YouTube doesn't pay creators who live in Ethiopia per 1,000 views, because Ethiopia isn't on the YouTube Partner Program availability list, and Super Chat and memberships aren't available there either. Ethiopian creators earn instead through brand deals, their own products, affiliate links and AdSense on a website.
I'd rather give you the hard answer now than let you spend a year chasing watch hours for a payout that won't come. If you live in Ethiopia, YouTube doesn't pay you per 1,000 views at the moment, because Ethiopia isn't on the YouTube Partner Program availability list. That doesn't mean an Ethiopian channel can't make money. It means the money comes from somewhere other than YouTube's ad share, and you'll want to plan for that from day one.
Ethiopia isn't on the YouTube Partner Program list
To join the Partner Program, YouTube says you must live in a country or region where it's available. I checked Google's official availability list, and Ethiopia isn't on it. Neighbouring Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are.
The gaps go beyond ad revenue. Ethiopia also doesn't appear on these YouTube lists:
- The expanded Partner Program, which gives earlier access to fan funding.
- Super Chat and Super Stickers.
- Channel memberships.
- YouTube Premium available locations.
So the answer to how much YouTube pays per 1,000 views in Ethiopia is nothing directly, for creators who live there. If YouTube adds Ethiopia later, the availability page is where it'll show up first, so it's worth bookmarking.
Why I won't suggest a workaround
You'll find videos telling Ethiopian creators to list an address in another country. Eligibility is based on where you live, and AdSense requires your bank to be in the same country as your payment address. Giving false details puts the whole channel at risk, along with everything you've built. I'd never recommend it.
Where Ethiopian YouTubers' income comes from instead
Here's the encouraging part. Views still have value even without the ad share. A channel with a loyal audience in Addis Ababa, across the regions and in the diaspora is something businesses want to reach. These are the routes I'd focus on.
Brand deals with businesses that want your audience
Ethiopian brands, diaspora-focused companies sending money or goods home, travel firms, education providers and tech services all pay creators to reach the right people. Your pitch is simple: who watches you, where they are, and what results a past video delivered. You'll find audience location and age in YouTube Analytics even without monetisation.
Selling your own products or services
Courses, coaching, music, e-books, merch and paid communities let you earn directly from viewers. Even a small product turns attention into income you control, and it doesn't depend on any platform's country list.
A website with AdSense alongside your channel
Google's AdSense payment methods table lists Ethiopia, with cheque and wire transfer available and EFT not offered. That's for AdSense, the programme that pays website owners for ads on their sites, rather than YouTube's Partner Program. If you write about the topics you cover on video, a blog can earn from ads while your channel brings visitors to it. Check AdSense's own eligibility rules before you build around it.
Affiliate links in your descriptions
Many international companies run affiliate programmes that pay commission when viewers buy through your link. Read each programme's terms to see whether it accepts creators in Ethiopia and how it pays.
What 1,000 views is worth to an Ethiopian creator
Without ad revenue, the value of 1,000 views depends on what happens next. Did viewers subscribe, click your link, message you or buy? A thousand views from people who trust you on a niche topic like coffee farming, Amharic language lessons or local tech can be worth far more to a brand than ten times that number of casual views.
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- Subscribers gained per video.
- Clicks on description links.
- Comments asking questions or requesting more.
- Messages from businesses.
- Sales of your own products.
Getting money into Ethiopia from abroad
If a brand or affiliate programme pays you from outside Ethiopia, talk to your bank about receiving international transfers. Wikipedia notes that Ethiopia liberalised its foreign exchange market in 2024 and the birr (ETB) was floated, so rates on money converted into birr can move. I'm not a financial or tax adviser, so please speak to a local accountant about how to declare this income.
For US tax, the point to know is that Ethiopia isn't on the IRS list of countries with a US income tax treaty. That matters only if a US company pays you; ask it which forms it needs.
Keep building while you wait
The channels that will benefit most if YouTube ever adds Ethiopia are the ones already growing. The Partner Program thresholds elsewhere are 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Building towards that isn't wasted effort, because the same audience makes brand deals and product sales easier now.
To see how it works where monetisation is open, read about YouTube earnings for Ugandan creators or how Moroccan YouTubers are paid in dirhams. If you'd like channel ideas that don't need you on camera, my list of faceless channel ideas shows which niches attract brands.
Ethiopia YouTube income routes at a glance
| Income route | Available to creators in Ethiopia? | Source checked |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Partner Program ad revenue | No | YouTube availability list |
| Expanded tier fan funding | No | Expanded programme list |
| Super Chat and Super Stickers | No | Super Chat help page |
| Channel memberships | No | Memberships help page |
| AdSense on a website | Listed in payment table (cheque or wire) | AdSense payment methods table |
| Brand deals and own products | Yes, arranged directly | Not a platform programme |
Frequently asked questions
Does YouTube pay creators in Ethiopia?
Not through the Partner Program. Ethiopia isn't on YouTube's Partner Program availability list, so creators who live there can't earn YouTube's ad revenue share for now.
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views in Ethiopia?
Nothing directly for creators living in Ethiopia, because monetisation isn't available there. The value of your views comes from brand deals, your own products and affiliate links.
Can Ethiopian YouTubers get Super Chat or memberships?
No. Ethiopia isn't on the Super Chat and Super Stickers list or the channel memberships list.
Can I use AdSense in Ethiopia?
Google's AdSense payment methods table lists Ethiopia, with cheque and wire transfer. That covers ads on a website rather than YouTube monetisation, so check AdSense's eligibility rules.
Should I use an address in another country to monetise?
No. YouTube eligibility depends on where you live, and AdSense needs your bank in the same country as your payment address. False details put your channel at risk.
Will YouTube monetisation come to Ethiopia?
YouTube hasn't announced a date. Keep an eye on its Partner Program availability page and keep growing your audience in the meantime.
