HOW THE ETHIOPIAN CALENDAR WORKS
- Twelve months of 30 days, plus Pagume with 5 days, or 6 in a leap year.
- The year begins on 1 Meskerem: 11 September, or 12 September before a Gregorian leap year.
- The Ethiopian year is 7 years behind the Gregorian from Meskerem to December, and 8 years behind from January to Pagume.
- Example: the FDRE Constitution came into force on 21 August 1995, which is 15 Nehase 1987 E.C.
Ethiopian months and their Gregorian start dates
Start dates for 2019 E.C. In other years a month can start one day earlier or later, so use the converter for an exact date.
| Month | Days | First day in 2019 E.C. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meskerem (መስከረም) | 30 | 11 September 2026 |
| 2. Tikimt (ጥቅምት) | 30 | 11 October 2026 |
| 3. Hidar (ኅዳር) | 30 | 10 November 2026 |
| 4. Tahsas (ታኅሣሥ) | 30 | 10 December 2026 |
| 5. Tir (ጥር) | 30 | 9 January 2027 |
| 6. Yekatit (የካቲት) | 30 | 8 February 2027 |
| 7. Megabit (መጋቢት) | 30 | 10 March 2027 |
| 8. Miyazya (ሚያዝያ) | 30 | 9 April 2027 |
| 9. Ginbot (ግንቦት) | 30 | 9 May 2027 |
| 10. Sene (ሰኔ) | 30 | 8 June 2027 |
| 11. Hamle (ሐምሌ) | 30 | 8 July 2027 |
| 12. Nehase (ነሐሴ) | 30 | 7 August 2027 |
| 13. Pagume (ጳጉሜ) | 6 | 6 September 2027 |
Ethiopian calendar dates in legal research
The Federal Negarit Gazeta is published in Amharic and English, and its Amharic mastheads carry Ethiopian calendar dates. The Federal Income Tax Proclamation, for instance, is cited in English as No. 979/2016, while its Amharic text numbers it 979/2008 and dates its Gazette issue 12 Nehase 2008 E.C., which is 18 August 2016.
When a deadline, limitation period or effective date matters, convert the date and then read the provision itself: a law can count time from publication, from a named date or from another event. Our Ethiopian law guides explain where each area of law is set out.
Frequently asked questions
How many months does the Ethiopian calendar have?
Thirteen. Twelve months have 30 days each, and the thirteenth month, Pagume, has 5 days, or 6 days in a leap year.
When is Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)?
1 Meskerem falls on 11 September in the Gregorian calendar, or on 12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year. For example, 1 Meskerem 2016 E.C. was 12 September 2023, and 1 Meskerem 2017 E.C. was 11 September 2024.
Why is the Ethiopian year 7 or 8 years behind the Gregorian year?
The two calendars count years from different starting points. From 1 Meskerem to the end of December the difference is 7 years; from 1 January to the end of Pagume it is 8 years.
Which Ethiopian years are leap years?
An Ethiopian year is a leap year, with a six-day Pagume, when it leaves a remainder of 3 when divided by 4. 2015 E.C. was a leap year; 2016 E.C. was not.
Why do Ethiopian laws show two different years?
English citations of federal proclamations use the Gregorian year, while the Amharic text uses the Ethiopian year. The Federal Income Tax Proclamation is cited in English as No. 979/2016, and its Amharic text numbers it 979/2008.