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Federalism & the Constitution in Ethiopia

25 Aug 2020 Ethiopia
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Findings from Round 8 Afrobarometer Survey in Ethiopia in 2020.

Key findings

  • Six out of 10 Ethiopians (61%) prefer a federal over a unitary system of government. Almost four out of 10 (37%) see federalism as too divisive and favour a shift to a unitary form of government.
  • If a federal system of government is maintained, Ethiopians are split as to what it should look like: About half (49%) say federalism should continue to be based on regions defined by ethnicity, while the other half (48%) say the regions should be based on geography, not on where different ethnic groups live.
  • Urban residents are more likely to favour a geographic basis (54% vs. 44%), while residents in rural areas, which tend to be less ethnically diverse, are more likely to prefer the current ethnicity-based definition (51% vs. 47).