54 countries · side-by-side on every indicatorLiveGet API key

Country comparison

Ethiopia vs South Africa

Ethiopia and South Africa side by side across 201 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$121.53B vs $479.96BEthiopia vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$1,081 vs $7,503Ethiopia vs South Africa
Population135.47M vs 64.75MEthiopia vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

201 indicators

Each country shows its latest available year, which can differ by indicator. Rows where the two sides are 5+ years apart are marked ⚠ in the Period column.

Indicator Ethiopia South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$121.53B$479.96B2026
GDP per CapitaEconomy$1,081$7,5032026
Inflation RateEconomy11.8%5%2026
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy—7%2026-07-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy159.19 LCU/USD16.37 LCU/USD2026-07
Budget BalanceEconomy-1.8%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy3.3%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy40.4%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-8.71B$8.16B2025
GDP GrowthEconomy9.2%1%2026
GNI per CapitaEconomy$1,110$6,2702025
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$3,620$15,6002025
GDP (PPP)Economy$490.64B$1.03T2025
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy32.8%2.8%2025
Industry (% of GDP)Economy27.8%24.1%2025
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy4.2%12.3%2025
Services (% of GDP)Economy36.6%63.1%2025
Investment (% of GDP)Economy20.1%13.9%2025
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$7.14B$1B2024/2025
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy4.8%0.2%2024/2025
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy24.3%44.8%2022/2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$3.78B$76.02B2024/2025
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy17.7%89.4%2008/2024 ⚠
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy3.4%25.9%2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy68.5%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy58.5%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy31.154.12021/2022
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy38.6%17.4%2021/2022
Account OwnershipEconomy48.8%81.1%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy17.5%34.6%2021/2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy0.7%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy33.5%60.9%2025
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy16.7%2.8%2025
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$2.28B$2.72B2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy518K3.89M2020
Current Account BalanceEconomy-2.4%-0.9%2026
Foreign Direct InvestmentEconomy$3.98B$2.47B2024
FDI (% of GDP)Economy2.8%0.6%2024
Government Revenue (% of GDP)Economy7.5%27.2%2024
Government Spending (% of GDP)Economy9.5%33%2024
Youth Unemployment RateEconomy6.4%60.1%2021/2024
Productive Capacity IndexEconomy27.751.72024
Natural Resource RentsEconomy5.9%7.3%2021
Oil Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0.4%2021
Mineral Rents (% of GDP)Economy0.3%3.8%2021
Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0%2021
Foreign Aid (% of GNI)Economy4%0.4%2023
Foreign Aid per CapitaEconomy$42$242023
Lending Interest RateEconomy8%10.7%2008/2025 ⚠
Real Interest RateEconomy-17.1%7.7%2008/2025 ⚠
Gross Savings (% of GDP)Economy19.7%12.9%2024/2025
Adjusted Net Income per CapitaEconomy$787$5,5212021
Employment in AgricultureEconomy60.1%5.4%2025
Employment in IndustryEconomy6.4%20.8%2025
Employment in ServicesEconomy33.4%73.8%2025
Vulnerable EmploymentEconomy84.1%11.7%2025
Household Consumption (% of GDP)Economy80.9%65.8%2025
Income Share of Poorest 20%Economy8.3%3.7%2021/2022
Bank Branches per 100,000Economy14.382023/2024
ATMs per 100,000Economy10.1462023/2024
GDP per Capita GrowthEconomy7%-0%2025
Debt Service (% of GNI)Economy0.9%5.7%2024
Poverty Rate ($3.65/day)Economy63.7%30.2%2021/2022
Poverty Rate ($6.85/day)Economy93.5%59.6%2021/2022
Exports of Goods & ServicesTrade$16.79B$134.18B2025
Imports of Goods & ServicesTrade$25.49B$126.02B2025
Export Diversification IndexTrade0.7950.5532024
Export Concentration IndexTrade0.3820.1452024
Liner Shipping ConnectivityTrade—39.12021
Fuel Exports (% of Exports)Trade0%8.2%2023/2025
Manufactures Exports (% of Exports)Trade9.2%38.3%2023/2025
Food Exports (% of Exports)Trade80.4%12.8%2023/2025
High-Tech Exports (% of Manufactured)Trade3.8%5.7%2023/2024
Exports (% of GDP)Trade13.3%31.4%2025
Imports (% of GDP)Trade20.2%29.5%2025
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.4970.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.4970.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.3260.4762023
PopulationDemographics135.47M64.75M2025
Population GrowthDemographics2.6%1.1%2025
Life ExpectancyDemographics67.6 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics19.3 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics3.912.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics75.9%36.2%2025
Population Under 15Demographics38.8%25.7%2025
Urban PopulationDemographics24.1%63.8%2025
Population DensityDemographics138.9/km²53.6/km²2026
Birth RateDemographics30.317.82026
Death RateDemographics5.739.312026
Net Migration RateDemographics0.22.012026
Life Expectancy (Female)Demographics71 years69.8 years2024
Life Expectancy (Male)Demographics64.4 years62.8 years2024
Urban Population GrowthDemographics4.6%1.3%2025
Infant MortalityHealth34.524.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth0.7%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health2.8%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.140.792023/2022
