Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 11.5 times more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 10.3% more access to essential health services
El Salvador scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 27.4% more likely to be obese
In El Salvador, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 15.6 times more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 27.3% more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 56.4% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.5% less 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 32.1% fewer children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.4% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 63.3% more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 79.7% more on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 64.9 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 27.1% less likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 66.2% 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 United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
be 34.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 11.3 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 54.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.0 times more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.