Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Eritrea, you would:
Health
see 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Eritrea spends $87 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 3.6 times more doctors per person
Eritrea has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
be 72.8% less likely to die by suicide
Eritrea has a suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.6 years less
In Eritrea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.8 times more likely to be obese
In Eritrea, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Eritrea, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
Life
have 21.9% more children
In Eritrea, there are approximately 28.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 79.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Eritrea, approximately 291.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 51.3% less likely to be literate
In Eritrea, the literacy rate is 76.6% as of 2018. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 95.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Eritrea, approximately 24.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 56.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Eritrea, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (77% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 39.5% less likely to have internet access
In Eritrea, approximately 26.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.1 times more on healthcare
Eritrea spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Eritrea, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 52.9% less home broadband
Eritrea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 4.9 times more strain on fresh water
Eritrea withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
be 83.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Eritrea, air pollution causes 78.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
emit 27.3% more CO2
Eritrea emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this
Compare further: Eritrea vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Eritrea? See an in-depth size comparison.