El Salvador vs Guatemala
El Salvador vs Guatemala: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school in 2018: 81.4% in El Salvador and 87% in Guatemala, by Our World in Data estimates. In 2018 the value was higher in Guatemala, by 5.6 percentage points, or 1.07 times that in El Salvador.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- Guatemala has been higher since 2017, when it overtook El Salvador.
- In 2012, El Salvador ranked 36 and Guatemala ranked 55 of 97 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 88.2% in 2018.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | El Salvador | Guatemala | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 81.4 | 87 | 88.2 |
| 2017 | 80.6 | 85.6 | 88.2 |
| 2016 | 84.9 | 84.6 | 88.3 |
| 2015 | 86.1 | 85.3 | 88.2 |
| 2014 | 88.4 | 85.6 | 88.3 |
| 2013 | 90.6 | 87.5 | 88.2 |
| 2012 | 93 | 90.1 | 88.2 |
| 2011 | 93.9 | 93 | 88.1 |
| 2010 | 94.4 | 95.4 | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | 96.1 | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | 93 | 87.6 |
| 2007 | – | 92.4 | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | 91.1 | 86 |
| 2005 | – | 89.4 | 85.4 |
| 2004 | – | 87.6 | 84.7 |
| 2003 | 93.2 | – | 83.5 |
| 2002 | 91.2 | 82.7 | 81.4 |
| 2001 | 89.6 | 80.2 | 81 |
| 2000 | 88.9 | 79.6 | 80.7 |
| 1999 | – | 76.3 | 79.9 |
| 1998 | 87.9 | – | 78.9 |
| 1997 | – | 67.4 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | – | – | 78 |
| 1994 | – | – | 78.3 |
| 1993 | – | – | 78 |
| 1992 | – | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | – | – | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | – | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | – | – | 76.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | – | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 74 |
| 1980 | 67.4 | 55.1 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 67.4 | 49 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 66 | 44 | 69 |
| 1965 | 60 | 39 | 66 |
| 1960 | 56.3 | 34.3 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 48.7 | 30.7 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 41.9 | 26 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 35.8 | 24 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 29.7 | 22.1 | 40 |
| 1935 | 23.5 | 20.1 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 17.4 | 18.2 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 17.5 | 16.2 | 33 |
| 1920 | 17.7 | 14.3 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 17.9 | 15.3 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 18 | 16.4 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 18.2 | 17.4 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 19.6 | 20.5 | 20 |
| 1885 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 19 |
| 1880 | 13.2 | 14.1 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 7 | 7.7 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 4.5 | 5 | 8 |
| 1850 | 3.6 | 4 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 4 |
| 1825 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- Ranks count the 97 countries with a value in 2012, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
El Salvador vs Guatemala
Health
- Life expectancyEl Salvador: 72.1 years in 2023Guatemala: 72.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEl Salvador: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Guatemala: 2.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEl Salvador: 9.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Guatemala: 17.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEl Salvador: 3.03% in 2017Guatemala: 3.22% in 2017
- Suicide rateEl Salvador: 9.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Guatemala: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEl Salvador: 6.31 million people in 2023Guatemala: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthEl Salvador: 0.46% a year in 2023Guatemala: 1.55% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEl Salvador: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Guatemala: 2.31 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEl Salvador: 75.5% in 2025Guatemala: 56.3% in 2025
- Median ageEl Salvador: 27 years in 2023Guatemala: 22.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEl Salvador: 8% in 2023Guatemala: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateEl Salvador: -3.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Guatemala: -0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEl Salvador: 1.34% of GDP in 2025Guatemala: 0.52% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEl Salvador: $489M in 2025Guatemala: $617M in 2025
- Military spending per personEl Salvador: $77 in 2025Guatemala: $34 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEl Salvador: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Guatemala: 3.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEl Salvador: 42,000 people in 2020Guatemala: 43,000 people in 2020
- National powerEl Salvador: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Guatemala: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEl Salvador: 1.62% of the labour force in 2020Guatemala: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEl Salvador: 3 million TIV in 2025Guatemala: 6 million TIV in 2023