Moving to Ethiopia from Eritrea

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Eritrea to Ethiopia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Eritrea to Ethiopia, and you’d need to navigate life in Amharic.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Eritrea to Ethiopia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
191,256 ↓ 7% vs 2015

people born in Eritrea live in Ethiopia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Ethiopia?

Top countries of origin for Ethiopia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Eritrea and Ethiopia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2012

per 100,000 people per year

ER
14.6
ET
8.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ER
17.7
ET
17.7

Eritrea generally does better on safety, though Ethiopia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ER
$87
ET
$86
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ER
0.7
ET
1.1

Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Eritrea leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ER
78.0
ET
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ER
0.2t
ET
0.1t

Ethiopia performs significantly better than Eritrea across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ER
0.2
ET
0.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ER
11.2%
ET
32.3%

Eritrea generally does better on infrastructure, though Ethiopia leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ER
5.9%
ET
3.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ER
$1,600
ET
$2,800

Ethiopia performs significantly better than Eritrea across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ER
66.8 yrs
ET
68.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ER
41.5
ET
33.5

Ethiopia generally does better on family life, though Eritrea leads in literacy rate.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Asmara Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
74° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Addis Ababa Rain: 45.9 in/yr (1165 mm)
74° / 49°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asmara Addis Ababa
Jan–Mar 75°/44°F (24°/7°C) 76°/48°F (24°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/51°F (25°/11°C) 75°/51°F (24°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/51°F (22°/10°C) 71°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/46°F (22°/8°C) 73°/46°F (23°/8°C)
View all months
Month Asmara Addis Ababa
Jan 73°/42°F (22.6°/5.6°C) 75°/46°F (24.0°/8.0°C)
Feb 75°/44°F (23.9°/6.7°C) 75°/48°F (24.0°/9.0°C)
Mar 77°/47°F (25.1°/8.5°C) 77°/50°F (25.0°/10.0°C)
Apr 76°/50°F (24.5°/9.9°C) 75°/52°F (24.0°/11.0°C)
May 77°/52°F (25.2°/10.9°C) 77°/52°F (25.0°/11.0°C)
Jun 77°/52°F (25.1°/11.2°C) 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.0°C)
Jul 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.4°C) 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C)
Aug 71°/53°F (21.6°/11.4°C) 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C)
Sep 74°/48°F (23.2°/8.7°C) 72°/50°F (22.0°/10.0°C)
Oct 71°/48°F (21.8°/8.8°C) 73°/48°F (23.0°/9.0°C)
Nov 71°/46°F (21.6°/7.5°C) 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C)
Dec 71°/43°F (21.7°/6.2°C) 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C)

Data: Civil Aviation Authority Civil Aviation Authority, Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Eritrea and Ethiopia. To live, work, or study long-term in Ethiopia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ethiopia's immigration authority.

Eritrea passport

Eritrea passport holder visiting Ethiopia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Eritrea passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Ethiopia.
Ethiopia passport

Ethiopia passport holder visiting Eritrea

Visa on Arrival
Ethiopia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Eritrea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Ethiopia?

With 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ethiopia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Is Ethiopia safe for expats?

Eritrea generally does better on safety, though Ethiopia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Ethiopia is 8.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 14.6 in Eritrea.

How is healthcare in Ethiopia compared to Eritrea?

Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Eritrea leads in health coverage index. There are 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Ethiopia, compared to 0.7 in Eritrea. Ethiopia scores 35 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Eritrea: 45).

What's the weather like in Ethiopia compared to Eritrea?

The average high temperature in Addis Ababa is 74°F, compared to 74°F in Asmara. Addis Ababa receives around 45.9 in of rainfall per year, while Asmara gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Ethiopia?

The official language in Ethiopia is Amharic. In Eritrea, the official languages are Arabic, English and Tigrinya.

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At a Glance

ER ET
Population 6,209,262 113,656,596
Currency Eritrean Nakfa (ERN) Ethiopian Birr (ETB)
Languages Arabic, English, Tigrinya Amharic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +291 +251
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911