What changed
Ethiopia has released rebased GDP figures using the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year as the new base year. GDP was put at 24.03 trillion birr ($201.42 billion) in 2024/25 and 31.86 trillion birr ($210.7 billion) in 2025/26.
The revised accounts include economic activities and sectors that were previously underrepresented. The government plans to repeat the rebasing every five years.
Why it matters
This changes the measuring stick Ethiopia will use for economic policy. Budgets, investment planning, revenue targets and employment goals can now be judged against accounts designed to reflect a more current economy, rather than one that may have missed newer activity.
The exercise drew on agricultural and economic-establishment censuses, household surveys and technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund. It also aimed to align Ethiopia’s national accounts with international standards. That gives the figures a stronger statistical foundation, but the report does not quantify how much the new series differs from the old one.
The government is presenting the rebasing as a tool for more than showing economic expansion. Its stated priorities are higher domestic production, more jobs and less dependence on primary commodities, with the framework intended to support development planning through 2050. Whether it improves decisions will depend on how consistently the figures are used and updated.
Comments
No comments yet.