If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 17.8 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 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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Economy

be 18.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 98.4% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.

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Life

have 6.4 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 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 13.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 44.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 77.1% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.

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be 44.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Ethiopia, 56% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 39.6% less on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Infrastructure

find 98.5% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.

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use 98.2% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 96.7% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 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 (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). 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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