Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ethiopia instead of British Virgin Islands, you would:

Health

live 9.8 years less

In British Virgin Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Life

have 3.8 times more children

In British Virgin Islands, there are approximately 8.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 11.4 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 44.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 71.8% less likely to have internet access

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 77.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 44.3% less likely to have access to drinking water

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Ethiopia, 56% of people do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 27.4% less on education

British Virgin Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 97.6% less home broadband

British Virgin Islands has 24.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 93.6% less CO2

British Virgin Islands emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2023–2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: British Virgin Islands vs. Ethiopia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ethiopia is 51.9% cheaper than British Virgin Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
British Virgin Islands is about 7,313 times smaller than Ethiopia.
→
Moving from British Virgin Islands to Ethiopia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Ethiopia: At a glance

Ethiopia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,096,570 sq km. Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades.
Read more

How big is Ethiopia compared to British Virgin Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Ethiopia or British Virgin Islands. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.