Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.4 years longer

In Eritrea, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

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be 10.0% less likely to be obese

In Eritrea, 5.0% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ethiopia, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2016.

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Economy

be 40.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Eritrea, 5.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% as of 2023.

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Life

be 17.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Eritrea, approximately 322.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ethiopia, 267.0 women do as of 2020.

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be 19.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Eritrea, approximately 41.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 33.5 children do as of 2022.

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have 12.5% more children

In Eritrea, there are approximately 26.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 32.4% less likely to be literate

In Eritrea, the literacy rate is 76.6% as of 2018. In Ethiopia, it is 51.8% as of 2017.

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Basic Needs

be 22.7% less likely to have internet access

In Eritrea, approximately 22.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Ethiopia, about 17.0% do as of 2021.

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Expenditures

spend 14.6% less on healthcare

Eritrea spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Compare further: Eritrea vs. Ethiopia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ethiopia is 2.7 times more expensive than Eritrea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Eritrea is about 9 times smaller than Ethiopia.
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Moving from Eritrea to Ethiopia · UN DESA 2020
191,256 people born in Eritrea live in Ethiopia.
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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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How big is Ethiopia compared to Eritrea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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