Home

Ethiopia vs. Eritrea

Demographics

EthiopiaEritrea
Population110,871,031 (July 2021 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
6,147,398 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 39.81% (male 21,657,152/female 21,381,628)

15-24 years: 19.47% (male 10,506,144/female 10,542,128)

25-54 years: 32.92% (male 17,720,540/female 17,867,298)

55-64 years: 4.42% (male 2,350,606/female 2,433,319)

65 years and over: 3.38% (male 1,676,478/female 1,977,857) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 38.23% (male 1,169,456/female 1,155,460)

15-24 years: 20.56% (male 622,172/female 627,858)

25-54 years: 33.42% (male 997,693/female 1,034,550)

55-64 years: 3.8% (male 105,092/female 125,735)

65 years and over: 4% (male 99,231/female 143,949) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 19.8 years

male: 19.6 years

female: 20.1 years (2020 est.)
total: 20.3 years

male: 19.7 years

female: 20.8 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate2.5% (2021 est.)0.98% (2021 est.)
Birth rate31.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)27.41 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-10.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 34.62 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 39.56 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 29.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 42.39 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 49.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 35.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 67.9 years

male: 65.79 years

female: 70.06 years (2021 est.)
total population: 66.51 years

male: 63.92 years

female: 69.18 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate4.07 children born/woman (2021 est.)3.65 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.9% (2020 est.)0.5% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Ethiopian(s)

adjective: Ethiopian
noun: Eritrean(s)

adjective: Eritrean
Ethnic groupsOromo 34.9%, Amhara (Amara) 27.9%, Tigray (Tigrinya) 7.3%, Sidama 4.1%, Welaita 3%, Gurage 2.8%, Somali (Somalie) 2.7%, Hadiya 2.2%, Afar (Affar) 0.6%, other 12.6% (2016 est.)Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS620,000 (2020 est.)13,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsEthiopian Orthodox 43.8%, Muslim 31.3%, Protestant 22.8%, Catholic 0.7%, traditional 0.6%, other 0.8% (2016 est.)Sunni Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
HIV/AIDS - deaths13,000 (2020 est.)<500 (2020 est.)
LanguagesOromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (2007 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Kitaaba Addunyaa Waan Qabataamaatiif - Kan Madda Odeeffannoo bu'uraawaatiif baay'ee barbaachisaa ta'e. (Oromo)

???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? (Amharic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 51.8%

male: 57.2%

female: 44.4% (2017)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 76.6%

male: 84.4%

female: 68.9% (2018)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 9 years

male: 8 years

female: 8 years (2012)
total: 8 years

male: 8 years

female: 7 years (2015)
Education expenditures4.7% of GDP (2015)NA
Urbanizationurban population: 22.2% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 42% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 97% of population

rural: 61.7% of population

total: 68.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 3% of population

rural: 38.3% of population

total: 31.1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 73.2% of population

rural: 53.3% of population

total: 57.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 26.8% of population

rural: 46.7% of population

total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 49.7% of population

rural: 5.7% of population

total: 14.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 50.3% of population

rural: 94.3% of population

total: 85.3% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 44.5% of population

rural: 7.3% of population

total: 15.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 55.5% of population

rural: 92.7% of population

total: 84.3% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population5.006 million ADDIS ABABA (capital) (2021)998,000 ASMARA (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality rate401 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight21.1% (2019)39.4% (2010)
Health expenditures3.3% (2018)4.1% (2018)
Physicians density0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2018)0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density0.3 beds/1,000 population (2016)0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate4.5% (2016)5% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth19.3 years (2019 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
21.3 years (2010 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Demographic profile

Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country - more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas - that is in the early stages of demographic transition. Infant, child, and maternal mortality have fallen sharply over the past decade, but the total fertility rate has declined more slowly and the population continues to grow. The rising age of marriage and the increasing proportion of women remaining single have contributed to fertility reduction. While the use of modern contraceptive methods among married women has increased significantly from 6 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2012, the overall rate is still quite low.

Ethiopia's rapid population growth is putting increasing pressure on land resources, expanding environmental degradation, and raising vulnerability to food shortages. With more than 40 percent of the population below the age of 15 and a fertility rate of over 5 children per woman (and even higher in rural areas), Ethiopia will have to make further progress in meeting its family planning needs if it is to achieve the age structure necessary for reaping a demographic dividend in the coming decades.

Poverty, drought, political repression, and forced government resettlement have driven Ethiopia's internal and external migration since the 1960s. Before the 1974 revolution, only small numbers of the Ethiopian elite went abroad to study and then returned home, but under the brutal Derg regime thousands fled the country, primarily as refugees. Between 1982 and 1991 there was a new wave of migration to the West for family reunification. Since the defeat of the Derg in 1991, Ethiopians have migrated to escape violence among some of the country's myriad ethnic groups or to pursue economic opportunities. Internal and international trafficking of women and children for domestic work and prostitution is a growing problem.

Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end, Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy - doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years - in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be almost 74% in 2015; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea's growing population because of repeated droughts, dwindling arable land, overgrazing, soil erosion, and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government's emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity.

Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s, when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom, educational and job opportunities, or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea's large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances, funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country's GDP annually since it became independent.

In the last few years, Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert, where they are victims of organ harvesting, rape, extortion, and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia, while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea's borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013, according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

Contraceptive prevalence rate37% (2019)8.4% (2010)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 76.8

youth dependency ratio: 70.6

elderly dependency ratio: 6.3

potential support ratio: 16 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 83.9

youth dependency ratio: 75.6

elderly dependency ratio: 8.3

potential support ratio: 12.1 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook