CHAPTER SEVEN

POPULATION OF ETHIOPIA
AND THE HORN
Contents
1) Meaning of Population

2) Population Data: Uses and Sources

3) Population Dynamics: Fertility, Mortality and Migration

4) Age and Sex Structure of Ethiopian Population

5) Population Distribution in Ethiopia

6) Socio-cultural Aspects of Ethiopian Population: Education,

Health and Languages

7) Settlement Types and Patterns

 Meaning of Population
Population is the total number or specified group
of people or of animals or of plants living in an
area at a particular time.
 For our purpose the focus is on human population.
Human beings are producers and consumers of
wealth from the natural environment or
resources.
In their continuous interaction with nature as a
survival strategy, humans develop and destroy
their environment; consequently they are
making the cultural environment.
 Cont.
 Geography recognizes three things:
 human population,
 natural environment, and
 cultural environment.
 Man interacts with nature to result in
the
cultural environment;
For this course population could mean
the total number of persons/people
inhabiting a country/city/or any geographic
area
Population Data: Uses and Sources
• Regular and reliable population data are vital:

– for Effective socioeconomic development Planning and

Administration.
– for the provision of infrastructures such as schools, hospitals,
roads, water and sewerage facilities, housing, establishing voting
district boundaries, estimating future tax revenue and designing
public programs.
– For administrators, businessmen, researchers, academicians and
planners
Sources of demographic data
• There are three sources of obtaining
conventional population data
namely;
– census,

– sample survey and

1. –Census:
vital registration.
defined as the total process of;
– collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic
and social data pertaining at a specified time (s) to all persons in a
defined territory.
 Cont.
Features of Census;
I. Universality; inclusion of all persons in a given area during
the count
II. Periodicity; regular time intervals with reference to a defined
point of time usually 10 and 5 years
III. Simultaneity; undertaking census in a very limited time
duration called the census day/night,
IV. Government Sponsorship & Publication; Unlike many
other sources, the census is necessarily;
–a government sponsored activity, Governments arrange,
finance and implement census plans.
 Cont.
iv) Defined territory:- Census covers a precisely defined
territory such as the entire country or a well-defined part
of it called enumeration district or unit.
 All census data are collected initially on the basis of
small areas known as enumeration districts (ቆጠራ ጣቢያ).
v) Expensiveness:- Undertaking of census process is one of
the most expensive source of population data. This has
limited the development of census operations scientifically
in the less developed countries.
vi) Wider Range of Data:- It is the only form of population
data source which produces a wider range of data for all
users.
 Cont.
There are two procedures for collecting census data:

1. Defacto approach: Under this approach each individual is recorded

at the place where he/she was found at the time of the census.
– The United Kingdom is one of the leading countries that adopted
this approach;
– Under this system a date is fixed for the whole country;

– Usually such operation is conducted at night.

– Nights are preferred to days due to the fact that after daylong work
the people will be back to their homes at night. Such night is called
census night
 Cont.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Defacto approach
Advantages Disadvantages
• It is quite simple and clear • there could be
uncounted
population;
• It is easy for international • Requires a large number
of
comparisons; well-qualified enumerators;
• Time consumed for the whole • Few data can be
collected; operation is very limited;

• the information collected is • enumerators may not

be almost realistic and welcomed at night time.
dependable
 Cont.
2. De jure approach: it involves counting people according to
their usual place of residence (where he/she lives most
of the time).
• temporary residents are not included.
• This method was used in Palestine at the time of Christ's
birth and today is used in the United States.
• gives a picture of the total permanent population of an
area
• suitable for planning and administrative purposes.
 Cont.
Advantages and Disadvantages of De jure approach
Advantages Disadvantages
• Thetime is quiet sufficient, there could be uncounted population;
to • minimize inaccuracy
that may arise due to shortage of
time;

• More data on sex, age, It becomes difficult to collect data on

social • those persons who have no permanent
conditions, etc., can be collected; residence;

• Data collected will be It also becomes equally difficult to have

more • reliable and can be correct data in respect of persons who
used for various purposes have more than one residence and
practically.. people who are homeless
 Cont.
• Sample Survey; a defined population/sample/ is
selected with the view that information acquired
would represent the entire population.
Advantageous Disadvantage

– Least cost – sampling errors and

– simple to administer and – inadequate coverage

– requires small time.

 Cont.
• Data from most censuses and sample surveys include;
– geographic location, – age, sex, – Marital status,
– citizenship, – place of birth, – relationship to the
head of household
– religion, – Educational c/t, – occupation,
– fertility, – income, – language,
– ethnic characteristics – disabilities and – Migration.

