Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Ethiopia, you would:

Health

live 13.4 years longer

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 15.4 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,800 as of 2023, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $43,000 as of 2023.

be 70.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

Life

be 87.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ethiopia, approximately 267.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, 34.0 women do as of 2020.

be 78.4% more likely to be literate

In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 51.8% as of 2017. In Puerto Rico, it is 92.4% as of 2021.

be 82.0% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

have 73.6% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 81.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 17.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 77.7% do as of 2021.

be 30.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, 100% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 20.0% less on education

Ethiopia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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