Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of Djibouti, you would:
Health
live 6.4 years longer
In Djibouti, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
have 7.2 times more doctors per person
Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 45.5% more access to essential health services
Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
be 92.6% less likely to die by suicide
Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Djibouti, 11.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
see 21.0% less spent on your healthcare
Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
Economy
be 47.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.
be 3.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Djibouti, 21.1% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Syria, however, that number is 82.5% as of 2014.
make 72.9% less money
Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
Life
be 87.7% less 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 Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.8% 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 Syria, on the other hand, 17.7 children do as of 2024.
have 10.7% more children
In Djibouti, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 35.6% more 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 Syria, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 18.2% more 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 Syria, that number is 94% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 28.6% less likely to have internet access
In Djibouti, approximately 65.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 18.9% more on healthcare
Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 38.5% less coastline
Djibouti has a total of 314 km of coastline. In Syria, that number is 193 km.
Safety
be 28.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.7 times more home broadband
Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
live with 19.6 times more strain on fresh water
Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Djibouti, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Syria, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
emit 64.9% more CO2
Djibouti emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2014–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Djibouti vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to Djibouti? See an in-depth size comparison.