Demographics
The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 99,143, of whom 49,205 were men and 49,938 were women; 6,066 or 6.12% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants with 97.88% of the population practised Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, while 1.11% of the population practiced traditional beliefs.[1]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 117,583, of whom 59,224 are men and 58,359 are women; 5,168 or 4.40% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 9.5%. With an estimated area of 674.85 square kilometers, Degem has an estimated population density of 174.2 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 143.[2]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 84,718, of whom 42,297 were men and 42,421 women; 2,897 or 3.42% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic groups reported in Degem was the Oromo (88.89%), followed by the Amhara (10.92%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.19% of the population. Oromo was spoken as a first language by 87.41%, and 12.55% spoke Amharic; the remaining 0.04% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants with 98.99% of population professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, while 0.7% of the population were Protestant.[3]