• Vital registration: is a system of continuous, permanent,

compulsory and legal recording of the occurrence and the

characteristics of vital events like births, deaths,
marriages, divorces, and adoptions.
 Cont.
Population data could suffer from inaccuracy resulting from:
– poor and inadequately financed methods of collection;
– poorly trained enumerator;
– suspicion and ignorance of censuses and false statements specially
of age and income;
– constant changes in administrations;
– omission of more inaccessible areas;
– difference in connotation of terms like language, ethnicity, and
occupation.
• The errors are likely to be introduced at;
– the stage of data collection,
– data processing,
– analyses and the writing up of the report.
 Population Dynamics: Fertility, Mortality and Migration
• The population of any particular region (country) is the result of
fertility, mortality and migration.
Year Total population Growth rate
1984 42.2 million 2.9% 1st census
1994 53.5 million 2nd census
2007 73.8 million 3rd census
2019 112 million 2.6% Projected

• 80% live in rural, 65% of the population is below 24 years of age.

• Ethiopia has a large and fast-growing population ranking 2nd

in Africa after Nigeria and 12th in the world.
 Demographic Measurements
Demographic Measurements Formula

Crude Birth Rate

General Fertility Rate

• Bi = Total live births

in age group i,
• Wi =Total number of
women in age group i
Total Fertility Rate (T.F.R.) (i =age group i.e. 1=
15-19, 2=20-24
3=25-29, 4 = 30-34, 5
= 35-39, 6=40-44, 7
= 45-49)

Crude Death Rate

Infant Mortality rate

Maternal Mortality Rate

Natural Rate of Increase NRI = CBR - CDR

 Cont.
• Infant mortality in Ethiopia has decreased from 97
deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 48 in 2016.
• Life Expectancy at birth: refers to the average
number of years that a newly born baby is
expected to live.
• It is used as a summary measure of the mortality
experience of the whole population
 Levels and trends in Fertility and Mortality rates in Ethiopia

• There is Clear differences in birth and death rates

between rural and urban areas of Ethiopia.
• Urban areas have lower birth and death
rates
compared to rural areas.
• Women in rural areas have an average of 5.2
children, compared to 2.3 children among women
in urban areas.
 Cont.
• In 2016 fertility rate by some of
Region TFR
the regions
Country level 4.6
• Recently, is showing a Addis Ababa 1.8

Dire Dawa 3.1

fertility declining
Gambella 3.5

trend. Amhara 3.7

Tigray 4.7
• TFR declined
 7.52 in 1984 to 6.74 in 1994, and
Oromia 5.4
from;
 In 2016 it was 4.6 children. Somali 7.2

 The fertility rate for Ethiopia in 2022

was 3.918 births per woman, a 2.39%
decline from 2021
 Cont.
Similarly, mortality rates are also showing a declining trend.

Trend of Infant mortality rate in Ethiopia

Region Before 2000 2011 2016
Country level >100/1000 <100/1000 Country 54/1000,
Urban 48/1000
Rural 62/1000
Addis Ababa >100/1000 <100/1000 1<average
Somali >100/1000 <100/1000 2<average
Gambella >100/1000 <100/1000 3<average
Dire Dawa >100/1000 <100/1000
Amhara >100/1000 <100/1000
Benishangul Gumuz >100/1000 >100/1000 1>average
SNNPR >100/1000 <100/1000 2>average
Tigray >100/1000 <100/1000 3>average
Oromia >100/1000 <100/1000
Afar >100/1000 <100/1000
Harari >100/1000 <100/1000
 Cont.
• Life expectancy at birth;

– increased from about36.7 years in the 1960s to 62.6 years

in 2016.
• Female LE 65.4 years
• Male LE 61.2 years.

– LE at birth is greater for urban areas than for rural areas.

– It exceeds the national average in Addis Ababa, which is the result

of relatively easy access to health services
– The lowest is in Benishangul Gumuz (47 years) followed
by SNNPR (49 years),.
Table 7.1: Comparison of Birth and Death Rates and Life Expectancy of Ethiopia with
Selected Countries

Life Expectancy
Country CBR CDR IMR
(Years)
Ethiopia 36.5 7 49.6 62.6
Kenya 23.9 6 37.1 64.3
Somalia 36.6 11 94 52.8
Eritrea 29.6 7 45 65.2
Djibouti 23.4 8 45.8 63.6
Angola/Niger = 44.2 Lesotho=15.0 Afghanistan=110 Monaco=89.4
Highest Values
Mali= 43.9 Lithuania=14.6 Somalia=94 Japan=85.3

Monaco=6.6 Qatar=1.5 Monaco=1.8 Chad=50.6

Lowest Values Guinea

Japan=7.7 UAE=1.9 Japan=2
Bissau=51.0

Source: Population Reference Bureau, population data sheet, 2017

 Cont.

