People:
Population: 59,680,383 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 13,787,810; female 13,703,546)
15-64 years: 51% (male 15,398,123; female 15,141,892)
65 years and over: 3% (male 745,737; female 903,275) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.16% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 44.34 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 21.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.3
migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia
for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to continue
slowly in 1998; small numbers of Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled
to Ethiopia from the fighting in their own countries, began returning
to their homes in 1998
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 124.57 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.46 years
male: 39.22 years
female: 41.73 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.81 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%
Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female: 25.3% (1995 est.)
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans 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 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.