Ethiopia

Did you know

Ethiopia keeps its own calendar, which runs seven to eight years behind the Gregorian one. (source)

Elders in numbers

of people are 65 or older

3.3%

people aged 65 or older

4.5M

will be 65 or older in 2050

5.4%

is how long people live after 60, on average

18.1 years

of people 65+ live alone

5.8%

women 10.5%, men 2.5%

of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like

1.5%

Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2019; UN, 2007 census

Compare with the world

Languages

97 languages, 43 of them endangered

• OngotaCritically endangered
• NayiSeverely endangered
• QimantSeverely endangered
• ShaboSeverely endangered
• AnfilloDefinitely endangered
• ArboreDefinitely endangered
• BaisoDefinitely endangered
• BaleesiDefinitely endangered
• BambassiDefinitely endangered
• BertaDefinitely endangered
• BussaDefinitely endangered
• CharaDefinitely endangered

Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.

UNESCO intangible heritage

• Gifaataa, Wolaita people New Year festival2025
• Xeer Ciise: Oral customary laws of Somali-Issa communities in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia2024
• Shuwalid festival2023
• Ethiopian epiphany2019
• Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the Oromo2016
• Fichee-Chambalaalla, New Year festival of the Sidama people2015
• Commemoration feast of the finding of the True Holy Cross of Christ2013

List and years: ich.unesco.org