Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Colombia instead of El Salvador, you would:

Economy

make 66.4% more money

El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $11,300 as of 2023, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $18,800 as of 2023.

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In El Salvador, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.

be 37.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In El Salvador, 26.6% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Colombia, however, that number is 36.6% as of 2022.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

El Salvador has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Colombia, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 74.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In El Salvador, approximately 43.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Colombia, 75.0 women do as of 2020.

have 12.9% fewer children

In El Salvador, there are approximately 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.9% more likely to have internet access

In El Salvador, approximately 63.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Colombia, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 19.5% more on education

El Salvador spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Colombia spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 10.4 times more coastline

El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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How big is Colombia compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.

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