Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of California, you would:
Health
be 13.2% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 35.3% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 93.1% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Basic Needs
be 28.2% less likely to have internet access
In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: California vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.