Ethiopia vs United Kingdom
Ethiopia vs United Kingdom: Government debt
Government debt: 33.5% of GDP in Ethiopia in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 65.9 percentage points, or 2.97 times that in Ethiopia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 2009, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 27.5% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43.3 | 102.1 |
| 2024 | 33.5 | 99.4 |
| 2023 | 38.7 | 98.3 |
| 2022 | 47 | 97.1 |
| 2021 | 53.8 | 103 |
| 2020 | 53.3 | 104.4 |
| 2019 | 54.7 | 84.5 |
| 2018 | 58.5 | 85.3 |
| 2017 | 55.3 | 85.9 |
| 2016 | 51.8 | 87.2 |
| 2015 | 50.7 | 87.3 |
| 2014 | 44.2 | 86.4 |
| 2013 | 44.1 | 84.8 |
| 2012 | 39.4 | 84 |
| 2011 | 44.6 | 81 |
| 2010 | 39.4 | 75.5 |
| 2009 | 30 | 64.6 |
| 2008 | 56.1 | 50.7 |
| 2007 | 55.7 | 43.1 |
| 2006 | 79.6 | 42.1 |
| 2005 | 78.2 | 41 |
| 2004 | 103.1 | 39.8 |
| 2003 | 103.7 | 36.8 |
| 2002 | 107.4 | 35.5 |
| 2001 | 97.3 | 35 |
| 2000 | 93.6 | 37.7 |
| 1999 | 97.8 | 40.5 |
| 1998 | 89.3 | 42 |
| 1997 | 80.3 | 44.1 |
| 1996 | 132.8 | 43.7 |
| 1995 | 146.6 | 43.7 |
| 1994 | 155.2 | 40.8 |
| 1993 | 141 | 38 |
| 1992 | 87.9 | 33.3 |
| 1991 | – | 28.5 |
| 1990 | – | 28.5 |
| 1989 | – | 32.6 |
| 1988 | – | 37.1 |
| 1987 | – | 39.3 |
| 1986 | – | 41.4 |
| 1985 | – | 41.4 |
| 1984 | – | 42.3 |
| 1983 | – | 41.9 |
| 1982 | – | 43.1 |
| 1981 | – | 44.9 |
| 1980 | – | 42.7 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40.7 | 102 |
| 2027 | 37 | 102.5 |
| 2028 | 34.2 | 102.3 |
| 2029 | 31.8 | 101.6 |
| 2030 | 29.7 | 100.9 |
| 2031 | 27.5 | 100.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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 United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterEthiopia: 13.2% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025