Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 11.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 20.7 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 90.2% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 6.2 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 46.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 24.7 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 90.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 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 20.2% more likely to be literate
In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 71.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 53.0% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 8.5 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% 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 7.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
be 39.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 26.2% less on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 74.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 623.0 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 18.6% more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 56.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.6 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.