Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Paraguay, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years less
In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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.
see 20.0% less spent on your healthcare
Paraguay spends $1,469 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 58.5% fewer doctors per person
Paraguay has 38.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
be 20.0% more likely to die by suicide
Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 31.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 70.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 17.9% less money
Paraguay has a GDP per capita of $7,027 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
be 32.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 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 39.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 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.
have 20.9% fewer children
In Paraguay, there are approximately 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.5% less likely to have internet access
In Paraguay, approximately 81.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.1% more on healthcare
Paraguay spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 16.5% more likely to be murdered
Paraguay has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 12.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Paraguay, 43% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
Infrastructure
live with 6.6 times more strain on fresh water
Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 52.4% less electricity
Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 24.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 30.2% more CO2
Paraguay emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Paraguay vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.