Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uruguay instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 6.0 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Uruguay, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2024.
make 4.4 times more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 61.5% 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 Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.2% more likely to be literate
In El Salvador, the literacy rate is 89.8% as of 2024. In Uruguay, it is 98.9% as of 2024.
be 29.5% 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.
have 37.2% fewer children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 38.4% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uruguay, about 92.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.4% more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.1 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.
Safety
be 39.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 42.4% more likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 2.7 times more home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.
use 3.3 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 48.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.
emit 70.2% more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 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. Uruguay
Uruguay: At a glance
How big is Uruguay compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.