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

Health

live 7.2 years longer

In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 68 years (67 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to be obese

In Madagascar, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In El Salvador, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.3 times more money

Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $9,400 as of 2022.

be 62.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Madagascar, 70.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In El Salvador, however, that number is 26.6% as of 2022.

be 57.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Madagascar, 1.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 3.0% as of 2022.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Madagascar has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In El Salvador, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 89.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Madagascar, approximately 392.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In El Salvador, 43.0 women do as of 2020.

be 15.3% more likely to be literate

In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 77.3% as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 89.1% as of 2019.

be 68.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Madagascar, approximately 39.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In El Salvador, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

have 38.0% fewer children

In Madagascar, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.8 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Madagascar, approximately 35% of people have electricity access (73% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021. In El Salvador, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 3.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Madagascar, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In El Salvador, about 63.0% do as of 2021.

be 75.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (85% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 32.3% more on education

Madagascar spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. El Salvador spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Madagascar spends 3.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 9.9% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 93.6% less coastline

Madagascar has a total of 4,828 km of coastline. In El Salvador, that number is 307 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, General Direction of Taxes, Ministry of Finance.

El Salvador: At a glance

El Salvador is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 20,721 sq km. El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.
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How big is El Salvador compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.

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