Ethiopia vs South Sudan

Ethiopia vs South Sudan: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 24.1% in Ethiopia and 21.7% in South Sudan, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 2.4 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in South Sudan.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

Ethiopia vs South Sudan: Urban populationUrban population in 2025: 24.1% in Ethiopia and 21.7% in South Sudan, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 2.4 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in South Sudan.
EthiopiaSouth SudanUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

  • Ethiopia has been higher since 2011, when it overtook South Sudan.
  • In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 217 and South Sudan ranked 220 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Ethiopia at 33.9% and South Sudan at 30.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

YearEthiopiaSouth Sudan
202524.121.7
202423.621.4
202323.121.1
202222.720.8
202122.120.5
202021.620.2
201921.319.9
201820.819.6
201720.319.4
201619.919.1
201519.518.8
20141918.6
201318.618.3
201218.218
201117.917.8
201017.517.5
200917.217.3
200816.817
200716.117
200616.217
20051616.9
200415.816.8
200315.516.6
200215.316.5
200115.116.3
200014.916
199914.715.8
199814.515.6
199714.315.3
199614.115
199513.914.7
199413.714.5
199313.514.2
199213.313.8
19911313.3
199012.812.6
198912.511.9
198812.211.2
198711.910.4
198611.79.7
198511.49.2
198411.28.7
1983118.5
198210.88.5
198110.68.5
198010.48.5
197910.28.5
1978108.5
19779.88.5
19769.68.5
19759.48.5
19749.28.5
19739.18.5
19728.98.5
19718.78.5
19708.68.5
19698.48.5
19688.38.5
19678.18.5
196688.6
19657.88.6
19647.78.6
19637.58.6
19627.48.6
19617.28.6
19607.18.7
195978.7
19586.88.7
19576.78.7
19566.68.8
19556.58.8
19546.48.6
19536.38.3
19526.17.7
195167.1
19505.96.5
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
YearEthiopiaSouth Sudan
202624.622
202725.122.3
202825.622.6
20292623
203026.523.3
20312723.6
203227.424
203327.924.3
203428.324.7
203528.725
203629.225.4
203729.625.7
20383026.1
203930.426.5
204030.826.9
204131.127.2
204231.527.6
204331.828
204432.228.4
204532.528.8
204632.829.2
204733.129.6
204833.430
204933.630.5
205033.930.9

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 South Sudan

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