Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 76.2% less likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 14.7% less likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 37.8% less spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 33.8% fewer doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 43.8% less money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 62.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 17.7% more likely to be literate
In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 23.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 35.4% less likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 20.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 28.8% less on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 16.2% less on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 32.9 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 69.4% less CO2
Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.