Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 10.3 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 20.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
have 17.7 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Colombia has 25.4 as of 2023.
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. Colombia scores 80 as of 2021.
be 18.3% less likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 8.5 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 9.2 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 69.7% 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 Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.7% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Colombia, it is 95.3% as of 2024.
be 69.6% 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 Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
have 57.9% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 78.2% 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 Colombia, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Colombia, about 79.3% do as of 2024.
be 74.6% 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 Colombia, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.9 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Infrastructure
find 29.2 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
live with 88.7% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Colombia withdraws 4% as of 2022.
use 13.8 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 47.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.0 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.