Ethiopia population
Ethiopia: 135 million people in 2025 (135,472,051), 10th of 217 countries and areas — and 225 million projected for 2050.
Compare Ethiopia with another country
Where it stands
In 2025 Ethiopia has 135,472,051 people, which is 1.65% of the 8.19 billion counted across the 217 countries and areas on this site. That puts it 10th by population, behind Russia and ahead of Mexico.
Since 1960
In 1960 the figure was 21,376,693. Since then the population has grown 6.34×, an average of 2.88% a year upward. It doubled at some point along the way — the year it first reached 42,753,386 was 1988.
The projection keeps rising to the end of the data: 225,021,875 in 2050, 66.1% above 2025. The highest figure on this page is that last one, so no peak has been reached yet.
The ranking in 2050
In 2050 the projected rank is 7th, up 3 places from 10th. Rankings move when other countries grow faster or slower, not only when Ethiopia changes.
People and land
Ethiopia covers 1,128,499 km² of land, so 2025 density is 120 people per km² — 91st most crowded of 216 places with an area figure. At that density a square 10 km on a side holds about 12,005 people.
The fertility rate was 3.91 births per woman in 2024, well above replacement level; life expectancy at birth was 67.6 years (2024); 38.8% of people were under 15 and 3.3% were 65 or older (2025); 24% of the population lived in cities. These shape the curve above: a young population keeps growing after fertility falls, an old one starts shrinking sooner.
Its nearest neighbours in the ranking are Russia just above, with 144 million (1.06× as many), and Mexico just below, with 132 million (1.03× as many as Mexico has).
How the numbers are taken. Total population from the World Bank's population estimates and projections (built from United Nations and national statistics). Values to 2025 are estimates; 2026–2050 are projections that continue current fertility, mortality and migration trends. Sources and limits.