Meles, a former rebel who came to power in 1991 after toppling the bloody dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam, set Ethiopia on a path of rapid growth and played a key role in mediating regional conflicts, but also drew criticism for cracking down on opponents and curtailing human rights.
US President Barack Obama led tributes to Meles whom he said deserved "recognition for his lifelong contribution to Ethiopia's development, particularly his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia's poor".
He said Meles had earned his own personal admiration "for his desire to lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty" through his efforts to improve food security following a meeting at the G-8 in May.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised his "exceptional leadership".
The 57-year-old -- a key Western ally in a region home to Al-Qaeda-linked groups -- had not been seen in public since the G20 summit in Mexico in June.
European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said Meles had died in Brussels, but the Ethiopian government said only that he had died abroad.
His body arrived back in Addis Ababa on Tuesday evening.
"Prime Minister Meles Zenawi passed away yesterday evening at around midnight," said government spokesman Bereket Simon, adding he had been "struggling to be healthy in the last year."
"He had been recuperating well, but suddenly something happened and he had to be rushed to the ICU (intensive care unit) and they couldn't keep him alive," he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, 47, who has also been foreign minister since 2010, will take over interim power, Bereket said.
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