Travel safety comparison · Africa
Ethiopia vs South Sudan: safety comparison
vs
Ethiopia vs South Sudan: 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 South Sudan on the composite Warnely score: 57/100 against 82/100, a gap of 25 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Ethiopia scores 3/5 against South Sudan's 5/5. 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) | 57 / 100 | 82 / 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 | #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 |
Ethiopia vs South Sudan: common questions
Is Ethiopia or South Sudan safer to visit?
Ethiopia has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 57/100 vs 82/100 (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: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). South Sudan: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).