Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Djibouti fits inside Ethiopia 49 times.
Djibouti: 23,200 km² (2023) · Ethiopia: 1,136,240 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Djibouti: 314 km (2026 edition) · Ethiopia: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ethiopia’s highest peak towers 2,529 m above Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: 2,021 m (2026 edition) · Ethiopia: 4,550 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Ethiopia has 114 times as many people as Djibouti.
Djibouti: 1.18 million (2025) · Ethiopia: 135 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ethiopia is 2.4 times as densely populated as Djibouti.
Djibouti: 51 per km² (2025) · Ethiopia: 120 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Djibouti are 1.9 cm taller than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 170.8 cm (2019) · Ethiopia: 168.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Djibouti are 2.7 cm taller than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 159.8 cm (2019) · Ethiopia: 157.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Djibouti is 5.7 years older than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 24.4 years (2023) · Ethiopia: 18.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ethiopia have 1.3 more children on average than in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 2.62 children per woman (2024) · Ethiopia: 3.91 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
5.0% of people in Djibouti are 65 or older, versus 3.3% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 5% (2025) · Ethiopia: 3.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ethiopia has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Djibouti 0.0.
Djibouti: 0 (2025) · Ethiopia: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Djibouti has 2 official languages, Ethiopia 1.
Djibouti: 2 (2026) · Ethiopia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ethiopia’s economy is 27 times the size of Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: $4.62 billion (2025) · Ethiopia: $126 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Djibouti produces 2.3 times as much per person as Ethiopia.
Djibouti: Int$8,452 (2025) · Ethiopia: Int$3,622 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Djibouti than in Ethiopia (Gini 10.5 points higher).
Djibouti: 41.6 (2017) · Ethiopia: 31.1 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 26% in Djibouti, versus 3.3% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 26% (2025) · Ethiopia: 3.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Djibouti: no data · Ethiopia: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Djibouti’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Ethiopia’s.
Djibouti: 46% (2025) · Ethiopia: 26% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Djibouti spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as Ethiopia.
Djibouti: $78 (2023) · Ethiopia: $35 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Ethiopia live 1.4 years longer than in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 66.2 years (2024) · Ethiopia: 67.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Djibouti is 25% more likely to die before turning one than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 43 per 1,000 (2024) · Ethiopia: 34.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Djibouti has 48% more doctors per person than Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Ethiopia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
11% of adults in Djibouti are obese, versus 2.5% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 11.2% (2024) · Ethiopia: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Djibouti: no data · Ethiopia: 5.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Djibouti rate their lives 0.38 points higher than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 4.37 (2014) · Ethiopia: 3.99 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ethiopia drink 6.9 times as much alcohol as in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 0.3 litres (2023) · Ethiopia: 2.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Djibouti has 2 times as much meat per person as Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 14.1 kg (2023) · Ethiopia: 6.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Djibouti has 163 kcal more food per person per day than Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 2,721 kcal (2023) · Ethiopia: 2,558 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Djibouti: no data · Ethiopia: 1,599 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Djibouti went to school 1.5 years longer than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 4 years (2023) · Ethiopia: 2.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Djibouti welcomed 31 times as many tourists per resident as Ethiopia (2019).
Djibouti: 0.13 (2022) · Ethiopia: 0 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
65% of people in Djibouti are online, versus 22% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 65% (2024) · Ethiopia: 22% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
69% of people in Djibouti have electricity, versus 57% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 69.2% (2024) · Ethiopia: 56.6% (2024)
How many live in cities?
73% of people in Djibouti live in cities, versus 24% in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 73% (2025) · Ethiopia: 24% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Ethiopia has 65 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Djibouti 48.
Djibouti: 48 (2023) · Ethiopia: 65 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Ethiopia’s railway network is 7.8 times as long as Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: 97 km (2017) · Ethiopia: 754 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Djibouti: no data · Ethiopia: 0.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 15% of Ethiopia, but only 0.3% of Djibouti.
Djibouti: 0.3% (2023) · Ethiopia: 14.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Djibouti emits 3.6 times as much CO₂ as someone in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 0.5 t (2024) · Ethiopia: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Ethiopia’s electricity is renewable, versus 35% in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 35% (2024) · Ethiopia: 100% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Djibouti carries 54% more fine dust than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 31.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Ethiopia: 20.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Djibouti are 32% deadlier than in Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 23.3 per 100k (2021) · Ethiopia: 17.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Djibouti is on average 5.0 °C warmer than Ethiopia.
Djibouti: 28.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ethiopia: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ethiopia gets 5 times as much rain as Djibouti.
Djibouti: 192 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ethiopia: 962 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Djibouti bigger than Ethiopia?
Ethiopia is larger. Djibouti fits inside Ethiopia 49 times.
Which has more people, Djibouti or Ethiopia?
Ethiopia has 114 times as many people as Djibouti (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Djibouti or Ethiopia?
People in Ethiopia live 1.4 years longer than in Djibouti. Life expectancy at birth is 66.2 years in Djibouti and 67.6 in Ethiopia.
Are people taller in Djibouti or Ethiopia?
Men in Djibouti are 1.9 cm taller than in Ethiopia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
