El Salvador

SLVLatin America & Caribbean Upper middle incomeCapital: San Salvador
Economy
Fiscal
People
Health
Education
Trade
Energy / Env
Tech
Governance
Equality
Infra
Labor
78/80 indicators · percentile vs world (IMF / WB / WHO)underover
El Salvador in world space2000–2023
1k10k100k505560657075808590GDP per capita (USD, log)Life expectancy (years)20002023
192 countries · log scale on X world El Salvador· trajectory line: 1980 → today
About El Salvador

El Salvador's GDP is $37.98B (2026), with a population of 6.3M, and GDP per capita of $5,933. Key indicators include real GDP growth of 2.5%, inflation at 1.0%, unemployment at 4.9%, government debt at 86.9% of GDP, life expectancy of 72.1 years. Data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.

Located in Latin America & Caribbean, this upper middle-income economy is projected to see a GDP growth rate of 2.5% in 2026, with a total GDP of $37.981 billion. The GDP per capita is expected to be $5932.866 in the same year. Inflation is anticipated to be low at 1.0%. The economy is highly trade-oriented, with trade accounting for approximately 84.66% of GDP in 2024. Unemployment is projected to be 3.303% in 2025, indicating a relatively stable job market. The population is approximately 6,338,193 as of 2024. Life expectancy stands at 72.099 years, reflecting improvements in healthcare and living standards. The capital, San Salvador, serves as the primary hub for economic and social activities.

