Sweden and Ethiopia
Sweden and Ethiopia connect trade history begun with telephone equipment in 1894 with business and development cooperation. Sweden’s Ethiopian diaspora provides social ties, while Swedfund has participated in specific health and hotel projects.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
The embassy dates trade relations’ beginnings to 1894 through Swedish telephone equipment sales.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Sweden and Ethiopia totalled 41.6 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Sweden to Ethiopia, at 5.3 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 41.63 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Sweden to Ethiopia | 23.19 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Ethiopia to Sweden | 18.44 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Sweden to Ethiopia | 0.0111 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Ethiopia to Sweden | ||
| Investment stock: Sweden in Ethiopia | ||
| Investment stock: Ethiopia in Sweden |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter SWE. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Sweden to Ethiopia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter SWE. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Ethiopia to Sweden
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter SWE. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Sweden to Ethiopia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Sweden | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 669 billion USD2025 · WB | 126.36 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 63,133.21 USD2025 · WB | 932.73 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.54 %2025 · WB | 9.77 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 0.68 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 13.23 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 15.1 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · Ethiopian Statistical Service | |
| Unemployment | 8.69 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.32 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 34.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 43.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.06 %2025 · WB | -2.53 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 10,596,6202025 · WB | 135,472,0512025 · WB |
| Area | 528,660 km²2023 · WB | 1,136,240 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSweden: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSweden: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Sweden: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Sweden: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedEthiopia: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · Ethiopian Statistical Service · Published: 2026-09-08 · The document says August EFY2018; the ESS profile identifies it as August 2026. Not food inflation or a 12-month moving average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSweden: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Sweden: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Ethiopia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Sweden: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Ethiopia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSweden: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleSweden: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSweden: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Sweden to Ethiopia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 5.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 3.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 0.674 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.00226 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.00118 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.000301 M USD2025 · Source |
Ethiopia to Sweden
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.000311 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.000107 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 0.000107 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.0000926 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Sweden to Ethiopia | Ethiopia to Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25.1 | 11.6 | 13.5 |
| 2022 | 39.7 | 23.8 | 15.9 |
| 2023 | 31.3 | 22.1 | 9.2 |
| 2024 | 35.2 | 22.3 | 12.9 |
| 2025 | 41.6 | 23.2 | 18.4 |
Connections between people
Its June 2025 profile highlights promoting business–authority contacts and sustainable collaboration with communities and local entities. Sweden’s Ethiopian diaspora is identified as a political, economic and cultural bridge. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Sweden living in Ethiopia | ||
| Residents from Ethiopia living in Sweden | ||
| Study and training: Sweden in Ethiopia | ||
| Study and training: Ethiopia in Sweden | ||
| Academic stays: Sweden in Ethiopia | ||
| Academic stays: Ethiopia in Sweden | ||
| Travel: Sweden to Ethiopia | ||
| Travel: Ethiopia to Sweden |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Bilateral context
The embassy dates trade relations’ beginnings to 1894 through Swedish telephone equipment sales. Its June 2025 profile highlights promoting business–authority contacts and sustainable collaboration with communities and local entities. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Sweden is 669 billion USD (2025), compared with 126.4 for Ethiopia (2025). The reference populations are 10.6 and 135.47 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Sweden was 5.29 times that of Ethiopia in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Sweden’s Ethiopian diaspora is identified as a political, economic and cultural bridge. Bilateral and regional development cooperation seeks to strengthen markets and businesses. Swedfund previously invested in Addis Cardiac Hospital and Radisson Blu Hotel, identified financial intervention examples, although the page neither dates nor quantifies every operation. Described current trade opportunities are distinct from those historical investments. The document records an economic and social network, not a new energy or health convention signed in 2025. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Sweden and Ethiopia) totalled 41.6 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 23.2 million; those in the opposite direction, 18.4 million. The difference between the two flows was 4.8 million, in favour of Sweden. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Sweden to the partner represented 0.0111% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 25.1 million USD in 2021 and 41.6 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +66 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2025, at 41.6 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Sweden to Ethiopia, at 5.3 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Ethiopia to Sweden, at 0.000311 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — SWE-ETH
www.swedenabroad.se · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.