Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 95.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2024.
live 1.3 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 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 90.8% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 72.8% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 93.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 82.0% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 50.7% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.7% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 12.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 85.9% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 70.3% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 65.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.7% less likely to be literate
In South Africa, the literacy rate is 91.2% as of 2024. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 42.6% more likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 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 36.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% 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 72.0% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 38.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% 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 61.8% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 68.6% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 52.3% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 89.0% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 96.5% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 97.8% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.