Ethiopia vs Somalia
Ethiopia vs Somalia: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 24.1% in Ethiopia and 55.1% in Somalia, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 31 percentage points, or 2.29 times that in Ethiopia.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Somalia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 217 and Somalia ranked 151 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Ethiopia at 33.9% and Somalia at 61.3% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Ethiopia | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24.1 | 55.1 |
| 2024 | 23.6 | 54.6 |
| 2023 | 23.1 | 54.1 |
| 2022 | 22.7 | 53.5 |
| 2021 | 22.1 | 52.9 |
| 2020 | 21.6 | 52.3 |
| 2019 | 21.3 | 51.6 |
| 2018 | 20.8 | 51 |
| 2017 | 20.3 | 48.4 |
| 2016 | 19.9 | 45.9 |
| 2015 | 19.5 | 43.9 |
| 2014 | 19 | 42.4 |
| 2013 | 18.6 | 41.3 |
| 2012 | 18.2 | 40.3 |
| 2011 | 17.9 | 39.4 |
| 2010 | 17.5 | 38.6 |
| 2009 | 17.2 | 37.8 |
| 2008 | 16.8 | 37.2 |
| 2007 | 16.1 | 36.6 |
| 2006 | 16.2 | 36 |
| 2005 | 16 | 35.5 |
| 2004 | 15.8 | 35 |
| 2003 | 15.5 | 34.5 |
| 2002 | 15.3 | 34 |
| 2001 | 15.1 | 33.5 |
| 2000 | 14.9 | 33.1 |
| 1999 | 14.7 | 32.6 |
| 1998 | 14.5 | 32.2 |
| 1997 | 14.3 | 31.8 |
| 1996 | 14.1 | 31.4 |
| 1995 | 13.9 | 31.1 |
| 1994 | 13.7 | 30.7 |
| 1993 | 13.5 | 30.4 |
| 1992 | 13.3 | 30 |
| 1991 | 13 | 29.7 |
| 1990 | 12.8 | 29.4 |
| 1989 | 12.5 | 29.1 |
| 1988 | 12.2 | 28.8 |
| 1987 | 11.9 | 28.5 |
| 1986 | 11.7 | 28.2 |
| 1985 | 11.4 | 28 |
| 1984 | 11.2 | 27.7 |
| 1983 | 11 | 27.5 |
| 1982 | 10.8 | 27.3 |
| 1981 | 10.6 | 27.1 |
| 1980 | 10.4 | 26.9 |
| 1979 | 10.2 | 26.6 |
| 1978 | 10 | 26.4 |
| 1977 | 9.8 | 26.1 |
| 1976 | 9.6 | 25.8 |
| 1975 | 9.4 | 25.5 |
| 1974 | 9.2 | 25.2 |
| 1973 | 9.1 | 24.8 |
| 1972 | 8.9 | 24.3 |
| 1971 | 8.7 | 23.8 |
| 1970 | 8.6 | 23.2 |
| 1969 | 8.4 | 22.7 |
| 1968 | 8.3 | 22.1 |
| 1967 | 8.1 | 21.5 |
| 1966 | 8 | 20.9 |
| 1965 | 7.8 | 20.3 |
| 1964 | 7.7 | 19.7 |
| 1963 | 7.5 | 19.2 |
| 1962 | 7.4 | 18.7 |
| 1961 | 7.2 | 18.2 |
| 1960 | 7.1 | 17.7 |
| 1959 | 7 | 17.2 |
| 1958 | 6.8 | 16.7 |
| 1957 | 6.7 | 16.2 |
| 1956 | 6.6 | 15.7 |
| 1955 | 6.5 | 15.2 |
| 1954 | 6.4 | 14.7 |
| 1953 | 6.3 | 14.2 |
| 1952 | 6.1 | 13.7 |
| 1951 | 6 | 13.3 |
| 1950 | 5.9 | 12.9 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Ethiopia | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24.6 | 55.6 |
| 2027 | 25.1 | 56.1 |
| 2028 | 25.6 | 56.6 |
| 2029 | 26 | 57 |
| 2030 | 26.5 | 57.4 |
| 2031 | 27 | 57.8 |
| 2032 | 27.4 | 58.2 |
| 2033 | 27.9 | 58.5 |
| 2034 | 28.3 | 58.8 |
| 2035 | 28.7 | 59.1 |
| 2036 | 29.2 | 59.4 |
| 2037 | 29.6 | 59.6 |
| 2038 | 30 | 59.9 |
| 2039 | 30.4 | 60.1 |
| 2040 | 30.8 | 60.3 |
| 2041 | 31.1 | 60.5 |
| 2042 | 31.5 | 60.6 |
| 2043 | 31.8 | 60.8 |
| 2044 | 32.2 | 60.9 |
| 2045 | 32.5 | 61 |
| 2046 | 32.8 | 61.1 |
| 2047 | 33.1 | 61.2 |
| 2048 | 33.4 | 61.2 |
| 2049 | 33.6 | 61.2 |
| 2050 | 33.9 | 61.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ethiopia vs Somalia
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023Somalia: 58.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024Somalia: 10.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023Somalia: 66.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017Somalia: 3.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Somalia: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023Somalia: 18.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023Somalia: 3.57% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023Somalia: 6.13 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023Somalia: 15.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023Somalia: 2.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Somalia: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025Somalia: 1.54% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025Somalia: $193M in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025Somalia: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Somalia: 20.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020Somalia: 14,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022Somalia: 0.13% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020Somalia: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025Somalia: 2 million TIV in 2025