The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 61,919, of whom 31,494 were men and 30,425 women; 1,434 or 2.32% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Meda Welabu were the Oromo (97.15%), the Somali (1.77%), and the Amhara (0.8%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.28% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 96.67%, 1.89% spoke Somali, and 1.37% spoke Amharic; the remaining 0.07% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim, with 97.85% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 1.64% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.