Ethiopia vs Kenya: Population in largest city
Ethiopia
5.96 million
in 2025
Kenya
5.77 million
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
38th
Kenya rank
40th
Population in largest city over time
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 5.96 million against 5.77 million in Kenya, a difference of 189,690.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 38th and Kenya ranks 40th of 153 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 5 and Kenya in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Kenya | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 595,013 | 395,534 | 199,479 | Ethiopia |
| 1970s | 912,430 | 666,903 | 245,527 | Ethiopia |
| 1980s | 1.45 million | 1.07 million | 372,038 | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 2.09 million | 1.73 million | 356,331 | Ethiopia |
| 2000s | 2.63 million | 2.64 million | 9,328 | Kenya |
| 2010s | 3.82 million | 3.86 million | 45,257 | Kenya |
| 2020s | 5.36 million | 5.23 million | 123,113 | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, Ethiopia or Kenya?
- Ethiopia, at 5.96 million against 5.77 million in Kenya as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between Ethiopia and Kenya?
- 189,690, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Kenya?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and Kenya rank globally for population in largest city?
- Ethiopia ranks 38th and Kenya ranks 40th of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.