From the above table;

• difference between developed and developing countries in
the demographic rates.
• All demographic rates are high and life expectancies are
low for developing countries.
• Ethiopia's infant mortality rate is higher than Kenya,
Eritrea and Djibouti, giving Ethiopia the lowest life
expectancy among the counties.
 Cont.
• Ethiopia’s CBR, CDR, and IMR are about 5.5, 4.7 and 27.5
times greater than the countries that have the lowest
CBR, CDR, and IMR in the world respectively.
• The difference between developing and developed countries
in crude death rates is not as high as the difference in
birth rates, which is because of some degree of
improvement in medical services in most developing
countries during the last few decades..
 Cont.
• As opposed to declining death rates, birth rates have
remained high due to:
– Little family planning practices
– lack of population education;
– Lower status of women
– Early marriage, particularly of females;
– Parents consideration of children as assets, though little
obliged for their education, health;
– The relatively high infant and child mortality rates, that
trigger couples to have more births to compensate for the
loses and
– Perhaps religious influences
 Cont.
Countries of the Horn of Africa have higher population growth rate that
exceeds 2.6 percent
Some of the consequences of this rapid population growth under
conditions of slowly growing economy include:
– low per capita GNP
– increased unemployment and under –employment
– mounting social ills such as destitution, begging, theft, prostitution
– continuous inflation that erodes purchasing power of the currency
– shortage of cultivated land and food shortages
– overcrowding of infrastructural and social facilities;
housing problems and increase in urban slums and squatter
settlements
– Environmental problems such as deforestation, soil erosion, loss of
biodiversity and pollution.
Migration in Ethiopia and the Horn
• Migration is an old and inevitable phenomenon,
• Has accelerated these days as a result of economic and
technological progress especially in the fields of
communication and transportation.

• It is a form of geographic mobility involving a

permanent or semi-permanent change of
residence between clearly defined geographic units.
 Cont.
Implications of migration
– promotes an increased level of urbanization;

– enhances rural-urban linkages in creating an integrated

economy
– influences spatial population distribution

– Migration negatively influences human fertility and

mortality patterns and levels; and affects age and sex
composition of the population.
 Cont.
– It is a means of achieving economic efficiency.
– It can also be a cause and consequence of inequality and
unequal development
– It is regarded as a cause and consequence of diversity;
and a mechanism of spreading cultures
– It is a necessary condition for the creation and strengthening
of a sense of nationhood and national unity
– It creates a creative and open society to new ideas
than a
homogenous group of people.
A. Internal Migration in Ethiopia
• In Ethiopia, internal migration influenced by;
– demographic,
– environmental,
– socio-economic and
– political factors.
• Population movement in Ethiopia accelerated in the early
twenty century with the rise in urban centers as well as
the Italian occupation.
 Cont.
• However, voluntary and individual rural out migration during the
Derg Regime was low for the following reasons.
– The 1976/77 Land proclamation.

– Establishment of urban dwellers association and rural peasant associations.

– The 1975 urban land nationalization that dispossessed landlords’ rights to

own more than one house.
– The high level of urban unemployment and underemployment coupled with
declining real incomes and growing poverty.
– Military service (The Derge was also taking away whoever is scrounging
around in the city as soldiers to the warfront that kept the youth from moving
to the urban areas).
 Cont.
• During the current regime,
– the ethnic politics in the country and
– associated administrative are said to discourage inter-
barriers
regional migration and the spatial distribution of the rural
population.
– The policy that demands continued residence in one’s rural kebele/PA
as a condition for claiming access to land also discourages the
movement of rural population out of agriculture.
– the high cost of migration relative to expected employment
opportunity and return is another restriction to distant migration out of
rural areas.
 Cont.
• However, push factors that includes;
– landlessness of emerging rural youth;
– drought and rainfall unreliability in the highlands; and
– land degradation and the resultant diminished carrying capacity of
the land.

• Internal migration in Ethiopia is, therefore, among the

highest in Africa.
• According to the 2007 Census result, the country has a relatively
high level of internal migration where out of the total population
of the country, 16.6 percent is labeled as migrant population.
B. International Migration
• International migration in Ethiopia accelerated after 1974
the
revolution where many refugees were attempting to escape;
• political conflict,
• persecution and
• famine.
• massive emigration from Ethiopia has occurred as the result
of;
– Attempt of political centralization and oppression;
– the separation struggle of Eritrea from 1961-1991; and
– the period of Red Terror between 1976-79.
 Cont.
• Today, Ethiopia has a large number of
emigrants overseas.
• Estimated to be about four million, which is one of
the largest of all African countries.
• Large numbers of Ethiopian migrants are found in the;
– Middle East,

– USA, Canada,

– Europe and

– African countries such as Sudan, Kenya, South

Africa and
Botswana.
 Cont.
• The causes of cross-border migration include:
– Lack of employment and livelihood opportunities, and
negative attitudes attached with low paying and informal job
and poor work ethics amongst the youth.
– Rural underemployment and lack of resources

– Unfavorable political context and insecurity, civil war and

political turmoil,
– Ethiopia’s location in the fragile region of the Horn of
Africa and its long boundary that extends over 5,328 km
which makes border management difficult
 Cont.
– Existence of large number of local brokers with networks
extending to countries of destination;
– Misinformation and false promises by brokers/traffickers;
success stories of pioneering migrants; family and peer
pressure
– Demand-side factors of migration (shortage of labor in low-
paying, informal, and perilous jobs, such as domestic work,
construction, agriculture in destination countries)
 Cont.
• Ethiopia is a country of origin, transit and destination for
international migration.
• Ethiopia appears to be a hub on three land routes of which;
– one leads from the Horn of Africa via Sudan, Chad, Egypt and Libya to the
Mediterranean Sea towards Europe;
– the second through Somalia and Djibouti to Yemen across the Gulf of Aden
and Red Sea towards the Middle East. (60 to 70% of are irregular migrants).
– The third migration route is the Southern irregular route that is an overland
route Kenya Tanzania towards to South Africa.

