Population in largest city in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Population in largest city was 5.96 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population in largest city in Ethiopia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 5.96 million for population in largest city in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 53.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in largest city in Ethiopia peaked at 5.96 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 519,177, in 1960.
That places Ethiopia 38th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 595,013 | 519,177 | 695,267 | 10 |
| 1970s | 912,430 | 729,246 | 1.12 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.45 million | 1.18 million | 1.72 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.09 million | 1.79 million | 2.33 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.63 million | 2.38 million | 3.00 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.82 million | 3.13 million | 4.59 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.36 million | 4.79 million | 5.96 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More urban development data for Ethiopia
- Population in the largest city 18.2% (2025)
- Population density 114.04 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 23.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 5.96 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in largest city in Ethiopia?
- Population in largest city in Ethiopia was 5.96 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in largest city recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.96 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in largest city recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 519,177 in 1960.
- How does Ethiopia rank for population in largest city?
- Ethiopia ranks 38th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in largest city rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.