Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 2.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Population growth in Ethiopia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 2.6% for population growth in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Ethiopia peaked at 4.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1980.
That places Ethiopia 26th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.8% | — |
| 1971 | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | -5.5% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | -23.7% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | -12.0% |
| 1979 | 1.5% | -12.6% |
| 1980 | 0.6% | -62.7% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | +354.1% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | +54.6% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | -28.0% |
| 1984 | 2.6% | -6.8% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | +8.2% |
| 1986 | 3.0% | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 3.4% | +15.2% |
| 1988 | 3.9% | +14.6% |
| 1989 | 3.8% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 4.3% | +17.0% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -16.5% |
| 1994 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | -0.8% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 2.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.6%, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 2.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) 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 | +354.1% | 0.6% | 2.5% |
| 1980 | -62.7% | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| 1982 | +54.6% | 2.5% | 3.9% |
| 1983 | -28.0% | 3.9% | 2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.9% | 0.6% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 5 |
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)
- 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 population growth in Ethiopia?
- Population growth in Ethiopia was 2.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1980.
- How does Ethiopia rank for population growth?
- Ethiopia ranks 26th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release