Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 4,363 thousands in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4,363 thousands
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
31st
of 233 countries
All-time high
4,363 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
768.63 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Ethiopia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 65 years or older in Ethiopia stood at 4,363 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.7% on the previous year and up 45.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Ethiopia peaked at 4,363 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 768.63 thousands, in 1970.
That places Ethiopia 31st out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 768.63 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 793.99 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 818.67 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 841.3 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 864.12 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 883.52 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 901.85 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 925.53 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 935.61 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 954.43 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 960.65 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 962.23 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 1,007 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 1,037 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 1,051 thousands | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 1,070 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 1,096 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 1,125 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 1,175 thousands | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 1,232 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 1,279 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 1,327 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 1,409 thousands | +6.2% |
| 1993 | 1,453 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 1,497 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 1,542 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 1,568 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 1,603 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 1,647 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 1,693 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 1,734 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 1,790 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 1,845 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 1,902 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 1,963 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 2,029 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 2,100 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 2,174 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 2,251 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 2,337 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 2,432 thousands | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 2,536 thousands | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 2,649 thousands | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 2,768 thousands | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 2,882 thousands | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 3,000 thousands | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 3,097 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 3,206 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 3,324 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 3,449 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 3,583 thousands | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 3,716 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 3,841 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 3,994 thousands | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 4,168 thousands | +4.4% |
| 2025 | 4,363 thousands | +4.7% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 4,363 thousands is above the median for low income countries, which is 589.35 thousands, 7.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 4,363 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 448.46 thousands, 9.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 868.77 thousands | 768.63 thousands | 954.43 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,072 thousands | 960.65 thousands | 1,232 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,502 thousands | 1,279 thousands | 1,693 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,013 thousands | 1,734 thousands | 2,337 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,934 thousands | 2,432 thousands | 3,449 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,944 thousands | 3,583 thousands | 4,363 thousands | 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 population aged 65 years or older in Ethiopia?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Ethiopia was 4,363 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 4,363 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 768.63 thousands in 1970.
- How does Ethiopia rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Ethiopia ranks 31st out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release