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

Health

be 53.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Ghana, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.9 years longer

In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 79.9% less likely to be obese

In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.

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see 63.4% less spent on your healthcare

Ghana spends $234 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.

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have 46.2% fewer doctors per person

Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.

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have 27.1% less access to essential health services

Ghana scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.

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be 14.1% more likely to die by suicide

Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 11.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Ghana, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 71.4% less money

Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.

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Life

be 16.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ghana, approximately 234.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 21.4% more children

In Ghana, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 21.0% less likely to be literate

In Ghana, the literacy rate is 76.5% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.

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be 25.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Ghana, approximately 27.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 38.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 69.6% less likely to have internet access

In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.

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be 38.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 21.0% less on education

Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 31.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Ghana, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 10.6% less home broadband

Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.

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live with 5.1 times more strain on fresh water

Ghana withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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use 80.1% less electricity

Ghana uses 565 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 48.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Ghana, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

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emit 78.6% less CO2

Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Ethiopia: At a glance

Ethiopia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,096,570 sq km. Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades.
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How big is Ethiopia compared to Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.

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