Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bolivia instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 44.2% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bolivia, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2016.

live 8.1 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Bolivia, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 15.2% less likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bolivia, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.

pay a 67.2% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Bolivia, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2016.

make 86.8% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Bolivia, the GDP per capita is $9,700 as of 2023.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Bolivia, however, that number is 36.4% as of 2021.

Life

have 44.3% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bolivia, there are 17.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 7.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bolivia, 161.0 women do as of 2020.

be 4.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bolivia, on the other hand, 22.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 28.3% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bolivia, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 58.0% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bolivia, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 60.7% more on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Bolivia spends 9.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia.

Bolivia: At a glance

Bolivia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,083,301 sq km. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts.
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