Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Madagascar, you would:
Health
live 3.8 years longer
In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 35.3% less likely to be obese
In Madagascar, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
see 36.4% more spent on your healthcare
Madagascar spends $63 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 16.9% fewer doctors per person
Madagascar has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 56.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Madagascar, 75.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 55.6% more money
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $599 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 56.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Madagascar, approximately 445.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Madagascar, approximately 43.0 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.
be 19.1% less likely to be literate
In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 40.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Madagascar, approximately 39% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 15% 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 17.5% more likely to have internet access
In Madagascar, approximately 18.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.6% less on education
Madagascar spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 18.4% less on healthcare
Madagascar spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Madagascar, road accidents kill 22.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.9 times more home broadband
Madagascar has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 40.6% more electricity
Madagascar uses 80 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Madagascar withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
Environment
be 20.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Madagascar, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Madagascar vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.