japan	4.9%
10	Bangladesh	5.3%
11	Niger	5.3%
12	Chad	5.7%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 Per 100034
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
150	Eritrea	63.6
151	Senegal	64.6
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
156	Paraguay	69.9
157	Nauru	71.1
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
169	Indonesia	76.4
170	Mali	76.0
171	India	75.1
172	Ethiopia	73.9
173	Pakistan	73.0
174	Liberia	72.6
175	S. Africa	72.5
176=	Angola	71.9
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better35
Pos.		Total Per 100035
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
167	Sudan	65.51
168	Djibouti	66.40
169	Madagascar	66.96
170	Ethiopia	67.34
171	Burundi	71.23
172	Afghanistan	74.59
173	Haiti	76.58
174	Pakistan	76.85
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

From the 1970s to the 1980s, only 4 countries saw their infant mortality rate worsen; Ethiopia fared the 3rd-worst (after Madagascar and Sao Tome and Principe), although it recovered by the 1990s₃₅.

Ethiopia was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it was still amongst only 37 countries that fell into the same grouping. After that, its situation changed radically and it attained the highest rate of improvements in the world heading into the 2010s.

6. Ethiopia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #ethiopia #food #internationalism #meat #nigeria #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism #vietnam

Compared to Africa (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
31	Niger	61.3
32	Greece	61.4
33	Tanzania	61.6
34	Ethiopia	61.7
35	Indonesia	61.9
36	Cameroon	62.6
37	Italy	63.1
38	Jordan	63.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₉. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Ethiopia comes 34th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Ethiopia comes in the best 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₀ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁. But unfortunately Ethiopia gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₂ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₃. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its score on the Green Future Index₄₄.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better43
Pos.		Total43
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
186	Bolivia	-7.9%
187	Singapore	-7.9%
188	Guinea-Bissau	-8.0%
189	Ethiopia	-8.0%
190	Israel	-8.4%
191	Haiti	-8.8%
192	Kenya	-8.9%
193	Senegal	-9.1%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better42
Pos.		201842
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
138	Myanmar	45.3
139	Ivory Coast	45.3
140	Gabon	45.1
141	Ethiopia	44.8
142	S. Africa	44.7
143	Guinea-Bissau	44.7
144	Vanuatu	44.6
145	Uganda	44.3
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
13	Guinea-Bissau	0.45
14	Niger	0.48
15	Congo, DR	0.49
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
117	Mongolia	55%
118	Liberia	55%
119	Chad	55%
120	Ethiopia	55%
121	Ivory Coast	55%
122	Syria	54%
123	Namibia	54%
124	Algeria	54%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Meat Consumption Lower is better40
Pos.		2021 kg40
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
4	Madagascar	05.4
5	India	05.7
6	Nigeria	07.0
7	Ethiopia	07.1
8	Rwanda	07.6
9	Mali	07.8
10	Niger	08.1
11	Afghanistan	08.7
12	Uganda	09.4
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Ethiopia had the 6th-lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₄₀

Green Future Index Higher is better44
Pos.		2023 Score44
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
55	Thailand	4.1
56	Saudi Arabia	4.1
57	Kuwait	4.1
58	Ethiopia	4.0
59	Angola	4.0
60	Egypt	4.0
61	Dominican Rep.	4.0
62	Peru	4.0
	Africa Avg	4.0
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

Ethiopia has done very little recently to reduce its carbon emissions, according to the 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index. Only Vietnam and Nigeria done worse.₄₅

7. Ethiopia's Modernity and Learning

#education #ethiopia #intelligence #it_security #metric #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
38	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
39	Niger	133.3
40	Malawi	133.9
41	Ethiopia	136.9
42	Sudan	139.4
43	Congo, DR	139.9
44	Angola	140.6
45	Mozambique	141.4
46	Mauritania	143.9
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
169	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133.3
170	Niger	133.3
171	Malawi	133.9
172	Ethiopia	136.9
173	Puerto Rico	137.1
174	Sudan	139.4
175	Congo, DR	139.9
176	Cambodia	140.0
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2950
2	Israel	4.1150
3	Japan	3.5850
	...
50	Belarus	0.6751
51	Mali	0.6652
52	Bulgaria	0.6551
53	Ethiopia	0.6151
54	Latvia	0.6051
55=	Gabon	0.5853
55=	Argentina	0.5854
57=	Mexico	0.5450
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better55
Pos.		2025 %55
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
112=	Guinea-Bissau	90
112=	Guinea	90
112=	Libya	90
112=	Ethiopia	90
112=	Lesotho	90
112=	Grenada	90
112=	Jamaica	90
112=	Kuwait	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Ethiopia officially adopted metric in 1962₅₆. Progression:

