Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending was 21.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia stood at 21.9%.
The figure is down 13.3% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia peaked at 46.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2011.
That places Ethiopia 167th 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.
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 41.2% | — |
| 2001 | 42.7% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 44.2% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 46.5% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 30.7% | -33.8% |
| 2005 | 42.1% | +37.1% |
| 2006 | 25.1% | -40.4% |
| 2007 | 26.7% | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | -54.9% |
| 2009 | 19.5% | +62.4% |
| 2010 | 17.3% | -11.5% |
| 2011 | 8.5% | -50.6% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | +175.5% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +14.9% |
| 2014 | 17.7% | -34.3% |
| 2015 | 25.3% | +42.5% |
| 2016 | 25.0% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 24.9% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 28.2% | +25.3% |
| 2021 | 30.5% | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 25.3% | -17.2% |
| 2023 | 21.9% | -13.3% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 21.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.7%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 21.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.1%, 73% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +175.5% | 8.5% | 23.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33.1% | 12.0% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.5% | 8.5% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.5% | 21.9% | 30.5% | 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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia?
- Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Ethiopia was 21.9% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2011.
- How does Ethiopia rank for public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending?
- Ethiopia ranks 167th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. 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, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from domestic public sources for health.