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Addis Ababa

#77 largest metro areaAfrica

In Ethiopia

Metro population
5,228,000
0.063% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+3.85%
About 551 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
9,921/km²
527 km² metro area
City proper
3,860,000
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Addis Ababa

Situated at an elevation of 2,405 m in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa was founded in 1886 and has grown into a major African city. The city proper holds 3,860,000 residents, with a metropolitan population of 5,228,000. An annual growth rate of 3.9% reflects ongoing expansion, supported by Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which serves the region.

The city's density of 9,921 people per km² reflects concentrated urban development. Adanech Abebe currently leads the municipality.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Ethiopia
Continent
Africa
World rank
#77 of 140
Share of country
3.9%
Founded
1886
Leadership
Adanech Abebe
Elevation
2,405 m
Coordinates
9.025, 38.747

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Addis Ababa Bole International AirportADD

    8 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Addis Ababa5.23M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Addis Ababa compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Addis Ababa5.23M

Population Trend in Ethiopia

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

050M100M150M200M250M300M350M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Ethiopia's national population, not Addis Ababa's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Ethiopia population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
195017,670,412
196021,376,693
197027,829,128
198034,428,514
199047,609,755
200067,411,494
201090,538,514
2020118,917,671
2030152,855,357
2040188,450,902
2050225,021,875
2060260,708,340
2070293,790,938
2080323,238,508
2090347,651,463
2100367,289,596

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Addis Ababa Population FAQ

What is the population of Addis Ababa?

Addis Ababa's metropolitan area has about 5,228,000 people, making it the 77th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Addis Ababa's city and metro population?

About 3,860,000 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 5,228,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Addis Ababa growing or shrinking?

Addis Ababa is growing at +3.85% a year.

What share of Ethiopia's population lives in Addis Ababa?

Addis Ababa's metro area holds about 3.9% of Ethiopia's total population.

How densely populated is Addis Ababa?

Addis Ababa has roughly 9,921 people per km² across a metro area of about 527 km².

Which airports serve Addis Ababa?

The nearest major airports are Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD).

Which country is Addis Ababa in?

Addis Ababa is in Ethiopia, in Africa.

Explore More Cities

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