Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
see 70.5% more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 46.0% more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 14.7% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
live 2.4 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 13.4 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 13.8% more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 6.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
Life
be 18.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 26.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 16.2% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 21.0% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In El Salvador, about 66.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.9% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 91.1% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.
Safety
be 21.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 33.3% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
find 47.4% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
use 56.0% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 40.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 64.6% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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: Vietnam vs. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.