The survey conducted in the fall of 2022 found that a record-high 65% of Ethiopians have been struggling to afford food, with prices rising by 43% and staple items soaring by over 80%.
Opinion researchers said they could not enter the Horn of Africa nation in 2021 and witnessed significant changes when they returned the following year.
Zach Bikus, Gallup’s regional director in Africa said his team interviewed approximately 1,000 people but could not travel to conflict ridden areas.
“The main takeaway from this data that we just collected really is that the past couple of years have been difficult years,” said Bikus.
The Gallup regional director also said he is seeing similar trends across the region resulting from the war in Ukraine.
“Really, East Africa, in general, is facing this drought, but also the fallout from the Ukraine-Russia conflict,” he said.
“Many of the countries in these regions are big importers of wheat, Ethiopia included, and fertilizer. So, really the global pressures on food supply and prices I think are happening in a major impact,” added Bikus.
The survey conducted by the analytics company reported that conflict accompanied by the worst drought in 40 years has placed immense pressure on Ethiopia’s food supply.
“Income is also under pressure, with 45% of Ethiopians finding it ‘very difficult’ to get by on their present household income, compared to 28% in 2019,” reads the survey.
The D.C.-based global opinion company said the cessation of hostilities in the Horn of Africa nation has allowed greater access to humanitarian relief and the normalization of relations between the federal government and the international community.
“The war between Ethiopian and Tigrayan forces may have ended, but the struggle is far from over for most Ethiopians,” read the Gallup survey.
