Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 88.1% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
live 10.2 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 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). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 92.1% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 52.7% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
be 49.1% more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 60.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 76.2% less money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 12.2 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 Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.0% less likely to be literate
In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 3.3 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 Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 44.6% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 74.3% less likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 43.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iran, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% 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.
Expenditures
spend 18.4% less on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 53.6% less on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% 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 Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more likely to be murdered
Iran has a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2014. In Ethiopia, that number is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
live with 60.3% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 95.1% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 97.0% less electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 98.3% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.