Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 11.0 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 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 5.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 10.9 times more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 95.0% more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 10.2% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.2 times more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 37.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 5.0 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
be 83.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burkina Faso, approximately 242.0 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 2.2 times more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 79.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Burkina Faso, approximately 43.6 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 50.2% fewer children
In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 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 4.5 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burkina Faso, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
be 83.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burkina Faso, approximately 50% of people have access to drinking water (81% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 92% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.7% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 19.1% more on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 22.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.7 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 8.5 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
live with 54.6% more strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 63.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.6 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.