Deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Deaths in armed conflicts was 17,882 deaths in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
17,882 deaths
Change on year
up 50.1%
World rank
4th
of 192 countries
All-time high
173,108 deaths
in 2022
All-time low
0 deaths
in 1997
Years of data
37
1989–2025

Deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia, 1989–2025

050.0k100.0k150.0k1989200720251989: 18.9k deaths1990: 22.1k deaths1991: 8.1k deaths1992: 1.1k deaths1993: 124 deaths1994: 92 deaths1995: 1.4k deaths1996: 183 deaths1997: 0 deaths1998: 2.9k deaths1999: 5.6k deaths2000: 1.9k deaths2001: 1.3k deaths2002: 3.0k deaths2003: 1.4k deaths2004: 2.2k deaths2005: 934 deaths2006: 1.4k deaths2007: 1.5k deaths2008: 816 deaths2009: 1.1k deaths2010: 2.0k deaths2011: 554 deaths2012: 944 deaths2013: 1.0k deaths2014: 324 deaths2015: 505 deaths2016: 1.1k deaths2017: 488 deaths2018: 830 deaths2019: 602 deaths2020: 26.8k deaths2021: 134.5k deaths2022: 173.1k deaths2023: 7.9k deaths2024: 11.9k deaths2025: 17.9k deaths

Source: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.

Analysis

In 2025, deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia stood at 17,882 deaths.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 50.1% on the previous year and up 3,441.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia peaked at 173,108 deaths in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 deaths, in 1997.

Ethiopia ranks 4th of 192 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 18,909 deaths 18,909 deaths 18,909 deaths 1
1990s 4,162 deaths 0 deaths 22,117 deaths 10
2000s 1,570 deaths 816 deaths 3,050 deaths 10
2010s 834.1 deaths 324 deaths 1,962 deaths 10
2020s 62,002 deaths 7,867 deaths 173,108 deaths 6

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 1 Ukraine 137,336 deaths compare
  2. 2 Sudan 90,827 deaths compare
  3. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 29,291 deaths compare
  4. 5 Palestine 15,182 deaths compare
  5. 6 Mexico 8,016 deaths compare
  6. 7 Burkina Faso 6,360 deaths compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More health data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia?
Deaths in armed conflicts in Ethiopia was 17,882 deaths in 2025, according to Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 173,108 deaths in 2022.
What is the lowest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 0 deaths in 1997.
How does Ethiopia rank for deaths in armed conflicts?
Ethiopia ranks 4th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is deaths in armed conflicts rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3,441.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
The figures come from Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths in armed conflicts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Deaths in armed conflicts
Unit
deaths
Source
Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
196 places, 7,252 data points, 1989–2025
Last refreshed

The high estimate of the number of deaths of combatants and civilians due to fighting in interstate, intrastate, extrasystemic, non-state conflicts, and one-sided violence that were ongoing that year.