Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years longer
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 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.
see 55.5% more spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 25.9% more doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 20.0% more access to essential health services
Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 81.7% more likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 39.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bolivia, 44.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 12.0% more money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 11.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 73.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 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 38.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 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 25.8% fewer children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 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 16.6% less likely to have internet access
In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 56.0% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 34.2% more on healthcare
Bolivia spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 78.7% more likely to be murdered
Bolivia has a homicide rate of 4.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 35.4% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Bolivia, 59% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
be 22.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 27.7% more electricity
Bolivia uses 890 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
live with 60.5 times more strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 42.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 34.1% less CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bolivia vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.