If you lived in Vanuatu instead of Ethiopia, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years longer

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 64.7% more spent on your healthcare

Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vanuatu spends $141 as of 2023.

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have 34.3% more access to essential health services

Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vanuatu scores 47 as of 2021.

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be 7.7 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 22.6% of people as of 2024.

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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 Vanuatu, it is 15.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 52.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.

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make 4.3 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $4,039 as of 2025.

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be 52.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 48.7% 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 Vanuatu, 100.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 45.5% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Vanuatu, it is 88.0% as of 2023.

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be 58.3% 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 Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 12.1% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 11.2% 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 Vanuatu, that number is 62% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vanuatu, about 69.9% do as of 2022.

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be 56.7% 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 Vanuatu, that number is 87% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 3.3 times more on education

Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Vanuatu spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 47.1% more on healthcare

Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 29.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vanuatu, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 96.6% more home broadband

Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vanuatu has 1.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 23.9% more likely to die from air pollution

In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vanuatu, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.8 times more CO2

Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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