ETHIOPIA · TRADE
Key Facts
- What is happening Ethiopia supplied 17% of all services exports from the world’s poorest countries in 2024, the largest share.
- Why it matters Ethiopia has moved ahead of Tanzania in two decades, while aid that helps poor countries trade faces cuts.
- The numbers Ethiopia’s share rose from 7% in 2006 to 17% in 2024; Tanzania’s rose from 12% to 15%.
- Who is who The WTO, the global trade-rules body, and the OECD, a Paris forum of mostly rich countries, published the ranking.
- What to watch Whether donors keep funding trade support; bilateral Aid for Trade could fall about 22% between 2024 and 2026.
- What it means for you US investors weighing Ethiopia can treat services as a growing export base worth tracking beside goods.
Ethiopia now sells more services abroad than any other of the world’s least-developed countries. A new trade report puts its share of the group’s total at 17%.
Ethiopia was the largest services exporter among the world’s least-developed countries in 2024, with 17% of the group’s total. These countries, known as LDCs, are the United Nations’ list of the poorest and most vulnerable nations.
The ranking comes from a joint report by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the OECD, published on Thursday, 29 October 2026. For US readers, it shows where one of Africa’s most populous countries earns foreign income from selling services, not goods.
How the Ranking Changed
In 2006, Ethiopia supplied 7% of services exports from the least-developed group, behind Tanzania at 12%. By 2024, Ethiopia stood at 17% and Tanzania at 15%.
Bangladesh ranked third with 11%, followed by Cambodia with 10% and Uganda with 4%. The top five together supplied 57% of the group’s services exports, up from 48% in 2006.
Services exports from the whole group grew almost fivefold, from US$9.5 billion in 2006 to US$47 billion in 2024. That is an average growth rate of 7.7% a year.
What the Shares Mean in Dollars
Applying the report’s rounded shares to the US$47 billion total gives Ethiopia roughly US$8 billion of services exports in 2024. The same arithmetic for 2006 gives roughly US$0.7 billion, about a twelvefold rise.
This is arithmetic on rounded shares, not a figure the report states. The true totals could differ by a couple of hundred million dollars.
Commercial services are exports other than goods, such as transport, travel and other business services. The report summary does not say which of these drove Ethiopia’s gain, so this article does not either.
Poorest Nations Remain Small Players
Even with this growth, least-developed countries supplied only 0.54% of world services exports in 2024, up from 0.42% in 2006. Their share of world goods exports has stayed near 1%.
Their services imports grew by 6.4% a year to US$90 billion in 2024. The group therefore still buys far more services than it sells.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann wrote the report’s foreword. They say the persistently low shares are a challenge for the trading system itself.
Aid for Trade Faces Cuts
Aid for Trade is development money that helps poorer countries build the ports, rules and skills they need to trade. Donors disbursed US$795 billion between 2006 and 2024, including US$51 billion in 2024, up 2% on 2023.
The OECD estimates that bilateral Aid for Trade, paid directly by donor governments, could fall about 22% between 2024 and 2026. Total official development assistance fell about 8.5% in 2024 and about 23% in 2025, the report says.
What It Means for You
US investors and companies weighing Ethiopia can see that its foreign income no longer rests on goods alone. The ranking says nothing about profits, risk or how open the market is to foreign firms.
Falling donor money could slow the customs, port and skills projects that help poor countries export. Related Rio Times reports include Ethiopian Airlines Atlanta Flights to Addis Ababa and Ethiopia Stock Exchange: Africa’s Newest Capital Market.
Background sits in Who Runs Ethiopia’s Economy, the Key Players in 2026 and Ethiopia Explained 2026. More coverage sits on the Ethiopia hub.
What Is Not Known
The report summary does not split Ethiopia’s services exports by type, so the drivers of the gain are unclear. It also gives no dollar figure for Ethiopia in 2024.
Ethiopia’s own central-bank data may differ from the WTO and UN trade agency estimates behind the ranking. Whether the lead over Tanzania holds in 2025 is not known.
What Comes Next
The report was presented at the WTO’s Global Review of Aid for Trade in Geneva on 29 and 30 October 2026. Donor budget decisions will shape how much trade support poor countries receive after 2026.
The ranking covers 2024 only, so figures for 2025 will show whether Ethiopia keeps its lead. It says nothing about Ethiopia’s overall income or growth compared with other countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are least-developed countries?
The United Nations uses the label for countries with low income, weak health and education, and high economic vulnerability. Ethiopia, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda are among those ranked in the report.
Which poor country exports the most services?
Ethiopia, with 17% of the group’s services exports in 2024. Tanzania had 15%, Bangladesh 11%, Cambodia 10% and Uganda 4%.
How fast have services exports of poor countries grown?
They rose from US$9.5 billion in 2006 to US$47 billion in 2024, or 7.7% a year. Their share of world services exports is still only 0.54%.
What is Aid for Trade?
It is development funding that helps poorer countries trade, through ports, rules and skills. Donors disbursed US$795 billion from 2006 to 2024, including US$51 billion in 2024.
Sources: OECD and WTO, Two Decades of Trade and Development Partnerships (29 October 2026); full report PDF, Executive Summary and Chapter 2; WTO, Global Review of Aid for Trade 2026 (dollar totals for Ethiopia are The Rio Times arithmetic on the report’s rounded shares; all accessed 1 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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