Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 58.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
58.8%
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
18th
of 72 countries
All-time high
58.8%
in 2019
All-time low
48.8%
in 2005
Years of data
5
2000–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia, 2000–2019

02040602000200920192000: 54.1 % of children under 6 months2005: 48.8 % of children under 6 months2011: 52 % of children under 6 months2016: 56.5 % of children under 6 months2019: 58.8 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

Ethiopia recorded 58.8% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 13.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia peaked at 58.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 48.8%, in 2005.

That places Ethiopia 18th out of 72 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 51.4% 48.8% 54.1% 2
2010s 55.8% 52.0% 58.8% 3

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 15 Malawi 59.4% compare
  2. 16 Guinea-Bissau 59.3% compare
  3. 17 Lesotho 59.0% compare
  4. 19 India 58.0% compare
  5. 19 Mongolia 58.0% compare
  6. 21 Burkina Faso 57.9% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia was 58.8% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 58.8% in 2019.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 48.8% in 2005.
How does Ethiopia rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Ethiopia ranks 18th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.