In and Out of Ethiopia By: Nikki Bose

Category: Immigration

Considering that Ethiopia has a population of 76,511,887, and a growth rate of 2.3%, one might assume that the country is thriving. That assumption isn’t necessarily correct. The country has a birth rate 37.5/1000, and a poor infant mortality rate of 91.9/1000. Ethiopia also has a death rate of 14.86 deaths/1000 population, which is mind-blowing when compared to the United States’ 6.8/1000 population death rate. Ethiopia is somewhat diverse with an ethnic composition that is made primarily of ten different groups: Oromo 32.1%, Amhara 30.2%, Tigray 6.2%, Somali 6.0%, Gurage 4.3%, Sidama 3.4%, Wolayta 2%, Afar 2%, Hadiya 2%, and Gamo 1%.
Although Ethiopia has different ethnicities within it, oddly, its net migration rate as of 2006 is 0 migrants/ 1000 population. Recently, the cause for lack immigration is most likely the higher death rate, and high occurrence of disease in Africa. The cause for lack of emigration is most likely the lack of money. The World Bank Organization website states the following about Ethiopia, “Over the last decade, average per capita incomes have declined considerably.” It is an expensive process to immigrate to another country, and the majority of the Ethiopian citizens do not have the resources to do so.