Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 58.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia, 2000–2019
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.
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 54.1% | — |
| 2005 | 48.8% | -9.9% |
| 2011 | 52.0% | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 58.8% | +4.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 58.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 53.8%, 1.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 58.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 51.4% | 48.8% | 54.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 55.8% | 52.0% | 58.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6564 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 100.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.79 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.47 (2050)
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
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.