Ethiopia — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Ethiopia, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Ethiopia was 2.55% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 4.33% in 1991. The lowest was 0.55% in 1980 (about 4.6× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.07% per year.
Ethiopia ranks 24 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 11%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so Ethiopia sits above it. It peaked in 1991 and has fallen 41% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 5%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 15 of 48 economies; Burundi (2.41%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 354% in 1981. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 94th of 216 in 1961 → 61st of 216 in 1970 → 178th of 216 in 1980 → 23rd of 216 in 1990 → 24th of 217 in 2000 → 31st of 217 in 2010 → 23rd of 217 in 2020 → 24th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.55% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.58% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 2.62% | -0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 2.67% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 2.71% | +0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 2.69% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 2.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 2.71% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 2.68% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 2.68% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 2.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 2.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 2.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 2.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 2.89% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 2.93% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 2.94% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 2.97% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 2.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 3.02% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 3.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 3.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 3.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 3.12% | -0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 3.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 3.21% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 3.48% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 3.52% | -0.7 pp |
| 1992 | 4.21% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 4.33% | +0.6 pp |
| 1990 | 3.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 3.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 3.9% | +0.5 pp |
| 1987 | 3.41% | +0.5 pp |
| 1986 | 2.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 2.82% | +0.2 pp |
| 1984 | 2.6% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 2.79% | -1.1 pp |
| 1982 | 3.88% | +1.4 pp |
| 1981 | 2.51% | +2.0 pp |
| 1980 | 0.55% | -0.9 pp |
| 1979 | 1.48% | -0.2 pp |
| 1978 | 1.7% | -0.2 pp |
| 1977 | 1.93% | -0.6 pp |
| 1976 | 2.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 2.44% | -0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 2.66% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 2.67% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.73% | -0.0 pp |
| 1970 | 2.76% | +0.0 pp |
| 1969 | 2.75% | -0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 2.76% | +0.1 pp |
| 1967 | 2.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 2.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 1965 | 2.69% | +0.1 pp |
| 1964 | 2.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 1963 | 2.58% | +0.1 pp |
| 1962 | 2.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 1961 | 2.45% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Ethiopia’s Population growth in 1962?
2.52% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Ethiopia’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +4.3% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.55%; 2024: 2.58%; 2023: 2.6%; 2022: 2.62%; 2021: 2.67%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.