You wake up, check your phone, and it says January 2026. But if you were standing in the middle of Addis Ababa right now, the local newspapers and government offices would tell you a completely different story.
In Ethiopia, it is currently 2018.
No, it isn't a glitch in the Matrix. It isn't a joke. It’s the official reality for over 120 million people. While the rest of the world is busy planning for the late 2020s, Ethiopia is just settling into its late teens.
What year is it now in Ethiopia?
As of today, January 13, 2026, the year in Ethiopia is 2018.
Specifically, the date is Tir 5, 2018.
The country follows the Ge’ez calendar (also known as the Ethiopic calendar). Because this system is roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar used by most of the West, the "time travel" effect is very real for travelers. If you fly into Bole International Airport today, you are effectively stepping back seven years in time the moment you clear customs.
The year 2018 in Ethiopia actually began on September 11, 2025. It will stay 2018 until the next Ethiopian New Year, called Enkutatash, arrives in September 2026.
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Why is Ethiopia "behind" the rest of the world?
It isn't that Ethiopia is "late" to the party. It’s that they never changed the guest list.
Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Before that, everyone was using the Julian calendar. When the Roman Catholic Church decided to tweak the math to better calculate the date of Easter, Ethiopia—along with several other Orthodox Christian regions—basically said, "No thanks, we’re good."
The discrepancy comes down to the Annunciation. This is the date when the angel Gabriel supposedly told Mary she would give birth to Jesus.
Ethiopians follow the calculations of Annianus of Alexandria, an Egyptian monk. He placed the birth of Christ about seven to eight years later than the Western calculations made by Dionysius Exiguus. Because Ethiopia was never formally colonized, they were never forced to adopt the European calendar. They kept their ancient roots, and frankly, they’re quite proud of it.
The 13-Month Year: "13 Months of Sunshine"
If you’ve ever seen the Ethiopian tourism slogan "13 Months of Sunshine," it isn't just a poetic metaphor. It is literal.
The Ethiopian calendar consists of 13 months:
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- 12 months of exactly 30 days each.
- 1 month (the 13th) called Pagume, which has only 5 days (or 6 during a leap year).
This makes life a lot simpler for anyone who hates trying to remember if April has 30 or 31 days. In Ethiopia, every month is the same length until you hit that tiny "bonus" month at the end of the year.
The Month Names
The names of the months are gorgeous and tied deeply to the Ge'ez language:
- Meskerem (Starts in September)
- Tikimt
- Hidar
- Tahsas
- Tir (We are currently in this month)
- Yekatit
- Megabit
- Miazia
- Ginbot
- Sene
- Hamle
- Nehase
- Pagume (The short 13th month)
6:00 is actually 12:00? The Time Confusion
If the year difference wasn't enough to make your head spin, let’s talk about the clock.
In Ethiopia, the day doesn't start at midnight. It starts at sunrise.
Think about it: why does our day start in the middle of the night while we're sleeping? To an Ethiopian, it makes much more sense for the first hour of the day to be when the sun comes up.
- 7:00 AM in Western time is 1:00 (Daytime) in Ethiopian time.
- 12:00 PM (Noon) in Western time is 6:00 in Ethiopian time.
- 6:00 PM (Sunset) in Western time is 12:00 in Ethiopian time.
If you are booking a meeting or a bus ticket in Ethiopia, you always have to double-check if the person is speaking in "International Time" or "Ethiopian Time." Otherwise, you’ll show up six hours early (or late) for your appointment.
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Real-World Impact: Living in 2018
Honestly, it can be a bit of a headache for businesses. Banks and international airlines usually stick to the Gregorian calendar to avoid crashing the global financial system. However, for local schools, holidays, and government services, the Ethiopian calendar is the law of the land.
Imagine trying to explain to a computer program that today is simultaneously 2018 and 2026. Most software isn't built for that.
Ethiopians often celebrate two New Years—the global one on January 1st (mostly just for the party) and their actual New Year on September 11th. It’s like having a second chance at your resolutions every year.
Essential Takeaways for Travelers
If you're planning to visit or do business there, keep these specific points in mind:
- Visas and Stamps: When you look at your entry stamp, it might have a date that looks "wrong." Don't panic; the immigration officers know what they're doing.
- Holidays: Christmas (Genna) isn't on December 25th. It’s on January 7th.
- Leap Years: The Ethiopian leap year occurs every four years without exception, unlike the Gregorian system which has more complex rules about century years.
- Official Documents: Always clarify which calendar is being used on contracts or dated receipts.
The fact that it is 2018 in Ethiopia right now isn't a sign of being "behind" in terms of progress. It's a testament to a culture that survived centuries of external pressure without losing its identity. Ethiopia remains one of the only places on Earth where time truly belongs to the people, not the global standard.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your gadgets: If you're traveling to Ethiopia, manually set one of your watch faces to "Ethiopian Time" (6 hours offset) so you can communicate with locals easily.
- Date Conversion: If you have an Ethiopian birth certificate or document, use an official Ethiopian Calendar Converter tool to ensure you have the correct Gregorian equivalent for legal filings.
- Sync your meetings: When scheduling a call with someone in Addis Ababa, always specify "European Time" or "East Africa Time" to avoid the 6-hour sunrise/sunset confusion.