• 1960 (40%): Traditional units dominant; limited metric in science.
• 1970 (60%): Metric standardization grows in official sectors.
• 1980 (75%): Commerce/education largely metric; rural legacy strong.
• 2000 (85%): Metric dominant officially.
• 2025 (90%): High metric usage; informal legacy persists.

Religiosity Lower is better57
Pos.		2018 %57
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
105=	Ethiopia	98
105=	Senegal	98
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better58
Pos.		200658
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
131=	Zimbabwe	66
131=	Senegal	66
133=	Sierra Leone	64
133=	Mozambique	64
133=	Ethiopia	64
133=	Central African Rep.	64
133=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	64
133=	Cameroon	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Education Datasets:

Education in Ethiopia declined in the first half of the 1990s, and in 1994 it had a shorter duration of education than any other country; the average person could expect 2.2 years, less than a quarter of the global average. In the 2000s, Ethiopia increased its expected duration of education by almost 4 years, the sixth-highest rise of any country in that decade. ₅₉

Secondary Education Higher is better60
Pos.		201860
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
156	Mauritania	18.8%
157	Senegal	17.6%
158	Sudan	17.5%
159	Ethiopia	17.1%
160	Rwanda	16.3%
161	Tanzania	14.3%
162	Mali	13.1%
163	Papua New Guinea	12.5%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better61
Pos.		2021 Years61
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
172	Guinea	9.8
173	Equatorial Guinea	9.7
174	Haiti	9.7
175	Ethiopia	9.7
176	Sierra Leone	9.6
177	Gambia	9.4
178	Tuvalu	9.4
179	Mauritania	9.4
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better62
Pos.		201662
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
187	Tanzania	5%
188	Central African Rep.	5%
189	Madagascar	4%
190	Ethiopia	4%
191	Congo, DR	4%
192	Guinea-Bissau	4%
193	Chad	3%
194	Myanmar	3%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better63
Pos.		201263
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
38=	Bahrain	71
38=	Saudi Arabia	71
40	Vietnam	73
41=	Ethiopia	75
41=	Myanmar	75
43	Uzbekistan	77
44	Syria	83
45	China	85
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better64
Pos.		201364
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
33	Cameroon	0.77
34	Burkina Faso	0.79
35	Ivory Coast	0.82
36	Ethiopia	0.84
37	Iran	0.85
38	Laos	0.86
39	Spain	0.88
40	Kuwait	0.93
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better65
Pos.		202465
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
114	Tajikistan	25.9%
115	Zimbabwe	24.9%
116	Mali	24.9%
117	Ethiopia	23.7%
118	Cameroon	23.4%
119	Mozambique	21.4%
120	Congo, DR	18.5%
121	Yemen	14.9%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Ethiopia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

National Culture Datasets:

On the Corruption Index, Ethiopia scored on average 33.2 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 4.8 points.

