Politics Ledger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia

Electoral autocracyParliamentary republicFederal
Updated todaysource: Curated
curated|
Updated todaysource: Curated
estimate
In charge
Abiy Ahmed
Prime Minister
Time in power
8.6 yrs
since 2018
Government seats
80%
majority
Next national vote
2031-06
General
Governance score
24/100
composite of five indices

Ethiopia is an ancient imperial state that resisted colonisation. Its 20th century ran from Haile Selassie's monarchy through the Marxist Derg to the TPLF-led ethnic federation, and Abiy's centralising Prosperity Party amid recurrent civil wars.

Leadership

Who Governs Ethiopia

Head of state
Taye Atske Selassie
President
Since 7 October 2024 · 2.1 years
Age 70 (born 1956)ManRoute to power: elected by parliament
Head of government
Holds executive power
Abiy Ahmed
Prime Minister · Prosperity Party
Since 2 April 2018 · 8.6 years
Age 50 (born 1976)ManRoute to power: chosen by party
Ruling coalition
Prosperity Party (dominant party)
Main opposition
Small parties (NaMA, EZEMA); armed movements in Amhara (Fano) and Oromia (OLA)
Last national election
1 June 2026
General

Prosperity Party won 438 of 501 contested seats; voting not held in Tigray and parts of conflict regions.

Next national election
By June 2031
General
Recent changes (last 12 months)
Parliament

House of Peoples' Representatives

Seat distribution (Election of 1 June 2026 (501 contested seats; Tigray not held)), ordered from economic left to right.

PartyIdeologySeatsRole
Prosperity Party (PP)Medemer (synergy), Developmentalism438governing
Opposition parties and independents (OPP)Various63opposition
Ideology

Party Landscape

Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.

Institutions

The System

Official name
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Capital
Addis Ababa
Population
132 million
Statehood
Ancient empire, never colonised (Italian occupation 1936-41); federal Constitution 1995
System
Parliamentary republic
Structure
Federal
Current constitution
1995
Legislature
Federal Parliamentary Assembly
Lower / sole chamber
House of Peoples' Representatives (547 seats)
Upper chamber
House of Federation (ethnic representation)
Electoral system
First-past-the-post in single-member constituencies.
Term limits
None for the prime minister; the president (ceremonial) serves two six-year terms.

Sources

  • National Election Board of Ethiopia
  • Addis Standard
  • EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)

Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.

Data as of 2026-10-29.