Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 8.6 years less
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.1 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
see 39.3% less spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 22.9% less access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
be 31.1% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
be 67.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Somalia, however, that number is 55.4% as of 2022.
make 29.1% less money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
Life
have 34.6% more children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times 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 Somalia, 563.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.5% less likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Somalia, it is 54.1% as of 2022.
be 89.6% 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 Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.3% more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 35.4% 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 Somalia, that number is 75% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.6% more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
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 Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 22.0% more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
live with 24.0% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 66.7% less CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 39.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Somalia, it causes 64.0 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. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.