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

Health

see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ghana spends $234 as of 2023.

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have 86.0% more doctors per person

Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ghana has 2.7 as of 2023.

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have 37.1% more access to essential health services

Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ghana scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 12.4% less likely to die by suicide

Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, it is 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.9 years less

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 5.0 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 14.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 10.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 3.5 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Ghana, the GDP per capita is $3,257 as of 2025.

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Life

be 26.5% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Ghana, it is 76.5% as of 2021.

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be 20.3% 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 Ghana, on the other hand, 27.5 children do as of 2024.

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be 20.0% 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 Ghana, 234.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 17.6% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ghana, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 61.6% 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 Ghana, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ghana, about 72.2% do as of 2024.

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be 61.7% 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 Ghana, that number is 90% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 26.5% more on education

Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ghana spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 46.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ghana, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 11.9% more home broadband

Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ghana has 0.7 as of 2024.

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live with 80.4% less strain on fresh water

Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ghana withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 5.0 times more electricity

Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ghana uses 565 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 93.5% more likely to die from air pollution

In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ghana, it causes 89.0 as of 2019.

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emit 4.7 times more CO2

Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Ghana: At a glance

Ghana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 227,533 sq km. Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
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How big is Ghana compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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