Ethiopia will hold nationwide elections on June 1, marking the first such vote since the formal end of the Tigray war, a devastating two-year conflict from 2020 to 2022 that concluded with a peace agreement between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

With a population of about 135 million, Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous country and the 10th most populous in the world. More than 50.5 million voters have registered to participate in the vote, which is held every five years, with all 547 parliamentary seats up for grabs. Since 2018, the country has been run by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose Prosperity Party holds 457 out of the country’s 547 seats. The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) is likely to announce the official results on June 11.

Ethiopia has sustained notable economic growth over the past two decades, with the IMF projecting a 9.2 percent expansion in 2026, the highest on the continent. Yet persistent challenges remain, including high inflation (11.7 percent as of April 2026), foreign exchange shortages, and the costly burden of post-war reconstruction.

The country is one of the most ethnically diverse in the world, with more than 80 distinct groups. The Oromo are the largest, making up about 35 percent of the population, followed by the Amhara at 24 percent. Ethiopia has five official languages: Afar, Amharic, Oromo, Somali and Tigrinya. Roughly two-thirds of the population are Christian and one-third Muslim.

Ethiopia has been in near-continuous conflict since 2020 across several fronts. The Tigray war ended with the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022, though the situation remains fragile. In January 2026, clashes erupted again in Tigray between the TPLF and Ethiopian government forces. Conflict between Oromia regional forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has killed thousands, while fighting between the Amhara Fano self-defense force and federal forces has continued into 2026.

According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), between January 1, 2022 and May 15, 2026, more than 7,400 attacks have been recorded across the country. The Amhara region emerged as the most volatile area, registering more than half (3,719) of the attacks. In Oromia, 2,735 attacks were recorded, while Tigray registered 262 attacks and the western Gambela region recorded 144 attacks.

Source: www.aljazeera.com