Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Eritrea instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 82.4% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Eritrea, that number is 4.3% of people as of 2024.
live 9.0 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Eritrea, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 91.9% less spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Eritrea spends $87 as of 2023.
have 95.1% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Eritrea has 0.9 as of 2022.
have 39.2% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Eritrea scores 45 as of 2021.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Eritrea, it is 13.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 28.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Eritrea, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iran, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2007. In Eritrea, however, that number is 50.0% as of 2004.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Eritrea, there are 28.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Eritrea, 291.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Eritrea, on the other hand, 24.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iran, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Eritrea, that number is 54% of people on average (77% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 68.8% less likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Eritrea, about 26.6% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 39.0% less on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Eritrea, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 14.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Eritrea, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.1 times more likely to be murdered
Iran has a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2014. In Eritrea, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
live with 86.2% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Eritrea withdraws 11% as of 2022.
find 98.6% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Eritrea has 0.2 as of 2022.
use 96.8% less electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Eritrea uses 123 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 97.6% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Eritrea emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 52.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Eritrea, it causes 78.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2004–2007). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Eritrea
Eritrea: At a glance
How big is Eritrea compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.