Economy30 indicators · 2021–2027 · IMF / WB
Fiscal & Monetary19 indicators · 2023–2027 · IMF / WB
Trade15 indicators · 2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Trade (% of GDP)84.7%2024 3.6%WB
Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP)32.8%2024 4.3%WB
Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP)51.9%2024 3.1%WB
Exports of Goods & Services (USD)$11.59B2024 9.0%WB
Imports of Goods & Services (USD)$18.35B2024 7.7%WB
Merchandise Exports (USD)$6.45B2024 0.8%WB
Merchandise Imports (USD)$15.97B2024 2.1%WB
FDI Inflows (% of GDP)2.6%2024 37.5%WB
FDI Outflows (% of GDP)0.8%2024 711.4%WB
FDI Net Inflows (USD)$923.9M2024 43.7%WB
Personal Remittances Received (USD)$8.49B2024 2.4%WB
Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP)24.0%2024 1.9%WB
High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured)5.5%2024 14.5%WB
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)-1.8%2024 64.6%WB
Current Account Balance (USD)$-632.5M2024 72.0%WB
External Debt7 indicators · 2023–2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
External Debt (% of GNI)75.4%2024 4.6%WB
External Debt Stocks (USD)$24.96B2024 9.2%WB
Total Debt Service (% of GNI)35.0%2024 20.6%WB
Present Value of External Debt (USD)$13.10B2024WB
Use of IMF Credit (USD)$666.2M2024 24.1%WB
Net ODA Received (% of GNI)1.6%2023 33.6%WB
Net ODA Received (USD)$498.8M2023 29.7%WB
Finance8 indicators · 2023–2024 · WB
Business Environment1 indicator · 2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Time to Get Electricity (days)262023WB
Private Sector6 indicators · 2023 · WB
People23 indicators · 2023–2025 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Population6.3M2024 0.5%WB
Population Growth (%)0.5%2024 3.0%WB
Population Density (per km²)3052023 0.5%WB
Surface Area (sq km)21,0402023 0.0%WB
Land Area (sq km)20,7202023 0.0%WB
Urban Population (%)75.1%2024 0.6%WB
Urban Population (total)4.8M2024 1.1%WB
Rural Population (%)24.9%2024 1.8%WB
Life Expectancy at Birth72.1 years2023 0.2%WB
Life Expectancy, Male67.5 years2023 0.2%WB
Life Expectancy, Female76.3 years2023 0.1%WB
Fertility Rate (births per woman)1.82023 0.6%WB
Birth Rate (per 1,000)15.82023 1.0%WB
Death Rate (per 1,000)7.52023 0.8%WB
Net Migration-23,9342025 3.6%WB
Population Ages 0–14 (%)24.8%2024 1.6%WB
Population Ages 15–64 (%)67.0%2024 0.4%WB
Population Ages 65+ (%)8.1%2024 1.9%WB
Age Dependency Ratio (%)49.2%2024 1.1%WB
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%)12.2%2024 1.5%WB
Youth Dependency Ratio (%)37.0%2024 2.0%WB
Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000)281.22023 0.6%WB
Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000)115.42023 0.5%WB
Labor20 indicators · 2024–2025 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Total Labor Force3.0M2025 1.3%WB
Labor Force Participation (%)62.1%2025 0.3%WB
Female Labor Force Participation (%)49.1%2025 0.2%WB
Male Labor Force Participation (%)77.3%2025 0.4%WB
Unemployment (%)3.3%2025 1.3%WB
Female Unemployment (%)3.6%2025 1.9%WB
Male Unemployment (%)3.1%2025 4.2%WB
Youth Unemployment (%)7.8%2025 4.0%WB
Employment in Agriculture (%)13.9%2025 1.6%WB
Employment in Industry (%)23.1%2025 0.6%WB
Employment in Services (%)63.0%2025 0.6%WB
Self-Employed (%)60.0%2024 3.2%WB
Vulnerable Employment (%)30.8%2025 1.1%WB
Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total)64.3%2025 0.6%WB
Part-Time Employment (%)22.6%2024 1.7%WB
Employers (% of total employment)4.8%2025 0.1%WB
Labor Force, Female (% of total)42.4%2025 0.2%WB
Employment to Population Ratio (%)60.1%2025 0.3%WB
Self-Employed (% of total)35.7%2025 1.0%WB
NEET Youth (% not in education/employment)20.5%2024 4.6%WB
Education21 indicators · 2018–2025 · WB
Health42 indicators · 2017–2024 · WHO
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Health Spending (% of GDP)9.3%2023 5.4%WHO
Health Spending per Capita (USD)$5012023 0.1%WHO
Government Health Spending (% of GDP)5.6%2023 8.1%WHO
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending (% of total)32.5%2023 4.5%WHO
Physicians (per 1,000 people)1.62023 3.2%WHO
Nurses & Midwives (per 1,000)2.22022 18.1%WHO
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)1.22023 0.8%WHO
Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births)10.42023 3.7%WHO
Neonatal Mortality (per 1,000)4.42023 4.3%WHO
Maternal Mortality (per 100,000)392023 0.0%WHO
Under-5 Mortality, Female (per 1,000)9.42023 4.1%WHO
Under-5 Mortality, Male (per 1,000)11.42023 3.4%WHO
