Rural population (% of total population) in Ethiopia was reported at 76.34 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Ethiopia: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2023 is 76.84 percent, a decline from 77.34 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 38.64 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Ethiopia from 1960 to 2023 is 86.6 percent. The minimum value, 76.84 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 93.57 percent was recorded in 1960.

Rural population in Ethiopia was reported at 100813106 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Growth data was reported at 1.908 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.957 % for 2016. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 2.464 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.315 % in 1992 and a record low of 1.107 % in 1978. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Rural population growth (annual %) in Ethiopia was reported at 1.9255 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Ethiopia ET: Rural Population data was reported at 83,640,582.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 82,059,777.000 Person for 2016. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 40,091,631.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83,640,582.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 20,726,286.000 Person in 1960. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

Ethiopia ET: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 79.690 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 80.134 % for 2016. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 87.739 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 93.567 % in 1960 and a record low of 79.690 % in 2017. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) in Ethiopia was reported at 43.6 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This statistic shows the ten countries with the largest increase in the size of the rural population between 2018 and 2015. Based on forecasted population figures, the rural population of Ethiopia is projected to be around ** million more in 2050 than it was in 2018.

Urban population (% of total population) in Ethiopia was reported at 23.66 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This line chart displays rural population (people) by date using the aggregation sum in Ethiopia. The data is about countries per year.

This scatter chart displays individuals using the Internet (% of population) against rural population (people) in Ethiopia. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Ethiopia was reported at 21.84 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This scatter chart displays health expenditure per capita (current US$) against rural population (people) in Ethiopia. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Abstract

The 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) is a nationwide survey with a nationally representative sample of 9,150 selected households. All women age 15-49 who were usual members of the selected households and those who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible to be interviewed in the survey. In the selected households, all children under age 5 were eligible for height and weight measurements. The survey was designed to produce reliable estimates of key indicators at the national level as well as for urban and rural areas and each of the 11 regions in Ethiopia.

The primary objective of the 2019 EMDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of key demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the main objectives of the survey are: ▪ To collect high-quality data on contraceptive use; maternal and child health; infant, child, and neonatal mortality levels; child nutrition; and other health issues relevant to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ▪ To collect information on health-related matters such as breastfeeding, maternal and child care (antenatal, delivery, and postnatal), children’s immunizations, and childhood diseases ▪ To assess the nutritional status of children under age 5 by measuring weight and height

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Health facility

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 and all children aged 0-5 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2019 EMDHS is a frame of all census enumeration areas (EAs) created for the 2019 Ethiopia Population and Housing Census (EPHC) and conducted by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA). The census frame is a complete list of the 149,093 EAs created for the 2019 EPHC. An EA is a geographic area covering an average of 131 households. The sampling frame contains information about EA location, type of residence (urban or rural), and estimated number of residential households.

Administratively, Ethiopia is divided into nine geographical regions and two administrative cities. The sample for the 2019 EMDHS was designed to provide estimates of key indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, and for each of the nine regions and the two administrative cities.

The 2019 EMDHS sample was stratified and selected in two stages. Each region was stratified into urban and rural areas, yielding 21 sampling strata. Samples of EAs were selected independently in each stratum in two stages. Implicit stratification and proportional allocation were achieved at each of the lower administrative levels by sorting the sampling frame within each sampling stratum before sample selection, according to administrative units in different levels, and by using a probability proportional to size selection at the first stage of sampling.

To ensure that survey precision was comparable across regions, sample allocation was done through an equal allocation wherein 25 EAs were selected from eight regions. However, 35 EAs were selected from each of the three larger regions: Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).

In the first stage, a total of 305 EAs (93 in urban areas and 212 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size (based on the 2019 EPHC frame) and with independent selection in each sampling stratum. A household listing operation was carried out in all selected EAs from January through April 2019. The resulting lists of households served as a sampling frame for the selection of households in the second stage. Some of the selected EAs for the 2019 EMDHS were large, with more than 300 households. To minimise the task of household listing, each large EA selected for the 2019 EMDHS was segmented. Only one segment was selected for the survey, with probability proportional to segment size. Household listing was conducted only in the selected segment; that is, a 2019 EMDHS cluster is either an EA or a segment of an EA.

