Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
have 45.5% more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 20.0% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
live 5.5 years less
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
see 32.6% less spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
be 44.5% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 33.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 69.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 56.2% as of 2020.
make 13.5% less money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
be 13.3% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 68.5% as of 2023.
have 29.9% more children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 427.0 women do as of 2023.
be 63.5% more 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 60.1% less 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 22% of people on average (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.3% less likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 35.8% less 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 36% of people on average (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.5% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 31.4% more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 99.3% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 14.2% more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
find 94.9% less home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 60.0% less CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 56.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it causes 72.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.