Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Argentina instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 5.2 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Argentina, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Argentina spends $3,089 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Argentina has 51.1 as of 2023.
be 15.7% more likely to be obese
In El Salvador, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Argentina, that number is 37.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Argentina, the GDP per capita is $14,898 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Argentina, that number is 7.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 15.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In El Salvador, approximately 39.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Argentina, 33.0 women do as of 2023.
have 28.9% fewer children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Argentina, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 34.9% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Argentina, about 89.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.6% more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Argentina spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.5% more on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Argentina, that number is 10.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 16.3 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Argentina, that number is 4,989 km.
Safety
be 43.2% less likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Argentina, that number is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 25.6% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In El Salvador, 38% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Argentina, that number is 48% as of 2016.
be 59.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Argentina, they kill 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Argentina has 26.1 as of 2024.
live with 13.5% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Argentina withdraws 10% as of 2022.
use 2.5 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Argentina uses 2,822 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 2.7 times more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Argentina emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. Argentina
Argentina: At a glance
How big is Argentina compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.