Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 2.1 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 44.7% more likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
have 16.3% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
be 11.7% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan 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 22.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
make 11.8% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
Life
be 71.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 7.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, 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 10.1% less likely to be literate
In Turkmenistan, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2022. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
have 25.4% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 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 2.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 22.6% less on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 68.9% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 91.1% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 59.1% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 64.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 86.1% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.