• Bole International Airport is also reported to be a hub of transit on the air

route leading to Europe, and the Middle East.
 Cont.
• International Labour Organization/ILO/ in 2016 identified the
following migration source areas of Ethiopia with high and
growing incidence of emigration:
a. Dessie (North and South Wollo) area:
b. Shashemene (Western Arsi and Bale) area:
c. Jimma (Western Ethiopia) area
d. Mekelle/Tigray area
• Other prominent emigration source areas include Assela-Zuria,
Adama-Zuria, Ambo, Fitche, Chancho, and Western
Hararghe (Hirna, Gelemso); Shewa Robit, Debre Birhan,
and Debre Tabor
 Cont.
• As opposed to this Ethiopia is a major destination country, which
also hosts the second largest number of refugees in Africa.
• According to UNHCR 2019, refugee and asylum seeker population in
Ethiopia was about one million.
• Many migrants, refugees and asylum seekers entering Ethiopia
are escaping;
– political and

– civil unrest as well as

– harsh or undesirable conditions (e.g. drought) in neighboring

countries of South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.
Age and Sex Structure of Ethiopian Population
• Age Structure; refers to the distribution of population
by age groups. The most used age groups are;
Five-year age groups Broad age groups
(0-4,) 0-14 Young age
5-9 15-64 Working age and
10-14 > 65 Old age.
15- 19
20 - 24
25 – 29
30 – 34
35 – 39
40 – 44
45 – 49
50 – 54
55 – 59
65 and above
 Cont.
Percentage distribution of the population of Ethiopia by broad age groups in the three
consecutive censuses (1984, 1994 and 2007).

Census Broad Age Groups Dependency ratio

year
Youth Old age Total
dependency dependency dependency

O – 14 15 – 64 65 +

1984 49.8% 50.2% 3.4% 99.2 6.8 105.9

1994 45.4% 51.4% 3.2% 88.3 6.2 94.6
2007 45.0% 51.9% 3.2% 86.7 6.1 92.8

Source: CSA, Statistical Abstract, 2007

 Cont.
• very larger young age population, (about 50% the population)
the result of high birth rate and natural increase.
• very small old age population is the reflection of
high mortality rate, which results in low life expectancy.
• Because of the predominance of young age population,
the
median age of the population is about 17 years.
• On the contrary most developed countries have;
– working age population of about 60% or more, and

– old age population of about 10% or more.

Dependency ratio
Cont.
 Cont.
• in 2007 for Ethiopia's population
– Youth dependency ratio was 86.7 and

– old age index 6.1

• This means that for every 100 persons in the

working age there were
– about 86.7 young dependents and

– 6 old persons

• In 2015 the total dependency ratio declined to 82.1; and

youth dependency ratio was 75.8.
 Population pyramid
• If male and female population is classified into five-
year age groups, a population pyramid can be
constructed.
• From population pyramids we can tell;
– which groups have large number of people,

– which age groups have male-female imbalances, and

– the fertility and mortality situations.

 Cont.
• In general population pyramids
of developing countries like
Ethiopia have;
– very broad bases showing the
preponderance of young
age
population, and
– become thinner and thinner
upwards as age advances. So the
percentages of population in
upper age groups are very small.

Figure 7.1: Population pyramid of Ethiopia, 2017

 Cont.
• The age distribution of the population of Ethiopia shows that the
country has a youthful population resulting in heavy youth
dependency.
• Heavy youth dependency has many serious implications on
socioeconomic development, which include:
– Imposition of heavy burden on the working population

– allocation of most of the household budget to food and other

household needs with little/nothing left for saving; which then
affects investment
 Cont.
– diversion of limited resources on social services - building of schools and
hospitals and purchase of medicines, etc. which could have been geared to
directly productive investment; and
– creation of a society with booming babies that require an expansion of
employment opportunities by the time they are of age
– further promotion of high-level fertility by increased number of women
entering the reproductive age (ages 15-49) annually.
– All these mean that the capacity to save is seriously constrained at both
household and national levels, thereby negatively affecting;
• capital formation,

• investment and

• development; and this could continue for years to come.

