Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 26.3 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia, 1993–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia is 26.3 people per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 61.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia peaked at 26.3 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.26 people per square kilometre, in 1993.
Ethiopia ranks 153rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 7.26 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1994 | 7.63 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 7.99 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 8.39 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 8.79 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 9.2 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 9.62 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 10.06 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2001 | 10.51 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 10.98 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 11.48 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 10.62 people per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 11.1 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 11.59 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 11.85 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 12.73 people per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 2009 | 13.37 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 14.03 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 14.74 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 15.45 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 16.24 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 17.05 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 17.9 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 18.8 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 19.73 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 20.75 people per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 21.79 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 22.79 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 23.93 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 25.26 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 26.3 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 26.3 people per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.39 people per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 26.3 people per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.41 people per square kilometre | 7.26 people per square kilometre | 9.62 people per square kilometre | 7 |
| 2000s | 11.43 people per square kilometre | 10.06 people per square kilometre | 13.37 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.65 people per square kilometre | 14.03 people per square kilometre | 21.79 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.57 people per square kilometre | 22.79 people per square kilometre | 26.3 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 150 Yemen 27.28 people per square kilometre compare
- 151 Tanzania 26.68 people per square kilometre compare
- 152 East Timor 26.62 people per square kilometre compare
- 154 Myanmar 25.2 people per square kilometre compare
- 155 Chile 23.5 people per square kilometre compare
- 156 Burkina Faso 23.39 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Ethiopia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 23.22 million people (2100)
- Population density 325.45 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.7589 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Ethiopia was 26.3 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.3 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.26 people per square kilometre in 1993.
- How does Ethiopia rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Ethiopia ranks 153rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 61.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.