Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 10.4 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 17.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 21.8 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 2.3 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
be 47.4% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 14.9 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 39.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.8% 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 China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 60.0% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 88.1% 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 China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 78.5% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 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 China, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
be 72.9% 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 China, that number is 96% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 69.6% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 80.0 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 58.0 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 28.7% more strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
be 39.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 62.1 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.