 Sex Structure

Region 1984 1994 2015

Country level 99.4 101.3 99.96
Urban 86.8 93.3
Addis Ababa 90.2 94
Rural 100.9 102.6
 Cont.
• Sex ratios are lower for urban areas, and higher for rural
areas
(due to larger female in-migration to urban areas).
• by region.
– In Afar, Somali and Gambella, the number of males exceeds that
of females,
– in Addis Ababa the number of females is higher than the number
of males.
• Sex ratios are also high in young age groups and low in adult and
old age groups.
 Population Distribution in Ethiopia
• Population distribution refers to the arrangement of people over space
that is provided for them to settle and make a living through
exploiting resources.
• The distribution of population in Ethiopia is very uneven as a result of
physical and human factors operating together.
The most important factors that affect population distribution
Physical Factors Human Factors
climate, historical pattern of population movement
soil, the type of economic activity
vegetation urbanization
drainage and slope industrialized
the demographic variables
Cont.
Measures of Population Distribution
 Cont.
• In 1990 CD for Ethiopia was 40.74 people/km2,
• in 1998 52 people /km2; and it amounted to more than 100 currently.
Table 7.3: Population Density of Ethiopia for 2015 by Administrative Regions:

Source: CSA, Statistical Abstract,2015.

 Cont.
• The variation in crude density could be more pronounced if
we consider subordinate administrative units in the
hierarchy.
Zonal Level Woredas lower
administrative units
Highest Density Lowest Density Highest Density Lowest Density
Wanago,
Damot Gale,
Gedeo, Aleta Wendo,
Sidama, Yirga Chefe, Guba, Gog,
Kambata, Dara, Kacha > 500 Vaso, Dolo < 10
Guraghe, > 300 p/ Kamashi, < 20 Bira, people/k Bay, and people/
Wolayta km2 Metekel, p/km2. Angacha, m2; Liben. km2

and Sodo Zuria,

Hadiya Shebedino
and Kedida
Gamela
• Therefore, it could be generalized that “the lower the administrative unit considered, the
greater the variations in population density”
 Cont.

Japan Netherlands Egypt Ethiopia's

1,732 people/km
2 1,220 people/km 2 1,575 people/km
2 61.8 people/km 2
Cont.
 Cont.
• Rural Density is the highest for Somali, Afar and Gambella.
• The smallest agricultural density lies in Benishangul (3.8), Amahra
(5), Oromia (5.6) and Tigray (5.9).
• The two factors that explain variations in agricultural density are;
– the proportion of cultivated land and
– urban population of the regions.

• Other things being equal, agricultural density tends to be higher where

both;
– the percentage of cultivated land and
– the percentage of urban population are low.
 Factors Affecting Population Distribution in Ethiopia

• The distribution of population in Ethiopia is very

uneven. This extreme unevenness is the result of the
combined effect of;
– Physical factors: such as;
• soil,
• climate,
• drainage,
• slope and
– Human factors:
• economic activities,
• historical factors
 Cont.
Physical Factors
• The most important physical factors are;
• climate, mainly rainfall and temperature,

• soil;

• Vegetation;

• drainage and Slope;

• High temperatures in combination with low and irregular

rainfall diminish habitability of the lowlands of Ethiopia.
• On the other hand, the highland plateaus of Ethiopia where rainfall is
high and temperature is moderate tend to be densely settled.
 Cont.
• The effect of climate upon population distribution is immensely
important not only directly upon humans but also indirectly through
its influence upon soils, vegetation and agriculture.
• Steep slopes and surface ruggedness play their own part in restricting
human access, habitation and cultivation.
• The fertile volcanic highland soils of Ethiopia offer a partial
explanation for the high concentration of the population in the
plateaus.
• In Ethiopia most of these physical factors are influenced by

altitude
 Cont.

Altitude (m) Percentage Cum.Area Percentage Cum.

of area of Pop.
population
> 2,600 5.8 5.8 10.4 10.4
1,800-2,600 31.8 37.6 67.1 77.5
1,400- 1,800 28.1 65.7 11.5 89
1,000-1,400 13.4 79.1 8.2 97.2
<1,000 21.5 100 2.8 100
Total 100 100
Table 7.4: Population-Altitude Relationships
 Cont.
• Sparse population distribution of the lowlands are the result of;

– scarcity of rainfall,

– high temperature, and

– poor vegetation and soil conditions.

– The presence of tropical diseases like malaria and yellow fever.

• With improvement of agricultural technology and medical

services; use of the existing rivers and flat lands for
irrigation the area can potentially attract huge
population.
 Cont.
Human Factors
• Human factors which have influenced population distribution in
Ethiopia may be divided into two:
– A. The historical pattern of population movement and
– B. Types of economic activities.

The Historical Pattern of Population Movement

southward Time northward Time Result
movement movement
Tigre, denser population
After the decline of
Amhara distribution in and
the Axumite Empire during the 16th and
Oromos around the central
Agew starting from the 7th 17th centuries
highlands
Guraghe century
 Cont.
Economic Activities
• Types of productive activities strongly influence the
carrying capacity, which in turn influences the number of
people that can inhabit an area.

