Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in El Salvador instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 7.2 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In El Salvador, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 10.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 0.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In El Salvador, that number is 7.0% as of 2017.

be 24.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In El Salvador, however, that number is 22.8% as of 2019.

pay a 25.0% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In El Salvador, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 75.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 185.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In El Salvador, 46.0 women do as of 2017.

be 67.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In El Salvador, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

have 14.5% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In El Salvador, there are 17.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 61.8% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In El Salvador, about 55.0% do as of 2020.

be 10.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 17.2% more on education

Laos spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. El Salvador spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In El Salvador, that number is 7.2% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

El Salvador: At a glance

El Salvador is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 20,721 sq km. El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.
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How big is El Salvador compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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