Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guatemala instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

be 86.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 14.1 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.8 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,600 as of 2022, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $9,200 as of 2022.

pay a 76.7% lower top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 78.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guatemala, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 71.4% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Guatemala, it is 83.3% as of 2021.

be 64.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

have 30.5% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 3.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 27% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Guatemala, that number is 98% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 4.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 95% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 65.9% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 26.1% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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, National Revenue Authority, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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