Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 11.3 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 157.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 25.7 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 2.5 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 14.0 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 96.5 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 26.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.3% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 84.1% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 66.3% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 80.5% 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 79.8% 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 6.0 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 19.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 65.9 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
live with 12.7% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 114.1 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 69.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 90.8 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.