Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of France, you would:
Health
be 54.0% less likely to die by suicide
France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 10.7 years less
In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
see 82.9% less spent on your healthcare
France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 50.7% fewer doctors per person
France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
Economy
be 56.2% less likely to be unemployed
In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 74.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In France, 15.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 88.2% less money
France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
have 60.8% more children
In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In El Salvador, 39.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In France, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In El Salvador, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 25.0% less likely to have internet access
In France, approximately 88.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.6% less on education
France spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 19.5% less on healthcare
France spends 11.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.7% less coastline
France has a total of 4,853 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 5.9 times more likely to be murdered
France has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 53.8% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In France, 82% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
be 4.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In France, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 43.5% less strain on fresh water
France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 74.5% less home broadband
France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 82.4% less electricity
France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 62.3% less CO2
France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: France vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.