World Giving Index Higher is better66
Pos.		2022 %66
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
36=	Norway	45.0
36=	Austria	45.0
38=	Sri Lanka	44.0
38=	Ethiopia	44.0
38=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
38=	Paraguay	44.0
38=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
38=	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 Points67
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
91=	Belarus	39.0
91=	Moldova	39.0
91=	Colombia	39.0
94=	Ethiopia	38.0
94=	Brazil	38.0
94=	Argentina	38.0
94=	Tanzania	38.0
94=	Morocco	38.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better68
Pos.		2024 Score68
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
129	Liberia	4.3
130	Madagascar	4.2
131	Zambia	3.9
132	Ethiopia	3.9
133	Sri Lanka	3.9
134	Bangladesh	3.9
135	Egypt	3.8
136	Tanzania	3.8
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better69
Pos.		Total Q69
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
174	Congo, (Brazzaville)	49.0
175	Djibouti	47.7
176	Myanmar	46.5
177=	Ethiopia	45.3
177=	Nigeria	45.3
179	Congo, DR	43.2
180	Eritrea	42.5
181	Iran	42.3
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better70
Pos.		2023 Score70
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
148=	Turkey	2.80
149	N. Korea	2.85
150	Burkina Faso	2.87
151	Ethiopia	2.87
152	Central African Rep.	2.93
153	Mali	2.96
154	Iraq	3.01
155	Sudan	3.02
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better71
Pos.		2019 Score71
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
119	Palestine	5.18
120	Bangladesh	5.21
121	Saudi Arabia	5.24
122	Ethiopia	5.35
123	UK	5.41
124	Burkina Faso	5.42
125	Myanmar	5.51
126	Mozambique	5.54
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better72
Pos.		Total %72
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
91	Togo	34.42%
92	Mali	36.10%
93	Rwanda	38.55%
94	Ethiopia	38.64%
95	Chad	39.48%
96	Guinea-Bissau	39.86%
97	Nigeria	41.82%
98	Burkina Faso	42.06%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, 3 in 10 of Ethiopa's population rose above the poverty line.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better73
Pos.		201973
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
147=	Ghana	24.20
148=	Kiribati	24.70
148=	Yemen	24.70
150	Ethiopia	24.90
151=	Swaziland	25.10
151=	Malawi	25.10
153	Tanzania	25.30
154	Zambia	26.50
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 %74
1	Slovakia	24.1%75
2	Slovenia	24.3%75
3	Belarus	24.4%76
	...
80=	Iran	34.8%77
80=	Italy	34.8%75
82	Thailand	34.9%75
83	Ethiopia	35.0%78
84=	Russia	35.1%75
84=	Nigeria	35.1%79
84=	Qatar	35.1%80
87=	Liberia	35.3%81
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Ethiopia - only for 6 years between 1980 and 2019; the 1980s only had one data point (1981), which was also for urban areas only.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better82
Pos.		2018 Severity82
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
97	Ethiopia	.489
98	Burkina Faso	.519
99	Chad	.533
100	S. Sudan	.580
101	Niger	.590
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #ethiopia #hinduism #islam #israel #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation #sudan

Religiosity (2018)57
Pos.		Lower is better %57
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
105=	Ethiopia	98
105=	Senegal	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₃:

	2010	2020
Christian	62.6%	61.6%
Muslim	34.8%	36.2%
Other	2.58%	2.11%
Unaffiliated	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.6%, traditional 2.6%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.7% (2007 Census)₈₄.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₈₅, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Ethiopia states:

“The constitution requires the separation of state and religion; however, under a 2008 law it is a crime to defame religious groups.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₈₆

In Ethiopia, Jews are organized as Beta Israel (House of Israel) and known to outsiders as the Falasha or Felasha₈₇. Although they are traditionally said to be descendants of Queen Sheba and King Solomon, their ancestors are actually local converts to Judaism from between 100BCE to 100CE₈₇. The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906)₈₈ says that their origin is unknown but that the Falashas have never had any copies of any Jewish Hebrew texts and knew nothing of the Talmud₈₉ (which would not be the case for descendants of Jewish royalty), and, DNA tests have now proven that the Falasha are indeed truly descendants of their fellow Ethiopians rather than from Hebrew stock₉₀. After Ethiopia converted to Christianity in the 4th century CE, the Falasha Jews were persecuted violently for many centuries, until the Catholic Church in the 15th and 16th centuries eventually crushed them and confiscated all their lands. As the Catholic Church slowly lost its power, their "conditions improved in the late 19th and 20th centuries, at which time tens of thousands of Falasha lived in the region north of Lake Tana"₈₇, near the border with Sudan. From 1975 they were permitted by Israel to immigrate and they began to do so slowly until the Sudanese civil war of 1991 threatened the entire community and 20,000 of them were evacuated to Israel₉₁. As of 1997, only around 500 remained in Ethiopia₉₁.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?