Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
be 87.9% less likely to be obese
In Mauritania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
live 1.1 years less
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 71.6% less spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 45.2% fewer doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 12.5% less access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 67.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 57.6% less money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 48.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mauritania, approximately 381.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Mauritania, approximately 30.2 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 10.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mauritania, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 1% 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 52.1% less likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 28.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 59% 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 69.8% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 35.5% less on healthcare
Mauritania spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 86.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 37.9% less home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
Environment
be 25.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mauritania, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 84.5% less CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.