Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 73.7% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 30.0% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
live 1.0 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
be 55.7% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 28.4% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
Life
be 17.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In El Salvador, 39.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.3% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 35.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In El Salvador, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2024.
have 24.5% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.2% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.2% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.2 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 76.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.3 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 8.6 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 45.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 24.9% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.