Annual population growth in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Annual population growth was 3.31 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
3.31 million
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
5th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.31 million
in 2023
All-time low
189,860
in 1980
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Annual population growth in Ethiopia, 1951–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual population growth in Ethiopia is 3.31 million, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 73 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual population growth in Ethiopia peaked at 3.31 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 189,860, in 1980.
That places Ethiopia 5th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual population growth in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 318,642 | — |
| 1952 | 337,116 | +5.8% |
| 1953 | 348,596 | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 363,264 | +4.2% |
| 1955 | 381,732 | +5.1% |
| 1956 | 399,118 | +4.6% |
| 1957 | 354,861 | -11.1% |
| 1958 | 306,534 | -13.6% |
| 1959 | 397,817 | +29.8% |
| 1960 | 498,590 | +25.3% |
| 1961 | 529,414 | +6.2% |
| 1962 | 559,023 | +5.6% |
| 1963 | 586,514 | +4.9% |
| 1964 | 614,908 | +4.8% |
| 1965 | 644,068 | +4.7% |
| 1966 | 642,076 | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 667,592 | +4.0% |
| 1968 | 717,650 | +7.5% |
| 1969 | 734,642 | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 756,560 | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 770,979 | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 774,497 | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 792,178 | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 790,488 | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 765,978 | -3.1% |
| 1976 | 811,173 | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 632,848 | -22.0% |
| 1978 | 567,325 | -10.4% |
| 1979 | 504,054 | -11.2% |
| 1980 | 189,860 | -62.3% |
| 1981 | 875,495 | +361.1% |
| 1982 | 1.40 million | +59.6% |
| 1983 | 1.04 million | -25.6% |
| 1984 | 994,907 | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 1.11 million | +11.2% |
| 1986 | 1.20 million | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 1.42 million | +19.0% |
| 1988 | 1.69 million | +18.9% |
| 1989 | 1.73 million | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 1.73 million | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 2.11 million | +21.8% |
| 1992 | 2.14 million | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 1.86 million | -13.2% |
| 1994 | 1.90 million | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.93 million | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.93 million | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.94 million | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 1.96 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.01 million | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 2.04 million | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 2.08 million | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 2.15 million | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 2.20 million | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 2.24 million | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.29 million | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 2.34 million | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 2.40 million | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 2.44 million | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 2.46 million | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 2.53 million | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 2.61 million | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 2.65 million | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 2.64 million | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 2.68 million | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 2.75 million | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 2.85 million | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 2.95 million | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 3.00 million | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 3.07 million | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 3.18 million | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 3.22 million | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 3.25 million | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 3.31 million | +1.9% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 3.31 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 556,727, 5.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 3.31 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 359,940, 9.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual population growth in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +361.1% | 189,860 | 875,495 |
| 1980 | -62.3% | 504,054 | 189,860 |
| 1982 | +59.6% | 875,495 | 1.40 million |
| 1983 | -25.6% | 1.40 million | 1.04 million |
| 1959 | +29.8% | 306,534 | 397,817 |
| 1960 | +25.3% | 397,817 | 498,590 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 356,409 | 306,534 | 399,118 | 9 |
| 1960s | 619,448 | 498,590 | 734,642 | 10 |
| 1970s | 716,608 | 504,054 | 811,173 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.16 million | 189,860 | 1.73 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.95 million | 1.73 million | 2.14 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.26 million | 2.04 million | 2.46 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.77 million | 2.53 million | 3.07 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.24 million | 3.18 million | 3.31 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 2 Nigeria 4.73 million compare
- 3 Pakistan 3.80 million compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 3.39 million compare
- 6 Indonesia 2.36 million compare
- 7 Bangladesh 2.08 million compare
- 8 United States 1.94 million compare
More population data for Ethiopia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.484 (2100)
- Population density 325.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 23.22 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.484 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual population growth in Ethiopia?
- Annual population growth in Ethiopia was 3.31 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual population growth recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.31 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest annual population growth recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 189,860 in 1980.
- How does Ethiopia rank for annual population growth?
- Ethiopia ranks 5th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual population growth rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual population growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).