Why Is the Ethiopian Calendar Behind by 7 Years?

The Ethiopian calendar is 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar (used in most of the world) due to different calculations of Jesus’ birth date and an alternative calendar system. 

What are the Main Reasons Ethiopia is 7 Years Behind the Rest of the World?

1. Different Calculations of Christ’s Birth

The Gregorian calendar, which is internationally dominant, starts counting years from the year 1 AD, traditionally recognized as the birth year of Jesus Christ.

The Ethiopian calendar, however, bases its year count on a different calculation, placing the birth of Jesus in what the Gregorian calendar calls 7 to 8 years earlier (around 7 BC). Because of this, the Ethiopian calendar year numbering runs approximately 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian year.

That’s why Ethiopia is currently in the year 2017 (as of 2025 in the Gregorian calendar).

2. The Ethiopian Calendar Has 13 Months

• 12 months of 30 days each
• 1 small month (called Pagume) of 5 or 6 days, depending on the leap year

3. New Year Begins in September

Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) is celebrated on September 11 (or 12 in a leap year), not January 1.
Its leap year system is aligned more closely with the Julian calendar, adding a day every 4 years without exception, unlike the Gregorian calendar’s slightly more complex leap year system.

Why is the Ethiopian Calendar Gap Sometimes 7 or 8 Years?

From September to December, the gap is 7 years (e.g., 2016 in Ethiopia = 2023 Gregorian).
After January 1st, the gap becomes 8 years (Ethiopia’s New Year hasn’t arrived yet).

How Ethiopians Use the Calendar Today

• Official government & religious events follow the Ethiopian calendar.
• Business & international dealings often use the Gregorian calendar.
• Holidays like Enkutatash (New Year) and Timkat (Epiphany) are based on the local system.

The Ethiopian calendar’s "delay" of about 7  to 8 years is because it starts counting years based on a different historical calculation for Jesus Christ’s birth, combined with a unique calendar system inherited from the Coptic and Julian calendars. This difference in calendar years is not a mistake but a result of historical religious traditions and alternative interpretations of biblical chronology.