What is the currency of Ethiopia?

The currency of Ethiopia is the Ethiopian birr.

The birr is divided into 100 santim and has the ISO 4217 code ETB. It is issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia. Modern notes include denominations such as 10, 50, 100, and 200 birr, while coins include santim denominations and a one-birr coin.

The word birr means “silver” in Ge’ez and Amharic. Historically, it referred to the Maria Theresa thaler, a silver coin widely used in Ethiopia. A modern Ethiopian currency was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the birr was reintroduced in 1945 after wartime use of the East African shilling.

A common mix-up is calling it the “Ethiopian dollar,” a name that appeared in English on some older banknotes. Birr became the official name in all languages in 1976. Ethiopia also began major foreign-exchange reforms in 2024, including a move toward a floating exchange rate.