Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.6 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 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 18.2% less likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ethiopia, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 40.0% more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2023.

be 75.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% as of 2023.

be 56.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 23.5% as of 2015.

pay a 75.0% higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Ethiopia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 56.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ethiopia, 267.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.9% more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 51.8% as of 2017.

be 68.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 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.

have 13.5% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 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 35.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 43% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 77.4% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 55.2% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. 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, Afghanistan Revenue Department, 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 Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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