Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Sudan, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years longer
In Sudan, the average life expectancy is 67 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 83.6% less likely to be obese
In Sudan, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
see 3.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Sudan spends $28 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 20.5% less access to essential health services
Sudan scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
be 92.1% more likely to die by suicide
Sudan has a suicide rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Sudan, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 19.9% less money
Sudan has a GDP per capita of $1,165 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
be 23.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sudan, approximately 256.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Sudan, approximately 42.9 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 16.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sudan, approximately 66% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 54% 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 23.6% less likely to have internet access
In Sudan, approximately 28.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 14.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Sudan, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 60% 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.
Infrastructure
find 9.8 times more home broadband
Sudan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 72.8% less strain on fresh water
Sudan withdraws 119% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 49.4% less electricity
Sudan uses 223 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 34.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sudan, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 65.1% less CO2
Sudan emits 0.4 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2023). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sudan vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Sudan? See an in-depth size comparison.