Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.0 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 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 2.9 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 8.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In El Salvador, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.5 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $11,300 as of 2023.

be 40.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 44.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In El Salvador, however, that number is 26.6% as of 2022.

Life

be 90.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mali, approximately 440.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In El Salvador, 43.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.5 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.5% as of 2018. In El Salvador, it is 89.1% as of 2019.

be 80.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 60.6 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 58.4% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In El Salvador, there are 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 88.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022. In El Salvador, that number is 100% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 85.3% more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In El Salvador, about 63.0% do as of 2021.

be 13.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mali, approximately 86% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 76% 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 2.3 times more on healthcare

Mali spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In El Salvador, that number is 9.9% of GDP as of 2020.

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

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 Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.

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