Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
be 74.0% less likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
be 58.8% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 10.1 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 83.1% less spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 87.4% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 47.8% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 81.4% less money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 34.8% less likely to be literate
In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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 44.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sri Lanka, 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 59.8% less likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% 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 Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% 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 23.9% less on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 25.7% more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 53.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 64.5% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 93.0% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 82.5% less electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 85.8% less CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 24.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.