The Elusive Mortgage Remains out of Reach as Ethiopia Confronts Massive Housing Demand

Ethiopia faces a critical housing shortage requiring 471,000 units annually according to World Bank forecasts, with Addis Ababa needing over one million apartments by 2036. Despite extensive construction activity, experts identify rapid urbanization, skyrocketing land prices, and severely limited access to mortgage financing as the primary obstacles preventing the nation from addressing its massive housing demand.