Country Profile: Ethiopia
Total Population: 110.8 million
Total Children under the age of 18: 32 million
The Situation of Children in Ethiopia
The Challenges:
- There are over 4,500,000 orphans in Ethiopia
- Ethiopia has the highest percentage of AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, impacting about 886,820 children. These are children who have lost their families due to AIDS
- Approximately 50 million children remained at a high risk of living in poverty
- 40% of children complete primary school. More than half of the preschool-age children do not have access to pre-primary education.
- The high amounts of children living on the streets or not continuing their education are forced to bring income to cover their essential needs.
- Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of the slave trade in the world. Each year, thousands of children, some as young as 10, are sold by their parents.
- 40% of young women are married before their 18th birthday, and Ethiopia is home to 15 million child brides, of whom 6 million are below the age of 15
- Only 3% of children under 5 have births registered.
Other Information about Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Family Care in Ethiopia
Better Care Network Information on Family-Based Care in Ethiopia
More information for prayer at Operation World
"Source: UNICEF, Humanium, SOS Children's Villages International".