Employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 14.8% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia, 1990–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 14.8% for employee compensation as share of government spending in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 58.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia peaked at 56.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2013.
Ethiopia ranks 118th of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 48.1% | — |
| 1991 | 56.7% | +17.8% |
| 1992 | 44.6% | -21.3% |
| 1993 | 47.4% | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 41.2% | -13.1% |
| 1995 | 39.7% | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 41.1% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 31.8% | -22.6% |
| 1998 | 25.7% | -19.2% |
| 1999 | 21.8% | -15.3% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | +7.0% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | -30.9% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | -18.9% |
| 2005 | 12.3% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 21.4% | +73.2% |
| 2007 | 27.5% | +28.5% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -42.3% |
| 2009 | 15.0% | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 12.8% | -11.5% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | -19.8% |
| 2013 | 9.3% | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | +9.5% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 11.1% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 11.8% | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 12.1% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 13.7% | +13.1% |
| 2021 | 12.9% | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 14.1% | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 14.8% | +5.0% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 14.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 37.9%, 39% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 14.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.9%, 40% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.8% | 21.8% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 12.3% | 27.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 11.3% | 9.3% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.9% | 12.9% | 14.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More work & labour data for Ethiopia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4959 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4604 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1765 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 74,537 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 116,333 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 183,282 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 184,008 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 367,290 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Ethiopia was 14.8% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2013.
- How does Ethiopia rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Ethiopia ranks 118th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.