Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ethiopia instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 95.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 0.9% of people as of 2020.

live 2.9 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 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 84.1% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ethiopia, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 87.5% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% as of 2023.

pay a 22.2% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Ethiopia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 80.4% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2023.

be 41.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 23.5% as of 2015.

Life

have 67.2% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 29.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ethiopia, 267.0 women do as of 2020.

be 45.5% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it is 51.8% as of 2017.

be 29.5% more likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 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.

Basic Needs

be 36.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% 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.

be 76.4% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Ethiopia, about 17.0% do as of 2021.

be 21.0% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In South Africa, approximately 97% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 90% 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.

Expenditures

spend 31.8% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Ethiopia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 59.3% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service, 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 South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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