Government debt during each prime minister's tenure
Every prime minister since 1991, ranked by how the government debt changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Prime minister | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EPRDF Hailemariam Desalegn | 20 Aug 2012 – 2 Apr 2018 | +19.1 pp 2012 → 2018 | +3.2 pp/yr | |
| 2 | PP Abiy Ahmed | 2 Apr 2018 – now | −15.2 pp 2018 → 2025 | −2.2 pp/yr | |
| 3 | EPRDF Meles Zenawi | 28 May 1991 – 20 Aug 2012 from 1992 | −48.6 pp 1992 → 2012 | −2.4 pp/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of GDP, fiscal year · IMF World Economic Outlook, general government gross debt (GGXWDG_NGDP), by fiscal year (8 July to 7 July), each dated at its middle, the years of actual figures only (the latest an estimate) · Ethiopia data · as of Oct 2026.