Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guatemala instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
be 48.1% less likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.0 years less
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 37.7% more likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 68.5% less spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guatemala spends $935 as of 2023.
have 70.4% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.
have 19.2% less access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 26.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.
make 67.5% less money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 15.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.6% less likely to be literate
In Bulgaria, the literacy rate is 98.4% as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 17.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.0% less likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.6% less on education
Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 14.1% less on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 13.0% more coastline
Bulgaria has a total of 354 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.
Safety
be 21.4 times more likely to be murdered
Bulgaria has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.7% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 85.6% less home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 86.3% less electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Guatemala uses 733 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 36.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
emit 79.1% less CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Guatemala
Guatemala: At a glance
How big is Guatemala compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.