Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
see 15.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 5.6 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 2.0 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 24.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.3 years less
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 10.9 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.1 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 9.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 14.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 39.5% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.8% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 29.9% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 41.3% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 58.3% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 62.2% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.6 times more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.2 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 38.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.1 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 28.8 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 45.9 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.