Demographics of Ethiopia - Ethnic Groups

Ethnic Groups

The country's population is highly diverse, containing over 80 different ethnic groups. Most people in Ethiopia speak Afro-Asiatic languages, mainly of the Semitic or Cushitic branches. The latter include the Oromo, Amhara, Tigray and Somali, which together make up three-quarters of the population.

Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic minorities also inhabit the southern regions of the country, particularly in areas bordering South Sudan. Among these are the Mursi and Anuak.

The following is a list of most of the ethnic groups of Ethiopia, taken from the 2007 Ethiopian National Census: (Population size and percentage of Ethiopia's total population follows each entry.)

Population of Ethiopia according to ethnic group 1994-2007
Ethnic
group		 Language
family		 census
11-10-1994 		census
2007
Number % Number %
Aari Omotic 155,002 0.29 290,453 0.29
Afar Afro-Asiatic 979,367 1.84 1,276,374 1.73
Agaw-Awi Afro-Asiatic 397,491 0.75 631,565 0.85
Agaw-Hamyra Afro-Asiatic 158,231 0.30 267,851 0.36
Alaba Afro-Asiatic 125,900 0.24 233,299 0.32
Amhara Afro-Asiatic 16,007,933 30.13 19,870,651 26.89
Anuak Nilotic 45,665 0.09 85,909 0.12
Arbore Afro-Asiatic 6,559 0.01 6,840 0.01
Argobba Afro-Asiatic 62,831 0.12 140,134 0.19
Bacha Nilo-Saharan 2,632 < 0.01
Basketo Omotic 51,097 0.10 78,284 0.11
Bench Omotic 173,123 0.33 353,526 0.48
Berta Nilo-Saharan 183,259 0.25
Bodi Nilo-Saharan 4,686 0.01 6,994 0.01
Brayle ???? 5,002 0.01
Burji Afro-Asiatic 46,565 0.09 71,871 0.10
Bena ???? 27,022 0.04
Chara Omotic 6,984 0.01 13,210 0.02
Daasanach Afro-Asiatic 32,099 0.06 48,067 0.07
Dawro Omotic 331,483 0.62 543,148 0.74
Debase/ Gawwada Afro-Asiatic 33,971 0.06 68,600 0.09
Dirashe Afro-Asiatic 30,081 0.04
Dime Omotic 6,197 0.01 891 <0.01
Dizi Omotic 21,894 0.04 36,380 0.05
Donga Afro-Asiatic 35,166 0.05
Fedashe ???? 7,323, 0.01 3,448 < 0.01
Felasha Afro-Asiatic 2,321 <0.01
Gamo Omotic 719,847 1.35 1,107,163 1.50
Gebato ???? 75 <0.01 1,502 < 0.01
Gedeo Afro-Asiatic 639,905 1.20 986,977 1.34
Gedicho ???? 5,483 0.01
Gidole Afro-Asiatic 54,354 0.10 41,100 0.06
Goffa Omotic 241,530 0.45 363,009 0.49
Gumuz Nilo-Saharan 121,487 0.23 159,418 0.22
Gurage Afro-Asiatic 2,290,274 4.31 1,867,377 2.53
Silt'e Semitic 940,766 1.27
Hadiya Afro-Asiatic 927,933 1.75 1,284,373 1.74
Hamer Omotic 42,466 0.08 46,532 0.06
Harari Afro-Asiatic 21,757 0.04 31,869 0.04
Irob Afro-Asiatic 33,372 0.05
Kafficho Omotic 599,188 1.13 870,213 1.18
Kambaata Afro-Asiatic 499,825 0.94 630,236 0.85
Konta Omotic 83,607 0.11
Komo Nilo-Saharan 1,526 <0.01 7,795 0.01
Konso Afro-Asiatic 153,419 0.29 250,430 0.34
Koore Omotic 107,595 0.20 156,983 0.21
Koyego ???? 1,974 < 0.01
Kunama Nilo-Saharan 2,007 <0.01 4,860 0.01
Karo Omotic 1,464 < 0.01
Kusumie ???? 7,470 0.01
Kwegu Nilo-Saharan 4,407 0.01
Male Omotic 46,458 0.09 98,114 0.13
Mao Omotic 16,236 0.03 43,535 0.06
Mareqo ???? 38,096 0.07 64,381 0.09
Mashola Afro-Asiatic 10,458 0.01
Mere ???? 14,298 0.02
Me'en Nilo-Saharan 52,815 0.10 151,489 0.20
Messengo ???? 15,341 0.03 10,964 0.01
Majangir Nilo-Saharan 21,959 0.03
Mossiye ???? 9,207 0.02 19,698 0.03
Murle Nilo-Saharan 1,469 < 0.01
Mursi Nilo-Saharan 3,258 0.01 7,500 0.01
Nao Omotic 4,005 0.01 9,829 0.01
Nuer Nilotic 64,534 0.12 147,672 0.20
Nyangatom Nilotic 14,201 0.03 25,252 0.03
Oromo Afro-Asiatic 17,080,318 32.15 25,489,024 34.49
Oyda Omotic 14,075 0.03 45,149 0.06
Qebena ???? 35,072 0.07 52,712 0.07
Qechem ???? 2,740 0.01 2,585 < 0.01
Qewama ???? 141 <0.01 298 < 0.01
She Omotic 13,290 0.03 320 < 0.01
Shekecho Omotic 53,897 0.10 77,678 0.11
Sheko Omotic 23,785 0.04 37,573 0.05
Shinasha Omotic 32,698 0.06 52,637 0.07
Shita/Upo Nilo-Saharan 307 <0.01 1,602 < 0.01
Sidama Afro-Asiatic 1,842,314 3.47 2,966,474 4.01
Somali Afro-Asiatic 3,185,266 6.18 4,581,794 6.20
Surma Nilo-Saharan 19,632 0.04 27,886 0.04
Tigray Afro-Asiatic 3.284,568 6.18 4,483,892 6.07
Tembaro ???? 86,510 0.16 98,621 0.13
Tsamai Afro-Asiatic 9,702 0.02 20,046 0.03
Welayta Omotic 1,269,216 2.39 1,707,079 2.31
Werji Afro-Asiatic 20,536 0.04 13,232 0.02
Yem Omotic 165,184 0.31 160,447 0.22
Zeyese Omotic 10,842 0.02 17,884 0.02
Zelmam Nilo-Saharan 2,704 < 0.01
other/unknown 155,972 0.29 178,799 0.24
Eritrean 61,857 0.12 9,736 0.01
Djiboutian 367 <0.01 733 <0.01
Somalian 20,227 0.03
Sudanese 2,035 <0.01 10,333 0.01
Kenyan 134 <0.01 737 <0.01
other foreigners 15,550 0.02
Total 53,132,276 73,750,932

Read more about this topic:  Demographics Of Ethiopia

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