Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
be 72.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2024.
live 3.6 years longer
In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 81.8% less likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 28.6% less likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 65.2% less spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 20.5% less access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 12.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Cameroon, 37.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 52.7% less money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 24.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cameroon, approximately 258.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 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 23.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Cameroon, approximately 72% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 26% 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 52.6% less likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 22.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 56% 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 19.0% less on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 38.5% less on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 67.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 72.3% less home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 20.7 times more strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 50.2% less electricity
Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 54.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 57.1% less CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.