Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Rwanda, you would:

Health

be 64.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 0.9% of people as of 2020.

live 2.4 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 22.4% less likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ethiopia, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 77.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 15.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.4% as of 2022.

be 38.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 23.5% as of 2015.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Rwanda has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Ethiopia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 12.0% more children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Ethiopia, there are 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 31.8% less likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 75.9% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 51.8% as of 2017.

be 27.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 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.

Basic Needs

be 11.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 38% 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 43.3% less likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Ethiopia, about 17.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 52.1% less on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 18.4% more on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% 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, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.

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 Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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