Share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Share of population living in rural areas was 35.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia is 35.6%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia peaked at 60.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 2020.
That places Ethiopia 70th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 60.9% | — |
| 1955 | 59.6% | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 58.2% | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 56.1% | -3.8% |
| 1970 | 53.6% | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 51.2% | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 54.0% | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 53.8% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 52.1% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 49.4% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 46.8% | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 43.7% | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 39.7% | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 35.6% | -10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 60.3% | 59.6% | 60.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 57.2% | 56.1% | 58.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 52.4% | 51.2% | 53.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 53.9% | 53.8% | 54.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 50.8% | 49.4% | 52.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 47.2% | 46.8% | 47.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 41.7% | 39.7% | 43.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 35.6% | 35.6% | 35.6% | 1 |
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 rural areas in Ethiopia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Ethiopia was 35.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 60.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 2020.
- How does Ethiopia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Ethiopia ranks 70th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.