Metric	Egypt	Ethiopia
Capital	Cairo	Addis Ababa
Region	North Africa	East Africa
Population	110,000,000	126,500,000
Area (km²)	1,001,449	1,104,300
GDP (USD billion)	$396.0	$156.1
Currency	Egyptian Pound (EGP)	Ethiopian Birr (ETB)
Official language(s)	Arabic	Amharic
Landlocked	No	Yes
Island nation	No	No

Population

Ethiopia has the larger population, with approximately 126,500,000 people compared to Egypt's 110,000,000 — a difference of roughly 13%. Population size affects everything from labor markets and consumer demand to political influence within Africa.

Area and Geography

Ethiopia covers 1,104,300 km², while Egypt covers 1,001,449 km². The two countries sit in different parts of the continent: Egypt is in North Africa and Ethiopia is in East Africa.

Economy

Egypt has the larger nominal GDP at approximately $396.0 billion, compared to $156.1 billion for Ethiopia. Both economies have distinct strengths and structural challenges that shape their development trajectories.

Language and Culture

Egypt uses Arabic as official language(s), while Ethiopia uses Amharic. These linguistic differences reflect distinct colonial histories and cultural traditions that continue to shape each country's identity, education system and international relationships.

Currency

Egypt uses the Egyptian Pound (EGP) while Ethiopia uses the Ethiopian Birr (ETB). Exchange rates between the two should be checked before any commercial transaction.

Quick Facts

• Ethiopia is 1.1× the size of Egypt by area.
• Both countries are members of the African Union and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Read More

• Egypt country guide
• Ethiopia country guide
• North Africa region
• East Africa region
• All country comparisons