Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Virgin Islands, you would:

Health

live 13.2 years less

In Virgin Islands, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 71.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Virgin Islands, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.

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make 97.9% less money

Virgin Islands has a GDP per capita of $44,321 as of 2022, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.8 times more children

In Virgin Islands, there are approximately 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Virgin Islands, approximately 7.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 44.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Virgin Islands, 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.

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be 66.1% less likely to have internet access

In Virgin Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.

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be 44.1% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Virgin Islands, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Ethiopia, 56% of people do as of 2024.

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Safety

be 82.7% less likely to be murdered

Virgin Islands has a homicide rate of 49.6 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Ethiopia, that number is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2012.

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Infrastructure

find 94.1% less home broadband

Virgin Islands has 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012). How we calculate this

Compare further: Virgin Islands vs. Ethiopia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ethiopia is 62.9% cheaper than Virgin Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Virgin Islands is about 578 times smaller than Ethiopia.
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Moving from Virgin Islands to Ethiopia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Ethiopia: At a glance

Ethiopia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,096,570 sq km. Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades.
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How big is Ethiopia compared to Virgin Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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