If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:

Health

live 6.4 years longer

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

be 32.8% less likely to be obese

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ethiopia, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.2 times more money

Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $1,100 as of 2022, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $2,400 as of 2022.

be 27.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.4% as of 2022.

be 62.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 63.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 23.5% as of 2015.

Life

be 51.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 547.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ethiopia, 267.0 women do as of 2020.

be 44.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 60.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ethiopia, on the other hand, 33.5 children do as of 2022.

be 35.2% less likely to be literate

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 80.0% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 51.8% as of 2017.

have 24.5% fewer children

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 39.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 21% of people have electricity access (44% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Ethiopia, that number is 54% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 43% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 28.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 59% of people have improved drinking water access (89% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 76% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 26.7% less likely to have internet access

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 23.2% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Ethiopia, about 17.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 14.6% less on healthcare

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 66.7% more on education

Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Ethiopia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.

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