Digital Payment Value in Ethiopia Grows 93%, Outpacing Transaction Volume
The value of digital financial transactions in Ethiopia grew substantially faster than the number of transactions over the past year, pointing to a shift toward larger-value activity across the country’s expanding digital payment ecosystem.
Digital transactions reached 5.2 billion, a 72% increase, while their combined value climbed 93% to Br33.9 trillion, according to figures presented by National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) Governor Eyob Tekalign at the Ethiopia Finance Forum in Addis Ababa on September 29.
The difference between the two growth rates is significant. Based on the reported figures, the average digital transaction was worth approximately Br6,500, up about 12% from the previous year.
| Indicator | Latest period | Growth |
| Digital transactions | 5.2 billion | 72% |
| Transaction value | Br33.9 trillion | 93% |
| Estimated average transaction value | ~Br6,500 | ~12% |
Source: Figures presented by NBE Governor Eyob Tekalign at the Ethiopia Finance Forum. Average transaction value and its growth are Bank of Ethiopia calculations.
More Than More Transactions
The numbers suggest that Ethiopia’s digital-payment expansion is not being driven solely by people making payments more frequently.
If transaction volume had increased at the same pace as value, the two growth rates would have been broadly similar. Instead, transaction value increased by 21 percentage points more than transaction volume.
That translates into a roughly 12% increase in the average value of a digital transaction, based on the reported growth rates.
The development comes as Ethiopia continues to expand access points outside the traditional banking network. Agent-banking outlets increased 36% to 649,186, while point-of-sale terminals rose 42% to 26,107, according to the figures presented by the Governor.
The expansion of these channels is important because digital-payment adoption depends not only on consumers having accounts or mobile phones, but also on having places where digital money can be deposited, withdrawn, and used.
Infrastructure Is Expanding Alongside Usage
The increase in digital-payment activity is also taking place alongside upgrades to Ethiopia’s payment infrastructure.
The NBE has already upgraded the Ethiopian Automated Transfer System to the ISO 20022 messaging standard. The upgrade took effect in March 2025 and was designed to improve the efficiency, security, and reliability of high-value interbank payments.
The central bank’s digital-payments roadmap also includes the operationalization of the Ethiopia Instant Payment System (EIPS) through EthSwitch, enabling real-time transfers between participating institutions. The NBE’s National Digital Payments Strategy identifies instant payments, interoperability and standardized payment infrastructure as key components of the country’s digital-finance development.
The infrastructure push is now being paired with a broader policy agenda. Ethiopia has launched its National Digital Payments Strategy 2026–2030, which places emphasis on interoperability, trust, innovation and expanding access to digital financial services.
Inclusion Still Has Room to Expand
Despite the rapid increase in digital activity, financial access remains incomplete.
Governor Eyob put financial inclusion at 62%–64%, indicating that a substantial share of the population remains outside the formal financial system or does not have adequate access to financial services.
This creates a second challenge for Ethiopia’s digital-payment expansion: moving from rapid adoption among existing users to broader participation across underserved households, businesses and communities.
The government has also identified financial inclusion as a broader economic priority, with the current agenda covering access to finance, housing finance, capital markets and digital infrastructure.
For Ethiopia’s financial sector, therefore, the latest figures represent more than a rise in digital transactions. They show a payment ecosystem handling trillions of birr at increasingly large transaction values, while the country simultaneously works to extend access and strengthen the infrastructure supporting those transactions.
Source: EBR