Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guatemala instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 10.7 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Benin, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.3 times more money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $3,800 as of 2023, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $12,700 as of 2023.

be 86.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 2.7% as of 2023.

be 54.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 38.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

be 81.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 523.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guatemala, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 81.9% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 45.8% as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 83.3% as of 2021.

be 53.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 55.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

have 46.9% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 75.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 56% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 99% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 50.0% more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

be 27.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Benin, approximately 75% of people have improved drinking water access (79% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 95% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.3 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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