Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guatemala instead of Ecuador, you would:
Health
be 34.7% less likely to die by suicide
Ecuador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.8 years less
In Ecuador, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 24.5% less spent on your healthcare
Ecuador spends $1,238 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guatemala spends $935 as of 2023.
have 44.6% fewer doctors per person
Ecuador has 23.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.
have 23.4% less access to essential health services
Ecuador scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 21.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Ecuador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guatemala, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ecuador, 21.4% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.
Life
have 39.1% more children
In Ecuador, there are approximately 14.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 70.9% more likely to die during childbirth
In Ecuador, approximately 55.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.2% less likely to be literate
In Ecuador, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2024. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.
be 57.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Ecuador, approximately 10.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 17.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.0% less likely to have internet access
In Ecuador, approximately 77.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.5% less on education
Ecuador spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 10.1% less on healthcare
Ecuador spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 82.1% less coastline
Ecuador has a total of 2,237 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.
Safety
be 48.9% less likely to be murdered
Ecuador has a homicide rate of 45.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 46.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ecuador, road accidents kill 23.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 15.3% less strain on fresh water
Ecuador withdraws 7% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 69.0% less home broadband
Ecuador has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 56.3% less electricity
Ecuador uses 1,676 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Guatemala uses 733 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 58.0% less CO2
Ecuador emits 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 73.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ecuador, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Ecuador vs. Guatemala
Guatemala: At a glance
How big is Guatemala compared to Ecuador? See an in-depth size comparison.