Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Higashiōmi has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Portions of the area were under the control of Yamakami Domain, a 13,000 koku fudai territory during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate.

With the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Yōkaichi was established within Gamō District, Shiga.

Higashiōmi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 25 members.

Murata Manufacturing, Kyocera, Panasonic, Suntory and Toppan have large factories in the city.