Ethiopia | United Nations Development Programme UNDP Ethiopia Read UNDP's country programme document for Ethiopia (2025-2030) Our Stories Press Release Strengthening Climate risk management in the agri sector Agriculture contributes approximately 32 percent of Ethiopia’s GDP, yet remains highly vulnerable to climate-related shocks such as recurrent droughts and floods. These risks continue to be a primary barrier to agricultural credit for smallholder farmers. Press Release Tripartite Agri-Insurance Partnership Advances Agricultural Risk Financing for Ethiopia A new Knowledge to Action Accelerator Programme (KAAP) has been launched to help close the gap between strategy and implementation in Ethiopia’s agricultural insurance sector. Press Release Ethiopia Launches an AI UniPod The Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Addis Ababa University, has inaugurated the Artificial Intelligence University Innovation Pod (AI UniPod), a state-of-the-art innovation and research facility designed to accelerate the country’s digital transformation. Press Release Japan partners with UNDP to support elections The Government of Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today signed a cooperation agreement to support Ethiopia’s electoral process, reinforcing preparations for the country’s Seventh General Elections scheduled for June 2026. South-South Learning Building Stronger Early Warning Systems In Ethiopia, where droughts, floods, and landslides are increasingly affecting people, infrastructure and livelihoods, strengthening national early warning capability is not optional; it is a strategic priority. Story from the field Risk Informing Cities for Resilience Flooding and water contamination not only threaten farmland but also impact Lake Hawassa’s fishing industry, on which many young people and their families heavily rely on for their livelihoods. UNDP’s Resilient Urban Futures Initiative is helping Hawassa to better understand the risk landscape. Through the initiative a comprehensive risk profiling exercise has been conducted, a major milestone in Hawassa’s journey to become a resilient metropolis. Joint Press Release Turning Vision into Action: UNFPA and UNDP Strengthen Partnership to Drive Ethiopia’s Sustainable Future The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, today jointly launched their new Country Programmes to be implemented in the period 2025–2030.The joint launch of the new Country Programmes of UNFPA and UNDP marks a renewed commitment to advancing Ethiopia’s national development agenda. Press Release Partnership for Impact: UNDP and CIFF Invest in Sustainable Water Access in Ethiopia’s Somali Region More than 150,000 people in the Somali region, Ethiopia, will now have reliable access to clean water through a new partnership co-financed by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under the Groundwater Access Facility for Africa (GAFA) initiative. Story Empowering Recovery: Stories of Rebuilding Livelihoods In the aftermath of the northern Ethiopia conflict—when livelihoods were shattered and hope felt out of reach—thousands are now taking steps to rebuild. News Ethiopia Celebrates First Frontier Tech Leaders Youth Cohort The Frontier Tech Leaders (FTL) Programme proudly celebrated the graduation of its first-ever Ethiopian cohort from the Machine Learning Bootcamp, marking a historic step toward building a digitally empowered generation. Our Programmes Democratic Governance and Sustaining Peace Enhancing democratic practices, promoting social cohesion, and ensuring justice and accountability throughout Ethiopia. Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability The capacity of Ethiopia to adapt to climate impacts and promote environmental sustainability for accelerated green growth will be achieved through interconnected priorities. Inclusive Economic Transformation Multifaceted challenges to the Ethiopian economy and marginalized communities are addressed with a particular emphasis on the socioeconomic empowerment of women and youth. Ethiopia's DDR Process The National Rehabilitation Commission has initiated the demobilization and rehabilitation of 75,000 ex-combatants from the Tigray Region, marking a significant step in Ethiopia’s peace process. Electoral Support Strengthening Ethiopia’s Elections for Democratic Sustainability (SEEDS2) is a multi-year electoral assistance initiative supporting Ethiopia’s preparations for the 2026 General Elections. Read our latest Country Programme Document for Ethiopia (2025-2030) On the ground in about 170 countries and territories, UNDP works to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet. We help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships and institutions so they can sustain their progress. latest Publications Working Paper Navigating the Debt Crisis: Reforming the Common Framework for African Countries In the wake of multiple shocks, growing global macroeconomic uncertainty, and a slowing global economy, many African countries are facing debt distress in 2025. Working Paper 5 Financing Ethiopia's Green Transition Ethiopia is navigating complex challenges in the areas of green finance and green energy. Like all countries, Ethiopia has been adversely impacted by the global climate crisis, which is jeopardizing its development path. Working Paper 4 Can Ethiopia Become a Manufacturing Powerhouse? The manufacturing sector in Ethiopia has faced several recent challenges, partly linked to the trifecta of macroeconomic pressures, security challenges, and exogenous shocks. Working Paper 3 From Debt to Development: What are Ethiopia's Choices Ethiopia is at a crossroads. Buffeted by major external and internal shocks compressed within the short space of two years (2020-22), it faces the daunting policy challenge of finding a feasible and effective pathway out of crisis in order to return to rapid and sustainable development. Working Paper 2 Ethiopia 2030: A Country Transformed? Ethiopia is at a crossroads. It faces a daunting confluence of a rapidly growing and young population, the widespread effects of serious shocks, an uncertain domestic and external environment, including a subregion in flux, and a generally higher level of risk - often large scale - that threaten sustained and inclusive development progress. Managing the country’s development policy agenda has, therefore, become more complex and difficult. Working Paper 1 Poverty, Human Development and the Macro-Economy in Ethiopia In recent years, Ethiopia has faced a confluence of shocks, some emerging from within the country and some from the global economy that threaten to slow the pace of economic and other reforms that are vital for rapid recovery, peacebuilding and the expansion of Ethiopia’s development frontier. Policy Brief Making Ethiopian Customary Institutions Relevant for the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Processes Customary Institutions, Ethiopia's ancient instruments for conflict prevention and management, have served as important platforms in preventing and resolving conflicts and playing roles in smoothing broken societal/communal relationships and building/strengthening societal bonds. Policy and Research Dialogues UNDP provides evidence-based policy advice about sustainable development trends. Read About Ethiopia 107.6 million Population (2022/23) 23.5% Poverty rate (2015/16) USD 1,549 GNI per capita (2022/23) 0.492 Human Dev. Index (2023/24) 97 percent of rural households are engaged in agriculture (WB survey 2023) 25 percent of Ethiopian households are headed by women Take Action Read our blogs Read our blogs Engage with us on social media Engage with us on social media Search all UNDP