Cause of Death, Communicable (%)15.8%2019WHO
Cause of Death, Non-Communicable (%)65.1%2019WHO
Cause of Death, Injury (%)19.1%2019WHO
Measles Immunization (% of children)96.0%2024 3.0%WHO
DPT Immunization (% of children)95.0%2024 1.0%WHO
HIV Incidence (per 1,000)0.152024 7.1%WHO
Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100,000)1162024 34.9%WHO
Stunting, Children Under 5 (%)10.0%2021WHO
Overweight, Children Under 5 (%)8.3%2021WHO
Smoking Prevalence, Males (%)15.9%2022 1.9%WHO
Smoking Prevalence, Females (%)1.9%2022 0.0%WHO
Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000)7.62021WHO
Alcohol Consumption (liters per capita)3.12020WHO
Maternal Deaths392023 0.3%WHO
Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100K)1162024 34.9%WHO
People Living with HIV21,0002024 0.0%WHO
Malaria Deaths (estimated)02024WHO
Malaria Incidence (per 1K at risk)02024WHO
DTP3 Immunization Coverage (%)95%2024 1.0%WHO
Measles Immunization Coverage (%)96%2024 3.0%WHO
Hepatitis B Immunization Coverage (%)95%2024 1.0%WHO
Physicians (total)162023 3.2%WHO
Nursing & Midwifery Personnel222022 10.7%WHO
Dentists (total)13,6862022 11.2%WHO
Pharmacists (total)1602017WHO
Child Wasting (<5 years, %)2.9%2021WHO
Child Underweight (<5 years, %)5.0%2021WHO
Universal Health Coverage Index792023 0.0%WHO
Road Traffic Death Rate (per 100K)1,3582021WHO
Health Expenditure per Capita (WHO, USD)$5012023 0.1%WHO
Energy & Environment16 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB / WHO
Agriculture12 indicators · 2022–2023 · WB
Technology13 indicators · 2021–2024 · WB
Infrastructure7 indicators · 2003–2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Air Transport, Passengers Carried3.3M2023 36.5%WB
Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km)27.82023 127.5%WB
Container Port Traffic (TEU)242,3072022 17.7%WB
Rail Lines (total km)5472003WB
Logistics Performance Index (1–5)2.702022WB
Electricity from Oil (%)8.2%2022 47.4%WB
Electricity from Nuclear (%)0.0%2021WB
Gender8 indicators · 2014–2025 · WB
Governance10 indicators · 2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Control of Corruption-0.562023 12.6%WB
Government Effectiveness0.052023 115.7%WB
Political Stability02023 100.7%WB
Regulatory Quality-0.312023 33.5%WB
Rule of Law-0.372023 50.2%WB
Voice & Accountability-0.472023 27.8%WB
Control of Corruption (percentile rank)32.1%2023 17.2%WB
Government Effectiveness (percentile rank)53.8%2023 37.3%WB
Rule of Law (percentile rank)39.2%2023 62.7%WB
Political Stability (percentile rank)46.4%2023 33.1%WB
Military6 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Military Spending (% of GDP)1.2%2024 11.3%WB
Military Expenditure (USD)$425.2M2024 6.5%WB
Armed Forces Personnel42,0002020WB
Armed Forces (% of labor force)1.6%2020WB
Military Spending (% of govt expenditure)3.8%2024 11.7%WB
Intentional Homicides (per 100,000)7.92022 54.5%WB
Poverty & Inequality12 indicators · 2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Poverty at $2.15/day (%)4.6%2023 11.5%WB
Poverty at $3.65/day (%)8.6%2023 10.4%WB
Poverty at $6.85/day (%)29.9%2023 8.6%WB
Poverty Headcount, National (%)27.2%2023 2.3%WB
Gini Index39.82023 2.6%WB
Income Share, Top 10%29.7%2023 3.5%WB
Income Share, Bottom 10%1.9%2023 0.0%WB
Income Share, Top 20%45.8%2023 2.2%WB
Income Share, Bottom 20%5.6%2023 0.0%WB
Shared Prosperity Premium (%)3.6%2023WB
Survey Mean Consumption (2017 PPP $ per day)15.462023WB
Poverty Gap at $2.15/day (%)1.7%2023 15.0%WB
Social Protection8 indicators · 2020–2022 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Social Insurance Coverage (%)6.7%2022 9.8%
Social Assistance Coverage (%)87.7%2022 2.7%
Labor Market Programs Coverage (%)1.7%2022 14.4%
Social Protection Coverage (%)88.8%2022 2.0%
Human Capital Index (0–1)0.552020WB
Human Capital Index, Female0.572020WB
Human Capital Index, Male0.522020WB
Learning-Adjusted Years of School7.6 years2020WB
Tourism6 indicators · 2020 · WB
Urban Development7 indicators · 2022–2025 · WB / WHO
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Urban Population Growth (%)1.1%2024 1.9%WB
Population in Largest City1.1M2025 0.8%WB
Population in Largest City (% of urban)23.6%2025 0.2%WB
Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total)17.8%2025 0.4%WB
Population in Slums (% of urban)16.5%2022 0.1%WB
Rural Population Growth (%)-1.4%2024 2.9%WB
Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%)36.0%2024 1.1%WHO

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