Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of China, you would:
Health
be 68.6% less likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 32.2% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 10.4 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 94.2% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 95.4% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 56.8% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 28.1% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 93.3% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.6 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 12.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.5% less likely to be literate
In China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 8.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 China, 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 76.0% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 42.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In China, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 94% 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 41.0% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 52.9% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 22.3% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 98.7% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 98.3% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 28.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 98.4% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.