Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 5.0 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 42.8% more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
have 10.6 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 82.9% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
be 90.3% less likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 11.3 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 13.3% more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 89.7% 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 Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
be 56.2% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Syria, it is 94.4% as of 2021.
be 48.7% 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 Syria, on the other hand, 17.7 children do as of 2024.
have 26.4% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 59.6% 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 Syria, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.
be 69.3% 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 Syria, that number is 94% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Safety
be 75.6% less likely to be murdered
Ethiopia has a homicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Syria, that number is 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2010.
be 68.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.6 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
use 7.6 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Syria uses 854 kWh as of 2023.
live with 3.9 times more strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.
Environment
be 80.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Syria, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.5 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.