The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 117,197, of whom 56,725 were men and 60,472 women; 51,387 or 43.85% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Tiyo were the Oromo (53.92%), the Amhara (37.63%), the Soddo Gurage (3.41%), the Silt'e (1.73%), and the Sebat Bet Gurage Gurage (1.07%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.24% of the population. Amharic was spoken as a first language by 51.2%, 45.51% spoke Oromiffa, 1.06% Soddo and 0.88% spoke Silt'e; the remaining 1.35% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 71.06% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 27.02% of the population said they were Muslim, and 1.61% were Protestant.