Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 7.5 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 8.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 100.0% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 30.1% less likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 12.0 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.4 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
be 51.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 69.2% 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 72.8% 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
have 39.2% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 59.4% 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 Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.8% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 3.0 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.8 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
live with 93.1% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 5.7 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 17.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.5 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 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. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.