Economic activities carrying capacity densities

pastoralists and semi-pastoralists Low carrying capacity Low population densities

Cultivated lands greater carrying capacity higher population densities

 Cont.
• The type of crop cultivated could also result in
varying densities.
TYPE OF CROP

Type of crop Yield/unit area carrying densities

capacity

Cereals crops low yield/unit area low carrying moderate density

cultivation areas capacity

Enset and coffee greater yield/unit high carrying very high density of
growing regions area capacity population
 Cont.
• Other important elements that bring about
population re-distribution over time and explaining
density variation include;
– The development of commercial farms;

– urban and industrial growths and

– transportation routes
 Socio-cultural Aspects of Ethiopian Population: Education,
Health and Languages
Education;
• Education is the bacon of opportunity which provides a platform
for a decent livelihood.
• Literacy is a means by which members of a society are enabled
and empowered to effectively participate in the development
process
• High level of education correlates with;
• higher incomes,
• better health,
• longer life span, and
• lower mortality.
• Hence, human capital development is a cause and consequence
of development.
• Education is also a human right.
 Cont.
Primary schools in 2016
National Highest Lowest
Total number of schools 34,867
Gross enrollment at primary 9,407,490.
(1-8)
Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) 108.7%. Gambella and Addis Dire Dawa 70%
Ababa >140%. Afar 66%
Gender parity Addis Ababa more Lower female in
females Somali and Harari
regions
Student-section ratio 55 for grades Somali region
1-8
Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) 46 for grades Somali region Addis Ababa
1-8 followed by Oromiya
and SNNP
secondary schools
Total number of schools 3,156
GER 29.04%, Addis Ababa Afar and Somali
82.27%. regions
Gender parity Tigray, Amhara and
 Cont.
• However, the recent developments are encouraging
and there is at least one primary school in each rural kebele.
• The number of public universities has reached 45
today from only 2 in the early 1990s;
 Cont.
Health
• The Government has been investing heavily in health system
strengthening through its pro-poor policies and strategies that
brought about significant gains in improving the health status of
Ethiopians.
• However, Ethiopia has still a heavy burden of diseases but a low rate
of self-reported illness and low health facility coverage and
utilization.
• The majority of ill health in Ethiopia is related to potentially;
• preventable,
• communicable diseases and nutritional disorders.
 Cont.
Some of the root causes of the poor health status of
the population are:

1. Lack of access to clean water

2. Lack of adequate nutrition

3. Disease related to beliefs, behaviors and

traditional practices

4. Lack of health services

 Cont.
• The major killer diseases accounting for about ¾ of
all deaths include;
– prenatal-maternal conditions,

– acute respiratory infection,

– malaria,

– nutritional deficiency for children under 5 years,

– diarrhea,

– AIDS and

– Tuberculosis.
 Cont.
• Despite significant improvements, health
Ethiopia's situation is still at a staggering
situation. The current health workforce

doctors 0.04/1000 1 doctor for 26,943 people

population

nurses 0.43/1000 1 nurse for 2,311 people

population

midwives 0.05/1000 1 midwife for 21,810 people

population
 Cont.
• In order to overcome the lack of human resources for health and
low utilization of health services, the country adopted a strategy to
train;
– the health extension workers (HEP), and

– midwives

– as well as scaling up family planning.

• There are variations among the regions of Ethiopia in population per

hospital and per hospital bed.
– Regions like Amara, Somali and SNNP have population-hospital ratios of
over 10,000 in each case.
– These three regions also have high population - hospital bed ratios.
Languages Families and Languages of Ethiopia
• Ethiopia is a country where about 80 languages are spoken.
Languages %
Afan Oromo 33.8% mother tongues
Amharic 29.3% mother tongues
Somaligna 6.2%
Tigrigna 5.9%
Sidamigna 4.0%
Wolaytigna 2.2%
Guragigna 2%
Afarigna 1.7%
Hadyiyagna 1.7%
Gamogna 1.5%

• Source; 2007 Population and Housing Census

 Cont.
• The Ethiopian languages belong to two Supper Families:
– Afro-Asiatic and

– Nilo-Saharan.

• Most Ethiopian languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic

Supper Family.

• Afro-Asiatic: It is divided into three families, namely:

– Semitic,

– Cushitic and

– Omotic.
 Cont.
Cushitic
Language Family Languages Spoken areas Regions
 Oromigna,  central, Afar RS

 Somaligna,  southern, Oromia RS

 Sidamigna,  eastern Somali RS

 Afarigna,  northeastern SNNP RS

The Cushitic
 Kembatigna,
languages
 Hadiyigna,
 Alabigna,

 Gedeogna, and others

It has the largest number of speakers and the widest spatial coverage.
 Cont.
Semetic
Language Languages Spoken Region
Family areas
 Amarigna,  northern, Tigray RS
 Tigrigna,  central Amhara RS

The Semitic  Guragigna,  eastern Harari RS

languages  Siltigna, SNNP RS
 Aderigna, and
 Argobigna
 Cont.
Omotic
Language Family Languages Spoken areas Region

