Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 16.8% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.1 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 21.7% more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
see 87.6% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 87.1% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 48.5% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 7.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 81.6% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.1% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 44.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vietnam, 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 73.9% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 43.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 20.4% less on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 38.6% less on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 5.7 times more likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Ethiopia, that number is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
find 97.5% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 77.9% more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 95.6% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 11.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 96.5% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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 (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.