Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
be 85.6% less likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 36.2% less likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.2 years less
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 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.
see 97.1% less spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 96.7% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 52.1% less access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 56.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 95.4% less money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.8 times more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 32.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.6% less likely to be literate
In Bulgaria, the literacy rate is 98.4% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 7.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 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 44.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bulgaria, 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.
be 73.4% less likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 43.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bulgaria, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 98% 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 48.9% less on education
Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 64.6% less on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 19.8% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 98.4% less home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 97.9% less electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 27.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 97.2% less CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.