Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Rwanda instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Rwanda spends $177 as of 2023.
have 40.0% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Rwanda scores 49 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 2.0% of people as of 2024.
be 91.1% more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2024.
have 37.1% fewer doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Rwanda has 0.9 as of 2022.
be 43.0% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Rwanda, it is 8.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Rwanda, however, that number is 27.4% as of 2023.
make 20.5% more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Rwanda, the GDP per capita is $1,124 as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Rwanda, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 30.3% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Rwanda, it is 78.8% as of 2022.
be 14.8% 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 Rwanda, on the other hand, 29.4 children do as of 2024.
be 17.4% 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 Rwanda, 229.0 women do as of 2023.
have 10.8% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Rwanda, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.3% 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 Rwanda, that number is 64% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 44.5% more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Rwanda, about 31.7% do as of 2024.
be 10.4% 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 Rwanda, that number is 61% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Rwanda spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 83.2% more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Rwanda, that number is 5.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Rwanda, they kill 11.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 37.4% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Rwanda withdraws 20% as of 2022.
use 31.9% less electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Rwanda uses 77 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 34.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Rwanda, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Rwanda
Rwanda: At a glance
How big is Rwanda compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.