Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.3 years longer

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.6 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bulgaria, that number is 25.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.2 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,400 as of 2022, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $27,000 as of 2022.

pay a 71.4% lower top tax rate

Ethiopia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Bulgaria, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.

be 24.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 4.3% as of 2022.

Life

be 97.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ethiopia, approximately 267.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bulgaria, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 90.0% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 51.8% as of 2017. In Bulgaria, it is 98.4% as of 2021.

be 76.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Ethiopia, approximately 33.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bulgaria, on the other hand, 8.0 children do as of 2022.

have 73.3% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 84.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Ethiopia, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 43% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Bulgaria, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 4.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 17.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

be 29.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 11.1% less on education

Ethiopia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Bulgaria spends 4.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Ethiopia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 8.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.

Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Read more

How big is Bulgaria compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Bulgaria.or Ethiopia It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.