Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
see 15.2% more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
be 43.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In El Salvador, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 6.0 years less
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
have 50.9% fewer doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 14.4% more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 9.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 39.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
have 18.5% more children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.8 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.9% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 10.8% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 81.3% more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 9.1 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 5.5 times more likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 14.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.9 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
find 57.1% less home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 5.6 times more strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 51.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.6 times more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.