A new survey reveals that 42.2 percent of the total population in Addis Ababa are migrants. The survey was done by the Government of Ethiopia, the Central Statistics Agency (CSA) with support from the International Organization of Migration in all regions and city administrations except Tigray region.
According to the survey in the country, 17.1 percent of the population was internal migrants where the female population was recorded to migrate more than males. Additionally, two third of the internal migrants were aged in the 15-39 bracket.
Following Addis Ababa, 31.7 percent of the total population of Gambela region is also regarded as migrants.
The highest form of internal migration in Ethiopia is migration from rural to urban accounting to 32.2 percent. About two thirds of the total migrants aged ten years and above were employed in various economic activities.
According to the survey, Ethiopians living abroad is estimated to be 839,224 excluding Tigray region according to the information obtained from the households. Showing that most emigrants are between 15-29 years of which more than 54 percent of them are male.
The highest number of emigrants is originated from Oromia, Amhara and SNNP regions. The survey revealed that 51,089 Ethiopian emigrants are missing migrants since “many migrants lack proper document while crossing international boarders,” the report revealed.
The survey has covered the entire sedentary as well as pastoralist areas of the country except the Tigray region with all urban and rural households in the country being targeted in the survey.

Ethiopia as being one of the fastest populations growing in African countries notes that coping with a developing economy, proper management and efficient utilization of its work force as essential.
The survey reveals that in February 2021 the total population of the country excluding Tigray region and non-conventional households are estimated to be 98,038,146 of which 69,964,475 of the population is aged ten years and above.
The economically inactive persons who are neither engaged in productive activities nor available to furnish their labor due to homemaking activities, attending schools old age, illness, too young to work accounts for 24.7 million according to the survey, with the proportion of females being higher than males.( Where 61.5 percent were female and 38.5 percent being male).
About 65 percent of the total population is active to participate in production of goods and services. However the figure shows decline compared to the rates observed in June 2013 as the survey stated.
According to the survey, about 60 percent of the total population aged ten years and above are employed. With regards to regions, Benshangul-Gumuz region shows the highest employment to population ration while Somali demonstrate the lowest ratio.
As the report said, majority of the employed persons were self-employed and yet 37 percent were noted as unpaid family workers and the share of government employees accounted for 6 percent at national level.
At the national level, about 65 percent of the employed persons are working in the agriculture sector, the service sector, including public administration, defense compulsory social security, education, health, while other social activities and house activities accounts for 24 percent as wholesale and retail trades accounted for 5.9 percent.
According to the survey, the mean amount of total payment per month for paid employee at country level is 4,127 birr. To this regard, males obtained higher monthly payment of 4,556 birr and females 3,363 birr per month.
The survey result reveals that unemployed people in the country accounted for 8 percent of the total population where 3.6 million peoples are unemployed based on the definition of International Labor Organization (ILO). The rate of unemployment in urban areas is 17.9 percent where Addis Ababa city administration has recorded the highest unemployment rate followed by Dire Dawa. The lowest unemployment rate yet is as recorded in Benishangul-Gumuz region.