If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Djibouti, you would:

Health

live 1.4 years longer

In Djibouti, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 74.9% less likely to be obese

In Djibouti, 11.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 23.7% less likely to die by suicide

Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 44.7% less spent on your healthcare

Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.

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have 32.2% fewer doctors per person

Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.

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have 20.5% less access to essential health services

Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 87.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 76.1% less money

Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.

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Life

be 19.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Djibouti, approximately 43.0 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.

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have 50.4% more children

In Djibouti, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 20.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In Djibouti, approximately 162.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 15.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Djibouti, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 37% 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.

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be 66.4% less likely to have internet access

In Djibouti, approximately 65.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.

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be 30.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Djibouti, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 62% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 22.8% more on healthcare

Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 24.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 59.9% less home broadband

Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.

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live with 5.1 times more strain on fresh water

Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 22.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Djibouti, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

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emit 80.5% less CO2

Djibouti emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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.
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