 Wolaitigna,  South-central SNNP RS

 Gamogna,  south-western
The Omotic  Kullogna,
languages
 Kefigna, and

 Kontigna

Mainly between the Lakes of southern Rift Valley and the Omo River.
They are numerous although they are not as widely spread as the Cushitic.
Relatively small number of people speaks most of the languages in this
group.
 Cont.
B. NiloSaharan
Language Languages Spoken areas Region
Family
 Kunamigna,  Western Gambella RS
 Bejigna, Benishangul Gumuz RS
 Gumuzigna,
The Nilo-  Maogna,
Saharan Supper
Family  Kewamigna,
 Nuerigna,
 Annukigna,
and
others
These Languages are spoken by small numbers of people often less than 500,000
people.
Settlement Types and Patterns
• Settlements are places that are inhabited by people more or less on
a permanent basis and where people carry out a variety of activities.
• Different settlement types develop mainly in response to
some
physical and human factors.
• Settlements are divided into two, namely,
– Rural; (agricultural, low population density)

– Urban; (non-agricultural, high population density)

• The classification is mainly based on;

– the dominant economic activity,

– population densities and

– availability of socioeconomic and infrastructural facilities.

 Cont.
Rural Settlement
• The vast majority of the Ethiopian population still lives
in rural settlements consisting of hamlets and villages.
• depending on whether there is frequent change in the site
of the settlements rural settlements can be classified into;

• temporary or

• permanent.
 Cont.
Temporary/Mobile Settlements
• The lowlands in most parts of the Rift Valley and peripheral
areas, being generally hot and dry, are characterized by
pastoral herding and mobile settlements.
• Pastoralists have always been searching for new sites for water
and pasture for their livestock.
• The major problem is that of providing social services like
clean water, schools, hospitals, electricity etc to the people.
 Cont.
Permanent Settlements
• Settlements are considered as permanent if there are
no frequent changes in their locations.
• Most Ethiopian;
– rural highland settlements

– where crop cultivation is practiced are permanent.

 Cont.
• Permanent settlements are of two types.

– Scattered/diffused/dispersed
• In this type of settlements homesteads are separated by
relatively long distances which could be associated with
individual land tenure and desire of people to live near to
their farm holdings.

– Grouped/Clustered or Nucleated.
• This type of settlements characterized by concentration of
large number of homesteads and households at one place.
Urban Settlements and Urbanization in Ethiopia
• Urbanization refers;
– to the increase in the percentage of the population living in
urban centers.
– It entails the process of becoming urban, moving to cities and
changing from agriculture to other pursuits of life which are
common to towns and, with a corresponding change of behavioral
patterns.

• Urbanization is crucial;
– to sustain the pace of economic development and
– improve the quality of life for both urban and
rural populations.
 Cont.
• Linkage between urban and rural areas could foster;
– efficiency of value chains in agro-industry,

– improve agricultural productivity,

– promote service expansion and

– create sufficient industrial jobs in urban centers to absorb

the perpetual influx of population from rural areas.
 Cont.
• If the rapid urbanization is not properly managed, it is
presumed to bring with it a number of development
challenges such as;
– unemployment,

– housing shortages and informal settlements,

– infrastructural and service shortages,

– poverty and

– social distress
 Cont.
• The major criteria used to classify settlements as urban
in Ethiopia are:

– Minimum of 2,000 people;

– Two-thirds of the population engaged in

non- agricultural activities;
– Chartered municipality;

– The presence of social services and amenities

 Cont.
• number urban settlements percent of the country’s
of
population.
Year No. percent of
Settlements Population
1984 322 10.23%
1994 539 12.8%
2007 927 20%
An overview of the History of Urbanization in Ethiopia
• Before the foundation of Addis Ababa as a capital city, the earliest
capitals and other towns did not have a permanent population
exceeding 6000.
• These centers were not capable of acting as centers of influence for
the life of the population of the rural hinterland in their years of
existence.
• The only prominent urban centers were;
– Axum,

– Lalibela and

– Gondar.
 Cont.
• Modern urbanization in Ethiopia is associated with the
establishment of Addis Ababa as a capital by Emperor
Menelik II in the late 19th century.
• Factors that contributed to the growing and permanency
of Addis Ababa as a capital city of the nation are;
– Introduction of the fast-growing Australian eucalyptus tree
which satisfied the firewood needs of the ever-growing urban
population.
 Cont.
– Water supplies improved due to the introduction of wells and
reservoirs.
– Introduction of modern schools, hospitals and health centers,
hotels, cafes, bars, bakeries, butcher’s shops, cinema, post
office, modern cathedrals, telephone and telegraph system,
bank, printing press etc.
– The construction of roads that radiate from Addis Ababa; and the
arrival of the Franco-Ethiopian railway at Addis Ababa in 1917.

– The Italian occupation had also intensified the establishment of

small-scale industries and institutions, road construction thereby
contributing to the growth of the city.
 Cont.
• Today, Addis Ababa is not only the capital of Ethiopia; it
is also the diplomatic capital of Africa.
– Numerous embassies and consular representatives

– The African Union, and

– the UN Economic Commission for Africa have

their headquarters.
 Cont.
• Addis Ababa is geographically at the very heart of
Ethiopia. It has a suitable climatic condition.
• The city enjoys excellent connections with all
Ethiopia’s economic zones.
• It is also connected to the rest of the world via its
reputed airlines and various international
airlines.
 Cont.
• For the past several decades, the country has
experienced a very low level of urban development,
despite its high rate of urbanization.

