Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
see 10.2% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 3.0 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
be 54.0% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.3 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 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 96.6% more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 4.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Thailand, 5.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
make 28.4% less money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
have 92.1% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.3% more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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 26.8% less likely to have internet access
In Thailand, approximately 90.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.7% more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 90.5% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 15.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 43.4% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Thailand, 67% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 38% as of 2019.
Infrastructure
live with 47.5% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 16.3% less home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 61.7% less electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 61.9% less CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.