If you lived in Guatemala instead of Mali, you would:

Health

live 12.1 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 9.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guatemala spends $935 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 6.8 times more doctors per person

Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Guatemala has 12.8 as of 2020.

View global rankings →

have 43.9% more access to essential health services

Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guatemala scores 59 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guatemala, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 18.8% more likely to die by suicide

Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 5.5 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 23.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Guatemala, however, that number is 56.0% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Life

be 74.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mali, approximately 367.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guatemala, 94.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.3 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Guatemala, it is 82.1% as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 63.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 47.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 17.2 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 47.8% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 83.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 63.6% more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guatemala, about 60.2% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 26.3% less on education

Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

View global rankings →

spend 78.5% more on healthcare

Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 37.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guatemala, they kill 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 6.9 times more home broadband

Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Guatemala has 5.3 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 28.2% less strain on fresh water

Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guatemala withdraws 6% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 38.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Mali, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guatemala, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 3.7 times more CO2

Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
Read more

How big is Guatemala compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Guatemala or Mali. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.