Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 45.6% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.1 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 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.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
see 88.9% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 63.9% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
Economy
be 32.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 72.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 95.0% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
have 79.3% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 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 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Switzerland, approximately 3.4 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.
Basic Needs
be 31.7% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.7% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 20.5% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.2 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 7.9 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 47.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Switzerland, 72% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
be 9.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 73.5% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 86.0% more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 84.0% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 59.7% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.