Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Paraguay instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
see 25.0% more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Paraguay spends $1,469 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Paraguay has 38.9 as of 2022.
be 16.6% less likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Paraguay, it is 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 41.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Paraguay, however, that number is 16.0% as of 2025.
make 21.8% more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Paraguay, the GDP per capita is $7,027 as of 2025.
be 45.5% more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Paraguay, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Life
have 26.5% more children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Paraguay, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 48.7% 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 Paraguay, 58.0 women do as of 2023.
be 64.8% 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 Paraguay, on the other hand, 14.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.7% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Paraguay, about 81.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.0% less on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 14.2% less likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Paraguay, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.7% 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 Paraguay, that number is 43% as of 2019.
Infrastructure
live with 84.8% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Paraguay withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 2.1 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Paraguay, it causes 25.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.2% less CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Paraguay emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. Paraguay
Paraguay: At a glance
How big is Paraguay compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.