Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 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 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Cambodia spends $350 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 34.5% more access to essential health services
Cambodia scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 6.5 times more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
be 69.6% more likely to die by suicide
Cambodia has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.0 times more money
Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $2,872 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 12.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 71.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cambodia, approximately 137.0 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 24.8% more likely to be literate
In Cambodia, the literacy rate is 71.9% as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 46.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 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 23.2% fewer children
In Cambodia, there are approximately 20.3 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 10.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cambodia, approximately 83% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 79% 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 52.3% more on education
Cambodia spends 2.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Cambodia spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 30.7% less coastline
Cambodia has a total of 443 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 14.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cambodia, road accidents kill 18.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.0 times more home broadband
Cambodia has 4.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 21.9% more electricity
Cambodia uses 932 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
live with 11.6 times more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
Environment
be 48.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 37.3% more CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.