Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 55.2% less likely to be obese

In Samoa, 47.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

live 2.3 years less

In Samoa, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $6,000 as of 2023, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $12,700 as of 2023.

be 72.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 9.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 2.7% as of 2023.

pay a 74.1% lower top tax rate

Samoa has a top tax rate of 27.0% as of 2016. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Samoa, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

have 13.8% more children

In Samoa, there are approximately 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 62.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Samoa, approximately 59.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guatemala, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 15.9% less likely to be literate

In Samoa, the literacy rate is 99.1% as of 2021. In Guatemala, it is 83.3% as of 2021.

be 54.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 17.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 34.6% less likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 35.4% less on education

Samoa spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 22.6% more on healthcare

Samoa spends 5.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Superintendence of the Tax Administration, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

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.
Read more

How big is Guatemala compared to Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Guatemala.or Samoa It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.