Demographics_of

Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigrayans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

Population

CIA est. (2008): 82,544,840 ¹
CSA est. (2005): 75,067,000²
UN est. (2005): 77,431,000³

note: The latest census for which figures are available was performed in 1994; this figure is the July 2006 estimate, which take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Age structure

0-14 years: 43.7% (male 16,373,718; female 16,280,766)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 19,999,482; female 20,077,014)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 929,349; female 1,117,652) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

Birth rate

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; small numbers of Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.03 years
male: 47.86 years
female: 50.24 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Religions

But the U.S. Department of States has contradictory figures, putting Islam as being about equal or a slight majority, so a need for review of the figures will be required (Islam 45%-50%, Orthodoxy 40%, Protestant 5% and the remaining is traditional).⁸⁹

Languages

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.7%
male: 50.3%
female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Genetic studies

Most Y-chromosome haplogroups in Ethiopia are of the E1b1b (formerly E3b) clade. It is extant in its highest level among the Oromo, where it represents 79.5% of lineages. It is also found at a frequency of 45.8% among the Amhara. The haplogroup is thought to have originated either in the Horn of Africa¹⁰ or the Near East¹¹. E1b1b is mostly characterized by its E1b1b1a (M78) sub-clade (formerly known as E3b1a). The haplogroup J, which is believed to have arisen 31,700 years ago (plus or minus 12,800 years) in the Near East,¹² is also found in high numbers in the Amhara and Tigray people. It is found at levels of about 35% among the Amhara, of which about 33% is of the type J1-M267 while 2% is of the type J2-M172, with only a small percentage representing admixture due to recent and historic migrations (those containing the motif YCAIIa22-YCAIIb22 which may represent a clade that originated in Western Asia).¹³

References

^ ^a ^b The World Factbook. "Ethiopia." 2006.
^ Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia. "The 2005 National Statistics: Population"
^ 2005 UN estimate. "World population prospects: The 2004 Revision Population Database."
^ ^a ^b Berhanu Abegaz, "Ethiopia: A Model Nation of Minorities" (accessed 6 April 2006)
^ Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, DC "Population" (accessed 6 April 2006)
^ CIA Factbook - Ethiopia
^ 1994 Ethiopian Census as cited by Berhanu Abegaz, "Ethiopia: A Model Nation of Minorities" (accessed 23 March 2008)
^ Bureau of African Affairs - Background Note: Ethiopia
^ International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - Ethiopia
^ Semino et al. (2004), Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area, American Journal of Human Genetics, 74: 1023–1034.
^ ISOGG: Y-DNA Haplogroup E and its Subclades - 2008
^ O. Semino et al. (2004), Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area American Journal of Human Genetics 74 1023-1034
^ Semino et al. (2004) Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2006 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.

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