Urban population in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Urban population was 24.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Ethiopia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Ethiopia stood at 24.1%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Ethiopia peaked at 24.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1960.
That places Ethiopia 207th out of 217 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.
Urban population in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.1% | — |
| 1961 | 7.2% | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 7.4% | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 7.5% | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 7.7% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 7.8% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 8.0% | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 8.1% | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 8.3% | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 8.4% | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 8.6% | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 8.7% | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 8.9% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 9.1% | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 9.2% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 9.4% | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 9.6% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 9.8% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 10.0% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 10.2% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 10.4% | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 10.8% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 11.0% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 11.2% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 11.7% | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 11.9% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 12.2% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 12.5% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 12.8% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 13.0% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 13.7% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 13.9% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 16.0% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 16.2% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 16.8% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 17.2% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 17.5% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 17.9% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 18.6% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 19.0% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 19.5% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 20.3% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 20.8% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 21.2% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 21.6% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 23.1% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 24.1% | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.7% | 7.1% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.3% | 8.6% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.4% | 10.4% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.8% | 12.8% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 14.9% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.3% | 17.5% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.9% | 21.6% | 24.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 204 Afghanistan 25.9% compare
- 205 Burundi 25.7% compare
- 206 Antigua and Barbuda 24.3% compare
- 208 Micronesia, Federated States of 22.5% compare
- 209 Vanuatu 22.3% compare
- 210 South Sudan 21.7% compare
More climate change data for Ethiopia
- 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)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 14.02 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Ethiopia?
- Urban population in Ethiopia was 24.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1960.
- How does Ethiopia rank for urban population?
- Ethiopia ranks 207th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.