Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bolivia instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
be 45.0% less likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bolivia, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.6 years less
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Bolivia, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 35.7% less spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bolivia spends $756 as of 2023.
have 20.5% fewer doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bolivia has 12.8 as of 2021.
have 16.7% less access to essential health services
El Salvador scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bolivia scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
be 64.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bolivia, however, that number is 44.7% as of 2025.
make 10.7% less money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Bolivia, the GDP per capita is $5,148 as of 2025.
Life
have 34.8% more children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bolivia, there are 21.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more 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 Bolivia, 146.0 women do as of 2023.
be 61.4% more likely to die during infancy
In El Salvador, approximately 8.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bolivia, on the other hand, 14.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.9% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bolivia, about 79.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.5% less on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bolivia, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 2.3 times more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bolivia spends 7.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 44.1% less likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Bolivia, that number is 4.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 54.9% 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 Bolivia, that number is 59% as of 2021.
be 18.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bolivia, they kill 17.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.3% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bolivia withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 21.7% less electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bolivia uses 890 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 74.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bolivia, it causes 54.0 as of 2019.
emit 51.7% more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bolivia emits 2.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. Bolivia
Bolivia: At a glance
How big is Bolivia compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.