Ethiopia becomes Africa's fifth-largest economy at $210.7 billion
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Zambian Observer
Ethiopia becomes Africa's fifth-largest economy after a rebasing of its national accounts, with nominal GDP of $210.7 billion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, ahead of Morocco and Kenya. Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa announced on 4 November 2026 a 59.2% revaluation of the 2024/25 economy, according to the Zambian Observer.
Ethiopia has become Africa's fifth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product, at $210.7 billion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, after the revision of its national accounts. The new GDP series was launched on 4 November by Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa, the Zambian Observer reports.
The revision raised by 59.2% the Ethiopian economy as measured for 2024/25, to 24,030 billion birrs, or $201.4 billion. Ethiopia now ranks behind South Africa ($489 billion), Egypt ($443 billion), Nigeria ($387 billion) and Algeria ($332 billion), and ahead of Morocco (about $196 billion) and Kenya.
The change in ranking is due to statistical adjustments rather than a rise in production or exports. Several African governments are revising their national accounts to include economic activities that had been poorly recorded, which inflates GDP estimates and changes the assessment of their debt levels.
The Ethiopian revision comes two days after the publication of the country's new GDP figures, which raised its previous measure to 24,030 billion birrs. It is part of a wave of statistical revisions that is redrawing the ranking of the continent's economies.
