List of ethnic groups in Ethiopia

For the national origin group of Ethiopia, see Ethiopians.

This is a list of ethnic groups in Ethiopia that are officially recognized by the government. It is a list taken from the 2007 Ethiopian National Census:^[1][2] Population size and percentage of Ethiopia's total population according to the 1994 and 2007 censuses follows each entry.

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

The country also has Omotic ethnic groups who speak Afro-Asiatic languages of the Omotic branch. They inhabit the southern regions of the country, particularly the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region. Among these are the Welayta and Gamo.

Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic groups also inhabit the southwestern regions of the country, particularly in the Gambela Region. Among these are the Nuer and Anuak who are also found in South Sudan which borders the Gambela Region.

Ethnicity in Ethiopia^[3]

  Oromos (46%)

  Amharas (33.0%)

  Somalis (4.2%)

  Tigrayans (2.1%)

  Sidama (2.0%)

  Gurage (1.5%)

  Welayta (1.3%)

  Hadiya (1.7%)

  Afar (1.7%)

  Gamo (1.5%)

  Others (6.7%)

Officially recognized ethnic groups in Ethiopia

Ethnic group	Language family	Census 1994^[4]		Census 2007^[5]
		Number	%	Number	%
Aari	Omotic	155,002	0.29	290,453	0.39
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	Niger-Congo			27,022	0.04
Beta Israel	Afro-Asiatic	2,321	<0.01
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	Nilo-Saharan			35,166	0.05
Fedashe	????	7,323	0.01	3,448	< 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	4,290,274	4.31	5,867,377	2.53
Silt'e	Afro-Asiatic			940,766	1.27
Hadiya	Afro-Asiatic	927,933	1.75	1,284,373	1.74
Hamar	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
kebena	Afro-Asiatic^[6]	35,072	0.07	52,712	0.07
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
Kontoma	Afro-Asiatic		0.4	48,543	0.05
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	Afro-Asiatic^[7]	38,096	0.07	64,381	0.09
Mashola	Afro-Asiatic			10,458	0.01
Mere people	????			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	Afro-Asiatic	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	31.15	24,489,024	33.49
Oyda	Omotic	14,075	0.03	45,149	0.06
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	4,185,266	6.5	6,581,794	8.21
Surma	Nilo-Saharan	19,632	0.04	27,886	0.04
Tigrayans^[8]^[9]	Afro-Asiatic	3,284,568	6.18	4,483,892	6.07
Tembaro	Afro-Asiatic	86,510	0.16	480,573	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
Somali				200,227	0.9
Sudanese		2,035	<0.01	10,333	0.01
Eritrean		61,857	0.12	9,736	0.01
Kenyan		134	<0.01	737	<0.01
Djiboutian		367	<0.01	733	<0.01
Other foreigners				15,550	0.02
Total		53,132,276		73,750,932

See also

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Ethiopia.

• Demographics of Ethiopia

References

1. 2007 Ethiopian census, first draft 2012-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (accessed 6 May 2009)
2. "Population and Housing Census 2007 – National Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Agency. 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
3. "Population and Housing Census 2007 – National Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Agency. 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
4. United nations Demographic Yearbook Special Census Topics. Volume 2b Table 4 [1]
5. (PDF). Central Statistics Agency. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
6. Ulrich Braukamper 2012: 165
7. Ulrich Braukamper 2012: 189
8. [2], Ethiopian Government Portal.
9. [3], CIA World Factbook.