Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 97.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 6.0 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 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.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
be 65.8% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 13.2% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
Economy
be 89.8% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 28.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 12.6% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
be 66.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 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 63.6% less likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 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 15.6% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 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 12.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% 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 15.2% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.9% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 89.0% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 81.9% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 12.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.3 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 82.1% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 65.0% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 34.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 78.1% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.