Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Paraguay instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 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 57.1% more spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Paraguay spends $1,469 as of 2023.
have 3.0 times more doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Paraguay has 38.9 as of 2022.
have 22.0% more access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Paraguay scores 72 as of 2021.
be 23.9% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 34.7% of people as of 2024.
be 28.7% more likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Paraguay, it is 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Guatemala, 56.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Paraguay, however, that number is 16.0% as of 2025.
be 84.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Paraguay, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 38.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Paraguay, 58.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.5% more likely to be literate
In Guatemala, the literacy rate is 82.1% as of 2024. In Paraguay, it is 94.9% as of 2024.
be 15.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 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 35.5% more likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Paraguay, about 81.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.6% more on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Paraguay spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 22.9% more on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 71.0% less likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 66.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Paraguay, they kill 21.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Paraguay has 12.9 as of 2023.
live with 67.9% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Paraguay withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 3.3 times more electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 37.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Guatemala, air pollution causes 40.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Paraguay, it causes 25.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. Paraguay
Paraguay: At a glance
How big is Paraguay compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.