Travel safety comparison · Africa
Ethiopia vs Somalia: safety comparison
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Ethiopia vs Somalia: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Ethiopia carries a materially lower safety risk than Somalia on the composite Warnely score: 57/100 against 86/100, a gap of 29 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Ethiopia scores 3/5 against Somalia's 5/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Ethiopia is Exercise Caution and Somalia is Do Not Travel.
| 🇪🇹Ethiopia | 🇸🇴Somalia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 57 / 100 | 86 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | Do Not Travel |
| 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 | #138 | #151 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Do Not Travel |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | death |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | ETB | SOS |
Ethiopia vs Somalia: common questions
Is Ethiopia or Somalia safer to visit?
Ethiopia has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 57/100 vs 86/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Ethiopia or Somalia safer for solo female travellers?
Ethiopia is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; Somalia is rated Do Not Travel. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Ethiopia and Somalia?
Ethiopia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Somalia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).