In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 30 households per cluster were selected with an equal probability systematic selection from the newly created household listing. All women age 15-49 who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who slept in the household the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. In all selected households, height and weight measurements were collected from children age 0-59 months, and women age 15-49 were interviewed using the Woman’s Questionnaire.

For further details on sample selection, see Appendix A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used for the 2019 EMDHS: (1) the Household Questionnaire, (2) the Woman’s Questionnaire, (3) the Anthropometry Questionnaire, (4) the Health Facility Questionnaire, and (5) the Fieldworker’s Questionnaire. These questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s standard questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Ethiopia. They were shortened substantially to collect data on indicators of particular relevance to Ethiopia and donors to child health programmes.

Cleaning operations

All electronic data files were transferred via the secure internet file streaming system (IFSS) to the EPHI central office in Addis Ababa, where they were stored on a password-protected computer. The data processing operation included secondary editing, which required resolution of computer-identified inconsistencies and coding of open-ended questions. The data were processed by EPHI staff members and an ICF consultant who took part in the main fieldwork training. They were supervised remotely by staff from The DHS Program. Data editing was accomplished using CSPro System software. During the fieldwork, field-check tables were generated to check various data quality parameters, and specific feedback was given to the teams to improve performance. Secondary editing, double data entry from both the anthropometry and health facility questionnaires, and data processing were initiated in April 2019 and completed in July 2019.

Response rate

A total of 9,150 households were selected for the sample, of which 8,794 were occupied. Of the occupied households, 8,663 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%.

In the interviewed households, 9,012 eligible women were identified for individual interviews; interviews were completed with 8,885 women, yielding a response rate of 99%. Overall, there was little variation in response rates according to residence; however, rates were slightly higher in rural than in urban areas.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: nonsampling errors and sampling errors. Nonsampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) to minimize this type of error, nonsampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2019 EMDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability among all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2019 EMDHS sample is the result of a multi-stage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. Sampling errors are computed in SAS, using programs developed by ICF. These programs use the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

Note: A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables

• Household age distribution

- Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women

Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Living in Areas Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters: % of Total Population data was reported at 0.000 % in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 2000. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Living in Areas Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. Ethiopia ET: Rural Population Living in Areas Where Elevation is Below 5 Meters: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Rural population below 5m is the percentage of the total population, living in areas where the elevation is 5 meters or less.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Weighted Average;

People using at least basic sanitation services, rural (% of rural population) in Ethiopia was reported at 5.5468% in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - People using at least basic sanitation services, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) in Ethiopia was reported at 42.22% in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

SP.POP.GROW. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. This database presents population and other demographic estimates and projections from 1960 to 2050, covering more than 200 economies. It includes population data by various age groups, sex, urban/rural; fertility data; mortality data; and migration data.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Household Person Housing unit

Universe

The census has counted people on dejure and defacto basis. The dejure population comprises all the persons who belong to a given area at a given time by virtue of usual residence, while under defacto approach people were counted as the residents of the place where they found. In the census, a person is said to be a usual resident of a household (and hence an area) if he/she has been residing in the household continuously for at least six months before the census day or intends to reside in the household for six months or longer. Thus, visitors are not included with the usual (dejure) population. Homeless persons were enumerated in the place where they spent the night on the enumeration day. The 2007 census counted foreign nationals who were residing in the city administration. On the other hand all Ethiopians living abroad were not counted.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Two type sof questionnaires were used to collect census data: i) Short questionnaire ii) Long questionnaire

Unlike the previous censuses, the contents of the short and long questionnaires were similar both for the urban and rural areas as well as for the entire city. But the short and the long questionnaires differ by the number of variables they contained. That is, the short questionnaire was used to collect basic data on population characteristics, such as population size, sex, age, language, ethnic group, religion, orphanhood and disability. Whereas the long questionnaire includes information on marital status, education, economic activity, migration, fertility, mortality, as well as housing stocks and conditions in addition to those questions contained in a short questionnaire.