Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of China, you would:
Health
be 14.7% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.7 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
see 20.9% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 48.1% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
Economy
be 28.6% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 58.4% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 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 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 27.4% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.9% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 56.4% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.9% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 15.8 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 58.6% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In China, 91% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
be 23.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 70.9% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 73.6% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 82.6% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 51.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 83.8% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.