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth33742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth17.724.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth16.8%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth46.3%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth8.1%73.8%2024
Maternal MortalityHealth194.9117.62023
Under-Five MortalityHealth46.534.72023
Neonatal MortalityHealth27.411.72023
Tuberculosis IncidenceHealth1413892024
Measles ImmunizationHealth77%66%2025
DTP3 ImmunizationHealth81%65%2025
Basic Drinking WaterHealth42%22.2%2024
Basic SanitationHealth2.3%3.6%2024
Diabetes PrevalenceHealth4.4%7.2%2024
Hospital Beds per 1,000Health0.332.252016/2010 ⚠
Contraceptive PrevalenceHealth36.1%54.6%2021/2016 ⚠
Skilled Birth AttendanceHealth49.8%96.7%2019/2016
Nurses & Midwives per 1,000Health1.226.392022
Adolescent Fertility RateHealth68.251.82024
Health Spending per CapitaHealth$35$5372023
NCD Share of DeathsHealth38.3%37.2%2021
Smoking PrevalenceHealth5.2%23.7%2024
Antenatal Care CoverageHealth73.6%93.7%2019/2016
Child StuntingChild Welfare35.5%24.4%2024
Child WastingChild Welfare6.8%3.6%2019/2017
Birth RegistrationChild Welfare2.7%88.6%2016/2017
Child MarriageChild Welfare40.3%3.6%2016
Overweight ChildrenChild Welfare2.3%11.8%2019/2017
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education2.3%6%2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation5.9%23.5%2014/2023 ⚠
Adult Literacy RateEducation60.5%91.2%2022/2024
Youth Literacy RateEducation84.7%97.2%2022/2024
Primary Completion RateEducation54.4%97.6%2022/2024
Lower Secondary CompletionEducation30.4%92.5%2022/2024
Primary Net EnrollmentEducation77.5%93.9%2024/2023
Lower Secondary EnrollmentEducation45.2%90.4%2024/2023
Upper Secondary EnrollmentEducation26.7%86.9%2024/2023
Upper Secondary CompletionEducation17.6%62.2%2022/2024
Qualified Primary TeachersEducation95%77.9%2014/2002 ⚠
Secondary EnrollmentEducation33.9%104.1%2015/2023 ⚠
UndernourishmentFood Security19.7%10%2023
Acute Food InsecurityFood Security8.5M—2026-01
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture34.1%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture116.3113.22022
Coffee ProductionAgriculture575.7K t—2024
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture4.1M t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture1.13M t6.33K t2024
Maize ProductionAgriculture11.7M t12.85M t2024
Rice ProductionAgriculture282.72K t3.08K t2024
Wheat ProductionAgriculture6.19M t1.92M t2024
Maize YieldAgriculture3,444 kg/ha4,874 kg/ha2024
Rice YieldAgriculture2,994 kg/ha2,912 kg/ha2024
Wheat YieldAgriculture2,904 kg/ha3,809 kg/ha2024
Cattle StockAgriculture71.9M head12.1M head2024
Homicide RateGovernance8.543.72012/2022 ⚠
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance37412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.2570.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.10.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.5290.5382025
Control of CorruptionGovernance-0.44-0.192024
Government EffectivenessGovernance-0.65-0.232024
Rule of LawGovernance-1.050.022024
Political StabilityGovernance-1.88-0.622024
Regulatory QualityGovernance-0.83-0.062024
Voice and AccountabilityGovernance-1.240.612024
Refugees HostedHumanitarian1.01M55.18K2025
Internally Displaced PeopleHumanitarian2.38M02025
Asylum Seekers HostedHumanitarian112.99K82.36K2025
Stateless PeopleHumanitarian002025
Internet UsersTechnology21.9%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology65.1179.32024
4G CoverageTechnology44%99.4%2024
Fixed Broadband SubscriptionsTechnology0.65.32024
Mobile Data PriceTechnology4.8%1.3%2025
3G CoverageTechnology98.8%99.9%2024
Fixed Broadband PriceTechnology12.4%3.4%2025
Mobile Bundle PriceTechnology1.7%1.1%2025
R&D Spending (% of GDP)Technology0.3%0.6%2017/2022 ⚠
Electricity AccessInfrastructure56.6%90.2%2024
Air Transport PassengersInfrastructure15.27M15.45M2023
Slum PopulationInfrastructure64.3%24.2%2022
Renewable Energy CapacityEnergy10.1K MW16.6K MW2025
Solar CapacityEnergy21.6 MW11.3K MW2025
Wind CapacityEnergy504 MW4.3K MW2025
Hydropower CapacityEnergy9.2K MW751.7 MW2025
Renewable Energy ShareEnergy90.6%9.7%2021
Clean Cooking AccessEnergy7.1%89.8%2023
Electricity Consumption per CapitaEnergy113 kWh3,247 kWh2023
Power Transmission LossesEnergy20.7%10.2%2023
Off-grid Renewable CapacityEnergy22.8 MW14.1 MW2025
Rural Electricity AccessEnergy44.8%86.3%2024
Solar Share of ElectricityEnergy0.1%8%2025
Wind Share of ElectricityEnergy3.3%4.7%2025
Hydropower Share of ElectricityEnergy96.5%0.8%2025
Fossil Share of ElectricityEnergy0%82.2%2025
Electricity DemandEnergy31 TWh237 TWh2025
Electricity Carbon IntensityEnergy23 gCO₂/kWh699 gCO₂/kWh2025
Primary Energy per CapitaEnergy693 kWh21,287 kWh2023/2024
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate0.15 t6.88 t2024
Renewable Electricity OutputClimate95.4%6.4%2020/2021
Forest AreaClimate14.9%14%2023
Protected AreasClimate17%12.9%2025
Freshwater WithdrawalsClimate8.6%47.1%2022
PM2.5 Air PollutionClimate23.8 µg/m³27.7 µg/m³2023

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=ET,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Ethiopia profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Ethiopia or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $121.53B for Ethiopia versus $479.96B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Ethiopia and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Ethiopia and South Africa on 201 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=ET,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

More comparisons

Ethiopia vs BurundiEthiopia vs ComorosEthiopia vs DjiboutiSouth Africa vs BotswanaSouth Africa vs EswatiniSouth Africa vs Lesotho