Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 8.2 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 34.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 30.3 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bulgaria has 43.3 as of 2022.
have 2.1 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
be 7.0 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
be 56.7% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
make 21.8 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
Life
be 96.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.8% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Bulgaria, it is 98.4% as of 2021.
be 86.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 34.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
have 73.6% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 80.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bulgaria, about 82.4% do as of 2024.
be 78.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 95.7% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bulgaria spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 52.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 62.7 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
use 47.6 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
live with 24.7% more strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
Environment
be 37.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 35.4 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.