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.

Groups from the hypothetical Nilo-Saharan group, especially 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. However, according to Glottolog, many of those comprise small language families or isolates, such as Surmic languages Kwegu, Me'en, and Suri, and the isolate Bertan.

## Ethnic Groups in Ethiopian Censuses

[edit]

Ethnic
group  | Linguistic

grouping

| Census
1994[3] | Census
2007[4]

|
|
|

Number  | %  | Number  | %
Aari | Omotic | 155,002 | 0.29 | 290,453 | 0.39
Afar | Cushitic | 979,367 | 1.84 | 1,276,374 | 1.73
Agaw-Awi | Cushitic | 397,491 | 0.75 | 631,565 | 0.85
Silt'e | Semitic | 939,457  |  | 1,135,306 | 1.27
Agaw-Hamyra | Cushitic | 158,231 | 0.30 | 267,851 | 0.36
Alaba | Cushitic | 125,900 | 0.24 | 233,299 | 0.32
Amhara | Semitic | 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 (Kwego) | Nilo-Saharan |  |  | 2,632 | < 0.01
Basketo | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Semitic | 2,321 | <0.01 |  |
Chara | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Afro-Asiatic | 6,197 | 0.01 | 891 | <0.01
Dizi | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Cushitic | 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 | Semitic | 4,290,274 | 4.31 | 1,867,377 | 2.53
Hadiya | Cushitic | 927,933 | 1.75 | 1,284,373 | 1.74
Hamar | Afro-Asiatic | 42,466 | 0.08 | 46,532 | 0.06
Harari | Semitic | 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 | Cushitic | 499,825 | 0.94 | 630,236 | 0.85
kebena | Afro-Asiatic[5] | 35,072 | 0.07 | 52,712 | 0.07
Konta | Afro-Asiatic |  |  | 83,607 | 0.11
Komo | Nilo-Saharan | 1,526 | <0.01 | 7,795 | 0.01
Konso | Cushitic | 153,419 | 0.29 | 250,430 | 0.34
Koore | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Afro-Asiatic |  |  | 1,464 | < 0.01
Kusumie | ???? |  |  | 7,470 | 0.01
Kwegu | Nilo-Saharan |  |  | 4,407 | 0.01
Male | Afro-Asiatic | 46,458 | 0.09 | 98,114 | 0.13
Mao | Afro-Asiatic | 16,236 | 0.03 | 43,535 | 0.06
Mareqo | Afro-Asiatic[6] | 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 | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Cushitic | 17,080,318 | 31.15 | 24,489,024 | 33.49
Oyda | Afro-Asiatic | 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 | Afro-Asiatic | 13,290 | 0.03 | 320 | < 0.01
Shekecho | Afro-Asiatic | 53,897 | 0.10 | 77,678 | 0.11
Sheko | Afro-Asiatic | 23,785 | 0.04 | 37,573 | 0.05
Shinasha | Afro-Asiatic | 32,698 | 0.06 | 52,637 | 0.07
Shita/Upo | Nilo-Saharan | 307 | <0.01 | 1,602 | < 0.01
Sidama | Cushitic | 1,842,314 | 3.47 | 2,966,474 | 4.01
Somali | Cushitic | 4,185,266 | 6.5 | 6,581,794 | 8.21
Surma | Nilo-Saharan | 19,632 | 0.04 | 27,886 | 0.04
Tigrayans | Semitic | 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 | Afro-Asiatic | 165,184 | 0.31 | 160,447 | 0.22
Zeyese | Afro-Asiatic | 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 |  |  | 20,227 | 0.03
Sudanese | 2,035 | <0.01 | 10,333 | 0.01
Eritrean | 61,857 | 0.12 | 9,736 | 0.01
Kenyan | 134 | <0.01 | 77 | <0.01
Djiboutian | 367 | <0.01 | 733 | <0.01
Other foreigners |  |  | 15,550 | 0.02
Total  | 53,132,276  | 73,750,932

## Estimates

[edit]

The World Factbook estimates the ethnic groups of Ethiopia in 2022 as follows[7]

2022 est.  Ethnic Group  | %

|

Oromo | 35.8
Amhara | 24.1
Somali | 7.2
Tigray | 5.7
Sidama | 4.1
Guragie | 2.6
Welaita | 2.3
Afar | 2.2
Silte | 1.3
Kefficho | 1.2
other  | 13.5

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Ethiopia.

* Demographics of Ethiopia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 2007 Ethiopian census, first draft Archived 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. ^ United nations Demographic Yearbook Special Census Topics. Volume 2b Table 4 [1]
4. ^ "Ethiopian Census First Draft" (PDF). Central Statistics Agency. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
5. ^ Ulrich Braukamper 2012: 165
6. ^ Ulrich Braukamper 2012: 189
7. ^ "Ethiopia", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2024-08-27, retrieved 2024-09-07

* v
* t
* e

Ethnic groups in Ethiopia

Afro-Asiatic|

| Cushitic|

* Afar
* Arbore
* Awi
* Daasanach
* Danta
* Gabra
* Gedeo
* Hadiya
* Irob
* Kambaata
* Konso
* Oromo
* Qemant
* Saho
* Sidama
* Somalis
* Tsamai
* Weyto

|

Semitic|

* Amhara
* Argobba
* Beta Israel (Jews)
* Beta Abraham
* Falash Mura
* Gurage
* Chebo
* Soddo
* Harari
* Silt'e
* Wolane
* Tigrayan
* Werji
* Zay

Omotic|

* Aari
* Banna
* Basketo
* Bench
* Chara
* Dawro
* Dizi
* Dorze
* Gamo
* Gofa
* Hamar
* Konta
* Koore
* Maale
* Shinasha
* Wolaitans
* Yemsa
* Zayse

Nilo-Saharan|

* Anuak
* Berta
* Gumuz
* Kichepo
* Kwama
* Kwegu
* Majang
* Mekan
* Murle
* Mursi
* Nuer
* Nyangatom
* Shabo
* Shanqella
* Shita
* Surma
* Tirma

Immigrants|

* African Americans
* Armenians
* Chinese
* Greeks
* Italians
* Jamaicans

* v
* t
* e

Habesha peoples

* Amhara
* Tegaru-Tigrinya
* Gurage
* Zay

* People of Ethiopia
* People of Eritrea

Multi-ethnic civic nationalism

* Ethiopian nationalism
* Eritrean nationalism

* v
* t
* e

Ethiopian diaspora

* Australia
* Canada
* Denmark
* Israel
* Italy
* Norway
* Sweden
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Baltimore
* Washington, D.C.
* Little Ethiopia, Los Angeles

Portal:

* Africa

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template