• However, Ethiopia is a least urbanized country even

by African standards
 Cont.
• The country’s low level of urbanization can be attributed to:

– The self-sufficiency of agriculture which

reinforced rural peasant life;
– Low level of industrialization,

– low level structural transformation and

economic development
– The morphology of the country that
hindered transportation and communication
 Cont.
– The continual warfare for centuries between
kingdoms into which the country is divided; and the
frequent changes of the royal residence
– Lack of employment, and housing shortage in urban
areas that discourage in migration;
– Political instability, ethnic conflict and social unrest
during the late 1970s and 1980s;
Drivers of and Opportunities for more Urbanization in Ethiopia

• These days, urbanization is proceeding at a much

faster rate in Ethiopia.
• The urban population is growing at about 5% a
year, primarily driven by rural urban migration.
• The proportion of the urban population of Ethiopia
in 2015 (20%) is projected to mount to 37%
by 2035.
 Cont.
Drivers of urbanization:
– The establishment of Addis Ababa as a center of expansion,
and its permanency thereof.
– The construction of the Ethio-Djibouti railway line along which
many stations have developed into important towns.
– The five-year Italian occupation which has contributed to road
building, the establishment of small-scale industries and service
giving institutions.
 Cont.
– The integration of the provincial capitals and major
administrative centres found in all directions by all-weather
roads radiating from Addis Ababa.
– Political decentralization and provision of administrative status
of some urban settlements
– Proximity to existing cities and main transportation corridors
trigger new urban development through agglomeration and
metropolisation effects
– High Population density and growth rates in the populous
highlands of Ethiopia facilitate the emergence of towns
 Cont.
– Presence of new and large commercial farms, mining areas, and
agro-industries such as sugar factories; as well as mega projects like
fertilizer factories, cement factories that attract people
– Large infrastructure investments such as airports and highways, and
dry ports that attract investment and create jobs encourage urbanisation.
– Opening of Universities that support entrepreneurial activity and
innovation in their local economies.
– Tourism assets and attractions such as parks, resort centers, and
heritage cities and sites contribute to urban expansion.
– Development of border towns with strengthened inter-country
trade
Distribution of Urban Centers in Ethiopia.
• The distribution of urban centers Ethiopia shows
in considerable spatial variation.
• This could be in terms of the varying
explained
concentration of;
– industries; and

– services such as
• schools,

• health institutions,

• water supplies,

• electricity,

• means of transport, etc.

 Cont.
hierarchy of urban centers
i. The Addis Ababa Metropolitan cluster : includes Addis
Ababa and its surrounding towns; and Adama and its surrounding
towns

ii. Secondary city clusters consist of:

– Lake Tana Urban Cluster: Bahir Dar, Gondar Debre Tabour,
Debre Markos
– SouthRift Valley Urban Cluster: Hawassa-
Shashemene-Dila; and Hosana-Sodo-Arba Minch
– Eastern Urban Cluster: Dire Dawa, Harar, Jigjiga
 Cont.
– Mekelle Urban Cluster: Mekelle, Adigrat, Shire, Axum
– Dessie- Kombolcha Urban Cluster
– Jima Urban Cluster: Jima, Agaro, Mizan, Tepi, Gambella

iii. Tertiary urban clusters include:

– Nekemte Urban Cluster: Nekemte, Dembidolo, Gimbi,
Metu,
Assosa
– Gode - Kebri Dar oasis city network
– Semera-Mille – Asaita oasis city network
 Cont.
• Like most developing countries, Ethiopia’s urban population
is concentrated in one primate city, Addis Ababa.
• The population of Addis Ababa grew;

– from 1.4 million in 1984

• to 2.2 million in 1995, and

• to 2.7 million in 2007

• representing about 29% of the urban

population of the country.

• Its current estimated population is over four million.

Growth Rate of Urban Centers
• The annual average national growth rate of urban
population is about 5.0 percent.
• But this being an average, rate of growth of urban
population varies from town to town and from time to
time.
• Ethiopia’s towns are characterized by wide range of growth
rates that could be classified into one of the following three
broad categories:

•
 Cont.
• Declining Towns:

– it includes towns whose populations are actually declining in

absolute numbers because net out migration is greater than
natural increase.
• This could be due to;
– lack of employment opportunities and

– worsening living conditions.

– Some of the towns that have at least once experienced a decline

include,
• Axum, Goba and Maichew.
 Cont.
• Slow Growing Towns:
– This category is composed of towns that grow at the rate
which is less than the rate of natural increase.
• Towns such as
– Holeta,

– Harar and

– Gore have been indicated to grow slowly in the recent past.

 Cont.
• Fast Growing Towns:
– All towns with growth rates of greater than the natural rate of
increase make up this group.
• These towns pull large numbers of people from the declining or
slowly growing towns and rural areas due to the opportunities
they offer associated with expansion in industries, social
services or a change in their administrative status as zonal
or regional capitals.