Ethiopia vs Nigeria

Every indicator for Ethiopia and Nigeria side by side, with the percentage gap between them. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Indicator comparison
IndicatorEthiopiaNigeriaDifference
Population (2025) (people)135,472,051237,527,782−43.0%
GDP (nominal) (billion $)126291−56.7%
GDP per capita ($)9331,224−23.8%
Life expectancy (years)67.654.6
Area (km²)1,136,240923,770+23.0%
Population density (people/km²)119257−53.6%
Median age (years)19.017.9
Internet usage (%)21.941.2
Unemployment rate (%)3.33.1
Inflation (%)13.223.0
Urban population (%)24.163.8
Military expenditure (2024) (million $)9221,133−18.6%
Military expenditure as a share of GDP (%)0.650.56+16.1%
Military expenditure as a share of government spending (%)6.913.07+125.1%
Military expenditure per capita ($)75+42.7%
Armed forces personnel (2020) (people)138,000223,000−38.1%
Armed forces per 1,000 people (people)1.00.9+8.5%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force (%)0.280.23+21.7%

The difference column shows the percentage gap of Ethiopia relative to Nigeria; a positive value favors Ethiopia. Interpret it in context — for unemployment, a lower value is better.

Key differences

  • On population (2025), Ethiopia is 43.0% lower than Nigeria.
  • On gdp (nominal), Ethiopia is 56.7% lower than Nigeria.
  • On gdp per capita, Ethiopia is 23.8% lower than Nigeria.
Ethiopia and Nigeria — core indicators
050 mn100 mn150 mn200 mn250 mnPopulation (2025)GDP (nominal)GDP per capitaAreaPopulation (2025) — Ethiopia: 135.472.051GDP (nominal) — Ethiopia: 126GDP per capita — Ethiopia: 933Area — Ethiopia: 1.136.240Population (2025) — Nigeria: 237.527.782GDP (nominal) — Nigeria: 291GDP per capita — Nigeria: 1.224Area — Nigeria: 923.770
EthiopiaNigeria

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only; use the table for exact figures.

Other comparisons involving Ethiopia or Nigeria.

Data sourcesUN World Population Prospects, IMF, World Bank, SIPRI