Demographics of Ethiopia

The country's population is highly diverse, comprising over 80 different ethnic groups. Most people in Ethiopia speak Afroasiatic languages, mainly of the Semitic or Cushitic branches. Among these are the Oromo, Amhara, Somali and Tigrayans, who together constitute around three-quarters of the population.

Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic minorities also inhabit the southern regions of the country, particularly in areas bordering South Sudan. Among these are the Mursi and Anuak.

Ethiopia, like most countries in Africa, is a multi-ethnic state. Although the original physical differences between the major ethnic groups have been blurred by centuries, if not millennia, of intermarriage, there remain many who are distinct and unique.

Ethnic differences may also be observed from the great variety of languages spoken in the country, of which there are eighty-three, with 200 dialects. These can be broken into four main groups: Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic, and Nilo-Saharan.

The Semitic languages of Ethiopia are related to both Hebrew and Arabic. The Ethiopian languages of this family are derived from Ethio-Semitic the ancestor of Ge'ez, the language of the ancient Axumite kingdom, which was also the language of the country's literature prior to the mid-nineteenth century, as well as parts of most present-day church services.

Ethiopia's Semitic languages are today spoken mainly in the north and centre of the country. The most important of them in the north is Tigrinya, which is used throughout Tigray.

The principal Semitic language of the north-western and centre of the country is Amharic, which is the language of the Amhara Region. Moreover, Amharic is also the official language of administration of all Ethiopia, and the language of much modern Ethiopian literature.

Two other Semitic languages are spoken to the south and east of Addis Ababa: the Gurage languages, a cluster of languages used by the Gurage in an area to the south of the capital, and Adare, a tongue spoken only within the old walled city of Harar and used by the Adare people, also known as Harrari.

The Cushitic languages, which are less closely related than the Semitic, are found mainly in the south of the country. The most important tongue in this group is Oromo. It is used in a wide stretch of the country, including Oromia, Dire Dawa, Harari Region, Oromia Zone and Addis Ababa and the surrounding Special Zone.

Oromo serves as the official working language of the Oromia,[5] Harar and Dire Dawa regional states and of the Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region. It is a language of primary education in Oromia, Harar, Dire Dawa, Addis Ababa and of the Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region. It is used as an internet language for federal websites along with Tigrinya.[6][7]

Other Cushitic languages in the area comprise Somali, which is spoken by the Somali in the Somali Region to the east, as well as in the neighboring Somali Republic and parts of Djibouti, and the Sidamo language, used in the Sidama Region. Cushitic languages, however, are also used in the north of the country, namely Afar, spoken in the Afar Region and the northern half of the Djibouti Republic; Saho, in parts of Tigray; and Agaw, a group of languages in various pockets in western and northern Ethiopia.

The Omotic group of languages, which comprise considerably fewer speakers than either the Semitic or the Cushitic languages, are spoken in the south-west of the country. They have been given that name because they are spoken in the general area of the Omo River.

The Nilo-Saharan languages are spoken in a wide arc of the country towards the Sudan and South-Sudan frontier. They include, from north to south, Gumuz and Berta in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and Anuak in Gambela Region.

Various religions are adhered to in Ethiopia. Most Christians live in the highlands, whereas Muslims mainly inhabit the lowlands. Adherents of traditional faiths are primarily concentrated in the southern regions.

According to the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (2007 census), the national religious composition is Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Protestantism 18.6%, Roman Catholicism 0.7%, Islam 33.9%, traditional 2.6%, and others 0.6%.[8]

Source: Central Statistical Agency (CSA)[9]

Registration of vital events in Ethiopia is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates: [10]

CBR = crude birth rate (per 1,000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1,000); NC = natural change (per 1,000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1,000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Births and deaths[11]

• Data refer to the 12 months preceding the census in May.

As per 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia [13]

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[5]

• One birth every 10 seconds
• One death every 45 seconds
• One net migrant every 44 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 12 seconds

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.[16]

Age structure

Population pyramid of Ethiopia in 2017

0-14 years: 43.21% (male 23,494,593 /female 23,336,508)

15-24 years: 20.18% (male 10,857,968 /female 11,011,100)

25-54 years: 29.73% (male 15,978,384 /female 16,247,086)

55-64 years: 3.92% (male 2,059,129 /female 2,185,814)

65 years and over: 2.97% (male 1,445,547 /female 1,770,262) (2018 est.)

0-14 years: 43.94% (male 21,900,571/female 21,809,643)

15-24 years: 19.98% (male 9,865,976/female 10,009,596)

25-54 years: 29.31% (male 14,487,280/female 14,667,179)

55-64 years: 3.88% (male 1,882,315/female 1,981,762)

65 years and over: 2.88% (male 1,289,336/female 1,572,161) (2015 est.)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Ethiopia.

• Languages of Ethiopia
• Habesha peoples
• Religion in Ethiopia

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2006 edition".