Share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 23.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
23.3%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
193rd
of 202 countries
All-time high
23.3%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia stood at 23.3%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia peaked at 23.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Ethiopia 193rd out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.5% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.5% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 1.4% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 1.7% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 2.7% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 3.3% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 3.6% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 3.9% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 4.3% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 4.7% | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 4.8% | +3.5% |
| 1952 | 5.0% | +3.5% |
| 1953 | 5.2% | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 5.4% | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 5.5% | +3.4% |
| 1956 | 5.7% | +3.4% |
| 1957 | 5.9% | +3.4% |
| 1958 | 6.1% | +3.4% |
| 1959 | 6.3% | +3.4% |
| 1960 | 6.5% | +3.4% |
| 1961 | 6.8% | +3.4% |
| 1962 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 7.2% | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 7.5% | +3.4% |
| 1965 | 7.7% | +3.4% |
| 1966 | 8.0% | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 8.3% | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 8.4% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 8.6% | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 8.7% | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 8.9% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 9.0% | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 9.2% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 9.3% | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 9.5% | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 9.6% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 9.8% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 10.0% | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 10.2% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 10.4% | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 10.5% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 10.7% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 11.2% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 11.6% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 11.9% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 12.1% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 12.3% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 12.6% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 12.8% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 13.1% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 13.3% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 13.6% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 13.9% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 15.2% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 15.6% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 16.0% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 16.5% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 17.1% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 17.9% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 18.4% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 19.2% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 19.6% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 20.1% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 20.5% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 20.9% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 21.4% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 21.9% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 22.8% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 23.3% | +2.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 23.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 40.5%, 58% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 23.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.2%, 50% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1780s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1790s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1800s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1830s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1860s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1870s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1880s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1910s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1920s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 5.5% | 4.7% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.6% | 6.5% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.4% | 8.7% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.3% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.7% | 12.6% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 14.9% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.6% | 16.7% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.1% | 20.9% | 23.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
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)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Population density 325.45 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 23.22 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.5% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Ethiopia was 23.3% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Ethiopia rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Ethiopia ranks 193rd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.