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

Health

see 28.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.

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have 71.4% more access to essential health services

Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.

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live 5.3 years less

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 24.4 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 15.7 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.

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Life

be 59.8% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Nauru, it is 96.6% as of 2023.

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be 77.7% 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 Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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be 40.0% 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 Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 22.0% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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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 Nauru, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nauru, about 83.0% do as of 2024.

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be 76.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Nauru, 98% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on education

Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nauru spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 6.5 times more on healthcare

Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 54.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 16.9 times more home broadband

Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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