Share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Share of population living in the capital city was 5.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia is 5.0%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia peaked at 5.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1950.
That places Ethiopia 148th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.0% | — |
| 1955 | 2.1% | +5.0% |
| 1960 | 2.2% | +4.9% |
| 1965 | 2.3% | +4.3% |
| 1970 | 2.5% | +7.0% |
| 1975 | 2.7% | +10.8% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | +21.2% |
| 1985 | 3.9% | +18.7% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +8.1% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +12.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
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 share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia?
- Share of population living in the capital city in Ethiopia was 5.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1950.
- How does Ethiopia rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- Ethiopia ranks 148th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.