Travel safety comparison · Africa
Eritrea vs Ethiopia: safety comparison
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Eritrea vs Ethiopia: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 56 and 57. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in civil unrest, where Eritrea scores 3/5 against Ethiopia's 4/5.
| 🇪🇷Eritrea | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 56 / 100 | 57 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #132 | #138 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | ERN | ETB |
Eritrea vs Ethiopia: common questions
Is Eritrea or Ethiopia safer to visit?
Eritrea has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 56/100 vs 57/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Eritrea or Ethiopia safer for solo female travellers?
Eritrea is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; Ethiopia is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Eritrea and Ethiopia?
Eritrea: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Ethiopia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).