A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence, cyst fertility and economic importance of bovine hydatidosis in cattle slaughtered at Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprise, Ethiopia. The study revealed 20.16% (98/486) occurrence of hydatidosis based on the postmortem examination of 486 cattle slaughtered and examined. Prevalence of hydatidosis is signifi cantly associated with body condition score (P< 0.05) and higher prevalence was recorded in animals with poor body condition. However, there was no signifi cant association between hydatidosis infection and age of the animals (P>0.05). Of the 98 viscera harboring hydatid cysts, the highest 57(58.17%) were found in lung followed by liver 24(24.49%), kidney 2(2.04%) and 1(1.02%) heart. In addition, out of the total 361 cysts collected 63(17.45%) were fertile, 210 (58.17%) sterile and 88 (24.38%) calcifi ed. During viability test of fertile cysts, 33.33% hydatid cyst viability rate was observed. The rate of cyst calcifi cation was higher in liver (43.24%) than in the lung (11.43%). Based on the study, the direct annual economic loss due to organs condemned at Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprise was estimated to be 345334.84 Ethiopian Birr. The present study showed higher prevalence of hydatidosis in Addis Ababa abattoir. Therefore to break the life cycle of hydatidosis, public education should be undertaken in addition to regular treatment of dogs and fencing the surrounding of the abattoir should be encouraged to reduce the spread of the disease.