Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 3.4 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 5.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 14.8 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 56.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
be 12.9% more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 3.0 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 20.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 83.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 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 78.3% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 69.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 46.5% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 32.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.6% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.1% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 42.2% less coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 25.7% less strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 2.8 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 52.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 96.1% more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.