Ethiopian Poverty?

Question

Hey, I'm doing a report on Ethiopian Poverty, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some info, please. Facts, stats, etc. Thanks so much

Answer 1

Ethiopia is a very poor country, as you can see from the statistics I've reprinted below.

Ethiopia's per capita Gross Domestic Product is only $ 900 and 50% of Ethiopians are below the poverty line. Ethiopia also has a huge balance of trade problem - the country's exports are worth only $ 600 million, but they import $ 2.7 billion dollars worth of goods - a trade deficit of over $ 2.1 billion dollars per year. Ethiopia's foreign debt is also $ 65 billion dollars - an unpayable sum, since the country's annual GDP is only $ 64 billion dollars.

Like most Third World countries, Ethiopia is on the bottom end of the world economic divide - the imperialist countries buy Ethiopia's mostly agricultural exports for low prices and they have to buy manufactured goods and oil and high prices from the imperialist powers. That's why most Ethiopians are so poor.

Economy of Ethiopia
Currency Birr (ETB)
Fiscal year 8 July - 7 July
Trade organisations AU, WTO(observer)
Statistics [1]
GDP ranking 73rd (2005) [2]
GDP $64.73 billion (2005)
GDP growth 8.9% (2005)
GDP per capita $900 (2005)
GDP by sector agriculture (47.5%), industry (9.9%), services (42.6%) (2005)
Inflation 11.6% (2005)
Pop below poverty line 50% (2004)
Labour force 27.27 million
Labour force by occupation agriculture and animal husbandry (80%), industry and construction (8%), government and services (12%) (1985)
Unemployment N/A (2002)
Main industries food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing,cement
Trading Partners [3]
Exports $612 million (2005)
Export - Commodities coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds
Main partners Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Djibouti 6.8%, Switzerland 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, U.S. 5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)
Imports $2.722 billion (2005)
Imports - Commodities food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Main Partners Saudi Arabia 14.7%, China 12.6%, US 12.4%, India 6.7%, Italy 4.6% (2005)

Public finances [4]
Public debt 106.2% of GDP
Revenues $2.338 billion (2005)
Expenses $2.88 billion, capital expenditures of $788 million (2005)
Economic aid $308 million (recipient)(2001)

Answer 2

I'd like to reply to both Colbydog and Steve J.

Most Americans have a singular image of all African nations - of poverty, illiteracy, starvation, large families and overall ignorance.

Ethiopia is quite different, as one learns upon reading.

Ethiopia is the oldest continuously independent nation in Africa, and has been a Christian nation since before Constantine instituted the Catholic Church. The Ethiopian armies twice defeated superior European armies in the 1800's, and Ethiopia has never been colonized by a foreign power.

Literacy is high, and family sizes are only slightly larger than in many Western cultures. Colbydog, I don't know where you got your data.

Some of the world's greatest architectural wonders are in Ethiopia - the fully functional Christian Orthodox churches carved by hand from rock in Lalibella; the obelisks of Aksum, which rival modern construction accomplishments; and the palaces around Gondar.

Ethiopians who emigrate, either to the UK or the US are overwhelmingly loyal to their adopted country, although they do send money home for their relatives. They are mostly Christian, so are NOT involved in any Islamic movement to overthrow the west. In the US, they are law-abiding hard workers. English is taught in their schools, and many Ethiopians speak English.

If you like coffee, thank the Ethiopians - that is the birthplace.

Some parts of Ethiopia do suffer poverty hunger; however, they are among the most westernized of African countries. As for Steve J's assertion, thank God the Ethiopians drove the Islamists out of Somalia in support of democracy. They have one of the few functioning governments in Africa.

Answer 3

This is in response to Steve (whatever the freak real name is)

If you too have that intelligence you would know skin color is caused by Melanin that doesn’t have effect on the level of intelligence.
If you ever get some lesson on history, do you think those black Ethiopians back in time, were able to build civilization (Astronomy, Chemistry, architecture, etc…) with out intelligence?
And would I offend you if I said your fathers were in Stone Age, when my fathers engineered the stones for building fairytale castles, multi-storied buildings etc..?
http://www.nbufront.org/html/MastersMuseums/JGJackson/EthiopiaOriginOfCivilization.html

http://www.selamta.net/historical_places.htm

http://www.marcusgarvey.com/wmview.php?ArtID=560&page=7

http://www.amazon.com/Ethiopia-Origin-Civilization-B-C-P-Pamphlet/dp/0933121148

http://www.blackclassicbooks.com/servlet/Detail?no=35

And what is the contribution of people like you in the civilization of their country?
Watching TV? Getting fat? Complaining on what goes on the world with out trying to solve it?
Ethiopia is undeniably poor but If the new generation work hard (which I wish they would) there is a probability to strike out of poverty and this probability is as much for you guys, if you keep watching behind while only few people suffer to maintain your country’s position in the first world, you would safely bring your country down to the third world. See how Asians are growing faster . It’s all a matter of time.

Answer 4

My GF is from Addis Abeba. Poverty is relative. The exchange rate is about 8 birr (Ethiopian dollars) to One American dollar (so a burr is about 12.5 cents).

When she first came to America, she had been making about 400 birr per month (about US$50), and she was considered modest middle class. Many in Ethiopia live on much less, primarily because of a government controlled economy. There is an 'underground economy,' because legitimate businesses pay a lot to various government 'ministries' in order to get permits.

The lack of business development and unemployment is a large part of what led to the overthrow of the last emperial government in the 1970's of Emperor Haile Selassie; however, the Derg (Soviet style junta) which replaced it; and the current more democratic government have not done a great deal to encourage business investment and development. The result has been deforestation (from illegal cutting of timber to make charcoal or to provide cooking materials) loss of farmlands, and a decline in one of their large cash crops, coffee.

I would encourage you to Google for more info at a couple of the sites below:

Answer 5

We had sent so much money to them over many years and they keep having kids so if we sent the implant to stop having all those kids in poverty and told them they can have 1000 to have an implant put in they could consetrate on working the land instead of havibg sex all the time thinking their kids will help them out when their older, Then they coould actually buiy food or cows instead odf bringing up more kids tio starve to death