If you lived in Liberia instead of El Salvador, you would:

Health

be 44.7% less likely to be obese

In El Salvador, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Liberia, that number is 17.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 21.8% less likely to die by suicide

El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Liberia, it is 6.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 10.0 years less

In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Liberia, that number is 62 years (61 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 80.2% less spent on your healthcare

El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Liberia spends $233 as of 2023.

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have 89.0% fewer doctors per person

El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Liberia has 1.8 as of 2022.

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have 42.3% less access to essential health services

El Salvador scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Liberia scores 45 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 12.7% less likely to be unemployed

In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Liberia, that number is 2.9% as of 2025.

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make 84.1% less money

El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Liberia, the GDP per capita is $915 as of 2025.

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Life

have 96.0% more children

In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Liberia, there are 30.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 16.1 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 Liberia, 628.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 7.2 times 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 Liberia, on the other hand, 63.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 66.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In El Salvador, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Liberia, that number is 32% of people on average (53% in urban areas, and 9% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 51.5% less likely to have internet access

In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Liberia, about 32.2% do as of 2024.

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be 14.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In El Salvador, approximately 92% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Liberia, that number is 79% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 31.6% less on education

El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Liberia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 40.0% more on healthcare

El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Liberia, that number is 13.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 88.6% more coastline

El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Liberia, that number is 579 km.

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Safety

be 28.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Liberia, they kill 15.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.8% less strain on fresh water

El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Liberia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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find 97.8% less home broadband

El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Liberia has 0.3 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 90.1% less CO2

El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Liberia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 93.5% more likely to die from air pollution

In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Liberia, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Liberia: At a glance

Liberia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 96,320 sq km. Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.
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