Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
see 46.2% more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 37.1% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
be 8.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
have 62.2% fewer doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
be 24.7% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 52.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 42.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 28.0% less money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
be 11.3% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 15.4% 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 Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.1% 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 Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.4% 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 Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 71.8% 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 Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 13.6% less likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.6% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 79.1% less likely to be murdered
Ethiopia has a homicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Malawi, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2012.
be 14.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 45.8% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 84.7% less home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 46.7% more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.