Factbox: A snapshot of Ethiopia on death of Meles Zenawi

(Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, praised for economic reform but criticized for authoritarianism during his 21-year rule of one the world's poorest countries, died overnight in a Brussels hospital after a long battle with illness.

Here is a look at Ethiopia and its economy:

* Ethiopia's economy is expected to maintain a growth rate of 7 percent in 2012/2013, the International Monetary Fund said in June, raising its earlier forecast of 5.5 percent owing to slowing inflation. However at $390, Ethiopia's per capita income is much lower than the Sub-Saharan African average of $1,165 in 2010, ranking it as the sixth poorest country in the world, according to a method used by the World Bank.

* Ethiopia has embarked on ambitious infrastructure investment projects to improve its economic competitiveness, including a multi-billion dollar plan to scale up energy generation. It aims to produce 20,000 megawatts (MW) of hydro-power within the next 10 years, part of a plan to spend $12 billion over 25 years to raise power generating capability.

* Ethiopia is Africa's biggest coffee producer, and higher earnings from coffee have boosted its economy as have rising gold, oil seed and livestock exports.

* The country is ranked 174 out of 187 in the U.N.'s Human Development Index, but there has been significant progress in key human development indicators: child mortality has been cut in half, and the number of people with access to clean water has more than doubled.

Yet schooling indicators are still poor and below regional averages. Ethiopia is ranked 27th out of 28 countries in terms of the African Education for All (EFA) development index.

SOME NUMBERS

GDP per Capita (US$) 2010 $373.0

Population (mln) 2011 83.223

Primary School-Aged Population

(Percentage) 2011 21.6 percent

HIV/AIDS Prevalence (15-49 years) 2012 1.5 percent

* Ethiopia ranks joint 120th in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index which ranks 183 countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. Ethiopia is ranked alongside eight other countries including Iran, Guatemala, Ecuador and Bangladesh.

Sources Reuters/World Bank/UNESCO/UNAIDS/http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/

(Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-snapshot-ethiopia-death-meles-zenawi-174654000.html

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