Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) was 2.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Current health expenditure in Ethiopia, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current health expenditure in Ethiopia is 2.8%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 31.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current health expenditure in Ethiopia peaked at 5.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2023.
That places Ethiopia 183rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.4% | — |
| 2001 | 4.7% | +8.2% |
| 2002 | 4.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 4.9% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | -12.0% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 4.5% | +8.7% |
| 2007 | 5.0% | +12.2% |
| 2008 | 4.3% | -14.4% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | +8.6% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +17.6% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | -18.2% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | -10.2% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | -11.1% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | -1.7% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 2.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.9%, 58% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 2.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.4%, 63% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.6% | 4.1% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 19,997 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 148 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0709 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0742 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current health expenditure in Ethiopia?
- Current health expenditure in Ethiopia was 2.8% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest current health expenditure recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest current health expenditure recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2023.
- How does Ethiopia rank for current health expenditure?
- Ethiopia ranks 183rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is current health expenditure rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Current health expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.