The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 243,376, of whom 123,354 were men and 120,022 women; 39,663 or 16.3% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Gomma were the Oromo (79.11%), the Amhara (7.28%), the Kullo (4.2%), the Silt'e (2.6%), and the Kafficho (2.04%); all other ethnic groups made up 4.77% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 78.78%, 14.22% spoke Amharic, 2.43% Kullo, 1.14% Silt'e, and 1.12% spoke Kafa; the remaining 2.31% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim, with 80.15% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 19.03% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.