Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.5 years longer

In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 31.6% more likely to be obese

In Guatemala, 21.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uruguay, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $12,700 as of 2023, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $30,700 as of 2023.

be 83.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Guatemala, 59.3% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Uruguay, however, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Guatemala, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

pay a 4.3 times higher top tax rate

Guatemala has a top tax rate of 7.0% as of 2016. In Uruguay, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 80.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Guatemala, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Uruguay, 19.0 women do as of 2020.

be 18.6% more likely to be literate

In Guatemala, the literacy rate is 83.3% as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 98.8% as of 2019.

be 68.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Guatemala, approximately 26.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

have 41.1% fewer children

In Guatemala, there are approximately 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 76.5% more likely to have internet access

In Guatemala, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Uruguay, about 90.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 48.4% more on education

Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 41.5% more on healthcare

Guatemala spends 6.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Uruguay, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 65.0% more coastline

Guatemala has a total of 400 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Dirección General Impositiva, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.

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