Ethiopia vs Nigeria
Ethiopia vs Nigeria: GDP growth
GDP growth: 8.1% a year in Ethiopia in 2024 and 4% a year in Nigeria in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 4 percentage points, or 1.98 times that in Nigeria.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ethiopia has been higher since 2011, when it overtook Nigeria.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 7.7% a year and Nigeria at 4.2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9.2 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8.1 | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 7.2 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | 6.4 | 4.3 |
| 2021 | 6.3 | 1.1 |
| 2020 | 6.1 | -6.4 |
| 2019 | 9 | 2.2 |
| 2018 | 7.7 | 1.9 |
| 2017 | 10.2 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 8 | -1.6 |
| 2015 | 10.4 | 2.7 |
| 2014 | 10.3 | 6.3 |
| 2013 | 9.9 | 5.4 |
| 2012 | 8.7 | 4.3 |
| 2011 | 11.4 | 4.9 |
| 2010 | 10.6 | 11.3 |
| 2009 | 10 | 8.4 |
| 2008 | 11.2 | 7.2 |
| 2007 | 11.8 | 7.3 |
| 2006 | 11.5 | 6.7 |
| 2005 | 12.6 | 7 |
| 2004 | 11.7 | 10.4 |
| 2003 | -2.1 | 9.5 |
| 2002 | 1.6 | 14.6 |
| 2001 | 7.4 | 6.7 |
| 2000 | 9.8 | 5.5 |
| 1999 | 6.3 | 0.5 |
| 1998 | -4.2 | 2.5 |
| 1997 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| 1996 | 13.5 | 4.1 |
| 1995 | 6.1 | 1.9 |
| 1994 | 3.5 | 0.3 |
| 1993 | 13.4 | 1.6 |
| 1992 | -8.9 | 2.2 |
| 1991 | -7.2 | -0.6 |
| 1990 | 2.6 | – |
| 1989 | -0.5 | – |
| 1988 | 0.6 | – |
| 1987 | 13.9 | – |
| 1986 | 9.7 | – |
| 1985 | -11.4 | – |
| 1984 | -2.3 | – |
| 1983 | 7.8 | – |
| 1982 | 1 | – |
| 1980 | 4 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9.2 | 4.2 |
| 2027 | 7.8 | 4.3 |
| 2028 | 8.2 | 4.1 |
| 2029 | 8.2 | 4.2 |
| 2030 | 8 | 4.2 |
| 2031 | 7.7 | 4.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ethiopia vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterEthiopia: 13.2% in 2022Nigeria: 29% in 2022
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025Nigeria: $1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Nigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020Nigeria: 223,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022