Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Syria, you would:
Health
be 91.1% less likely to be obese
In Syria, 33.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years less
In Syria, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 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 30.0% less spent on your healthcare
Syria spends $122 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 90.6% fewer doctors per person
Syria has 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 45.3% less access to essential health services
Syria scores 64 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
be 10.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Syria has a suicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 75.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Syria, 13.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 11.7% less money
Syria has a GDP per capita of $1,057 as of 2022, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 35.9% more children
In Syria, there are approximately 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Syria, approximately 20.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.0% less likely to be literate
In Syria, the literacy rate is 94.4% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 94.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Syria, approximately 17.7 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 37.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Syria, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 73% 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 52.9% less likely to have internet access
In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 40.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Syria, approximately 94% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 92% 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.
Safety
be 40.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Syria, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.1 times more likely to be murdered
Syria has a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as of 2010. In Ethiopia, that number is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
live with 74.1% less strain on fresh water
Syria withdraws 124% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
find 91.4% less home broadband
Syria has 6.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 86.8% less electricity
Syria uses 854 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 44.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Syria, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 88.2% less CO2
Syria emits 1.3 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 (2010–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Syria vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.