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Istanbul Africa Trade Company

Country Profiles

Ethiopia

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is located in the North East Africa and it is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaila, Sudan, South Sudan and Kenya. Ethiopia’s population is 105 million and its GDP is $81 Billion. Ethiopia is the headquarter of the African Union, the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Standby Force, and many of the global NGOs focused on Africa. 

Ethiopia has an ancient history and the current constitution was established in 1995. The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic. Its capital city is Addis Ababa and its population is around 3.5 million. Eritrea seperated from Ethiopia in 1993 and declared its own independence.

Ethiopia’s main trade partner is China both in imports and exports. 33% of goods is imported from China and 16% of goods is exported there. The country’s economy heavily depends on agricultural products and precious metals. More than 60% of exports is agricultural products such as coffee and oily seeds. 11% of its exports is gold. Turkey is an important import partner with 4.2% share in 2017.

Turkey and Ethiopia has close economic relations. Most of Turkish foreign direct investment is in textiles sector and there are further efforts to increase Turkish investment in Ethiopia. Turkish companies invested more than $2.5 Billion in the country.  The construction sector and construction products play an important role in Turkish exports. Raw iron bars had 24% share in total exports in 2017.

Below, you can see the fact sheet, macroeconomic outlook and trade relations of Ethiopia with Turkey.

Four charts for Ethiopia. Population rises from about 67 million in 2000 to 105 million in 2017. GDP grows from about US$8 billion to US$81 billion. Total imports run far above exports, peaking near US$18 billion in 2016 before falling sharply; exports stay under US$5 billion. Imports from Turkey rise to about US$580 million in 2016 while exports to Turkey stay under US$100 million. Turkey's exports to Ethiopia in 2008 and 2017: a pie chart splitting the ten largest product groups from all others, the total value of exports, and a table naming those ten products with each one's share. The same figures are listed as a table further down this page.
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Country at a glance

Capital city
Addis Ababa
Official language
Amharic
Population
105 million
GDP
$81 billion
GDP per capita
$768
Human Development Index
0.483
Top 3 import partners
China, France, India
Top 3 export partners
China, Switzerland, United States
Top 3 import products
Planes, Gas Turbines, Packaged Medicaments
Top 3 export products
Coffee, Oily Seeds, Gold
Trade balance
-$0.9B in net imports

Source: Istanbul Africa Trade Company, Africa Economic Report (2019). Figures as published, reflecting data to 2017.

Turkey's exports to this market

Source: Istanbul Africa Trade Company, Africa Economic Report. Figures as published.

2008

$199 million

Top 10 products account for 67.4% of the total.

2008
ProductShare of total
Raw Iron Bars39%
Textile Fiber Machinery8.1%
Ferroalloys3.3%
Electrical Transformers3%
Other Small Iron Pipes2.9%
Plastic Pipes2.8%
Other Steel Bars2.8%
Copper Wire2.1%
Insulated Wire1.9%
Hot-Rolled Iron1.6%

2017

$338 million

Top 10 products account for 50.1% of the total.

2017
ProductShare of total
Raw Iron Bars24%
Iron Structures5.5%
Toilet Paper4.8%
Plastic Pipes4.3%
Copper Wire3%
Hot-Rolled Iron2.3%
Electrical Control Boards1.8%
Electrical Transformers1.5%
Seed Oils1.5%
Packaged Medicaments1.4%

Frequently asked questions

Ethiopia: what does Turkey export there?
In 2017, Turkey's exports to this market were valued at $338 million. The ten largest product groups made up 50.1% of that total, led by Raw Iron Bars; Iron Structures; Toilet Paper.
Ethiopia: who are its main trading partners?
The three largest import partners are China, France, India. The three largest export partners are China, Switzerland, United States.
Ethiopia: what does the country import?
The three largest import products are Planes; Gas Turbines; Packaged Medicaments. The three largest export products are Coffee; Oily Seeds; Gold.
Ethiopia: how big is the economy?
Population 105 million, GDP $81 billion, and $768 per person. The Human Development Index is 0.483.
Ethiopia: does it run a trade surplus or a deficit?
The trade balance is -$0.9B in net imports.

Related reading

Other country profiles

Reviewed by Burak Unal, Director of African Markets

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