Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 4.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 4.4% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia peaked at 4.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1960.
That places Ethiopia 121st out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.4% | — |
| 1961 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 2.4% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 2.5% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 2.6% | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 3.4% | +4.3% |
| 1981 | 3.5% | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 3.7% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 3.8% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.8% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 3.7% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 3.8% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 4.2% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | +1.8% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 4.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 12.1%, 36% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 4.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 30% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More climate change data for Ethiopia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 467.87 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 87,053 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 27,625 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 59,429 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 104.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2,122 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,042 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4,650 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 392.5 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 17.55 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Ethiopia was 4.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1960.
- How does Ethiopia rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Ethiopia ranks 121st out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.