
Ethiopia had made good progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, compared to other Sub-Saharan countries, and is now working hard to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to an overall decline in poverty, and reductions in child mortality and the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, economic growth over the past two decades has brought an expansion of infrastructure and improved access to services such as health and education.
However, food security and under-nutrition persist. According to the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HPR), an estimated 13.2 million people don't have enough to eat and since November 2020 internal war has had serious consequences. Although the government is devoting a high share of its budget to pro-poor programs and investments, COVID-19 and measures to deal with the pandemic have affected livelihoods and education, a recognised route out of poverty. There are signs that gains are being reversed and inequalities are beginning to widen, particularly between urban and rural areas, and the extent of impacts of recent conflict on the economy and livelihoods remains to be seen. Visit the Young Lives Ethiopia website to learn more, including the effects of COVID-19.

Our study sites in Ethiopia are spread across 5 regions – Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Tigray and Addis Ababa. Our findings on health and nutrition are providing a positive message about the potential of catch-up growth for malnourished children, and the Ethiopian government has recently set up a school-feeding programme. The unique dual cohort design of Young Lives means that we are in a good position to provide evidence on the quality of education throughout the school system. We have provided evidence on how the government should best implement its ambitious plans to expand early learning. As we follow our older cohort, now 29, into young adulthood, our research shows the vital importance of expanding education and employment opportunities and how best to support transitions to adulthood. We have carried out five phone survey calls on the effects of COVID between June 2020 and November 2020. Read about the calls here.
Ethiopia had made good progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, compared to other Sub-Saharan countries, and is now working hard to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to an overall decline in poverty, and reductions in child mortality and the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, economic growth over the past two decades has brought an expansion of infrastructure and improved access to services such as health and education.
However, food security and under-nutrition persist. According to the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HPR), an estimated 13.2 million people don't have enough to eat and since November 2020 internal war has had serious consequences. Although the government is devoting a high share of its budget to pro-poor programs and investments, COVID-19 and measures to deal with the pandemic have affected livelihoods and education, a recognised route out of poverty. There are signs that gains are being reversed and inequalities are beginning to widen, particularly between urban and rural areas, and the extent of impacts of recent conflict on the economy and livelihoods remains to be seen. Visit the Young Lives Ethiopia website to learn more, including the effects of COVID-19.

Our study sites in Ethiopia are spread across 5 regions – Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Tigray and Addis Ababa. Our findings on health and nutrition are providing a positive message about the potential of catch-up growth for malnourished children, and the Ethiopian government has recently set up a school-feeding programme. The unique dual cohort design of Young Lives means that we are in a good position to provide evidence on the quality of education throughout the school system. We have provided evidence on how the government should best implement its ambitious plans to expand early learning. As we follow our older cohort, now 29, into young adulthood, our research shows the vital importance of expanding education and employment opportunities and how best to support transitions to adulthood. We have carried out five phone survey calls on the effects of COVID between June 2020 and November 2020. Read about the calls here.