Moving to Ethiopia from Spain

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What to Expect

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

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

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ES
0.7
ET
8.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ES
3.5
ET
17.7

Spain performs better than Ethiopia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ES
$4,935
ET
$86
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ES
44.8
ET
1.1

Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ES
10.0
ET
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ES
4.5t
ET
0.1t

Spain generally does better on environment, though Ethiopia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ES
36.0
ET
0.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ES
43.2%
ET
32.3%

Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Ethiopia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ES
12.1%
ET
3.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ES
$46,400
ET
$2,800

Spain generally does better on employment & economy, though Ethiopia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ES
82.5 yrs
ET
68.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ES
2.5
ET
33.5

Spain performs better than Ethiopia across all family life metrics.

Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Madrid Addis Ababa
Jan–Mar 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) 76°/48°F (24°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) 75°/51°F (24°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) 71°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) 73°/46°F (23°/8°C)
View all months
Month Madrid Addis Ababa
Jan 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) 75°/46°F (24.0°/8.0°C)
Feb 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) 75°/48°F (24.0°/9.0°C)
Mar 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) 77°/50°F (25.0°/10.0°C)
Apr 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) 75°/52°F (24.0°/11.0°C)
May 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) 77°/52°F (25.0°/11.0°C)
Jun 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.0°C)
Jul 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C)
Aug 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C)
Sep 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) 72°/50°F (22.0°/10.0°C)
Oct 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) 73°/48°F (23.0°/9.0°C)
Nov 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C)
Dec 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C)

Data: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.

Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting Ethiopia

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

Ethiopia passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Required
Ethiopia passport holders need a visa to enter Spain.

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 Spain and Ethiopia.

Is Ethiopia safe for expats?

Spain performs better than Ethiopia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ethiopia is 8.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.

How is healthcare in Ethiopia compared to Spain?

Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Ethiopia, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Ethiopia scores 35 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Addis Ababa is 74°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Addis Ababa receives around 45.9 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.

What language do they speak in Ethiopia?

The official language in Ethiopia is Amharic. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

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At a Glance

ES ET
Population 47,163,418 113,656,596
Currency Euro (€) Ethiopian Birr (ETB)
Languages Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish Amharic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +34 +251
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 911