Travel safety comparison · Africa

Ethiopia vs South Sudan: safety comparison

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Ethiopia vs South Sudan: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.

· How Warnely scores risk →
Ethiopia carries a materially lower safety risk than South Sudan on the composite Warnely score: 64/100 against 87/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Ethiopia scores 3/5 against South Sudan's 5/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on Ethiopia and a Level 4 on South Sudan. Women's-safety rating differs: Ethiopia is Exercise Caution and South Sudan is Do Not Travel.
🇪🇹Ethiopia 🇸🇸South Sudan
Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) 64 / 100 87 / 100
Risk tier High Risk Do Not Travel
UK FCDO advisory avoid all but essential travel to parts of country; avoid all travel to parts of country avoid all travel to whole country
US State Department advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) Level 4 (Do Not Travel)
Global Peace Index rank #138 #156
Drug law Severe (long sentences) Severe (long sentences)
Women's safety rating Exercise Caution Do Not Travel
LGBTQ+ legal status illegal illegal
Tap water n/a n/a
Currency ETB SSP
Full guide

Is Ethiopia safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide

Is South Sudan safe to visit in 2026?

Ethiopia vs South Sudan: common questions

Is Ethiopia or South Sudan safer to visit?

Ethiopia has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 64/100 vs 87/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.

Is Ethiopia or South Sudan safer for solo female travellers?

Ethiopia is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; South Sudan is rated Do Not Travel. Read the full guides for city-level detail.

What do FCDO and US State Department say about Ethiopia and South Sudan?

Ethiopia: avoid all but essential travel to parts of country; avoid all travel to parts of country (FCDO), Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) (US State). South Sudan: avoid all travel to whole country (FCDO), Level 4 (Do Not Travel) (US State).

More comparisons

Kenya vs South Sudan · Djibouti vs Ethiopia · Eritrea vs Ethiopia · Ethiopia vs Somalia · South Sudan vs Uganda · Sudan vs South Sudan · Ethiopia vs Sudan · Rwanda vs South Sudan

Planning the trip? Check Ethiopia visa requirements and South Sudan visa requirements.

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