Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Population

The city of Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city in the country of Ethiopia. Located in the center of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa (also known as Finfinne) currently has a population of 4.8 million people in the urban area and 2.7 million people in its city area. Addis Ababa is a chartered city and also serves as the capital of the Oromia Region, the homeland of the Oromo people. The city is a few miles west of the East African Rift, which splits the country in two.

Considered the political capital of Africa, Addis Ababa is where the African Union is headquartered and where the Organization of African Unity was once based. It is also the location for the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa. This has given the city political and diplomatic significance in the continent.

Child poverty in the city

While Ethiopia overall struggles with extreme poverty and child poverty, Addis Ababa has some of the lower rates in the country with only 18% of children living in poverty. This is in contrast to the country’s overall rate of child poverty, which shows that 88% of Ethiopian children live in poverty. This directly contributes to a high infant mortality rate of 45 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. While this is less than the nationwide average of 77 deaths per 1,000 live births, it is still much higher than many other locations in the world. On average, at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants’ first month.

One of the highest capital cities

Addis Ababa sits at an impressive elevation of 7,726 feet above sea level. This makes it one of the highest elevations of any capital city in the world, and the highest in Africa. Travelers coming to Addis Ababa are warned that they may experience altitude sickness and shortness of breath when spending a few days in the city. The other highest capital cities include: Bogota, Colombia and Quito, Ecuador.

A varied ethnic breakdown

Addis Ababa serves as the country’s capital, which means that almost all of Ethiopia’s ethnic groups are represented in the city to some extent. However, the largest groups include the Amhara at almost half the population with 47%. The Oromo people are 19% of the population, and the Gurage people are 16% of the population. The rest of the city is split between the Tigrayan, the Silt’e and the Gamo people.

The major languages also reflect the country’s major ethnic groups, with Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Gurage the most spoken mother tongues.

The religious beliefs of Addis Ababa

Ethiopia is one of the world’s most religious countries in the world, and its capital city is no different. Over 99% of the population is self-described as religious, with the vast majority (77%) identifying as followers of Ethiopian Orthodox—a form of orthodox Christianity. The next largest religious group would be Muslims, with 16.2% of the population, and 7.77% are Protestant. The final religion with any stronghold in Addis Ababa is Catholicism, with 0.48% of the population identifying as believers.

However, recent issues in the city have resulted in the burning of many churches and the deaths of some of their followers or priests as they attempt to protect their churches. Ethnically tinged tensions have resulted in the burning of over 30 churches in two years.

The economy of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa has a surprisingly diverse economy for a city that struggles with poverty. Official government statistics show that some 119,000 people work in trade and commerce, 113,000 work in manufacturing and industry, 80,000 are homemakers, 71,000 are in civil administration, and 50,000 in transport and communication.