El Salvador
Capital: San SalvadorRegion: Latin America & Caribbean Income: Upper middle income
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. Explore El Salvador's full economic profile with 440+ indicators, interactive charts, and historical data below.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook
Economy
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 1.0% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 86.9% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -2.0% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -1.8% | 2026 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.9% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 0.9% | 2024 |
| Government Debt (% of GDP) | 105.8% | 2024 |
| Government Revenue (% of GDP) | 26.9% | 2024 |
| Government Expenditure (% of GDP) | 27.7% | 2023 |
| Tax Revenue (% of GDP) | 21.5% | 2024 |
| Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue) | 37.0% | 2024 |
| Taxes on International Trade (% of revenue) | 4.7% | 2024 |
| Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev) | 28.4% | 2024 |
| Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP) | 2.5% | 2024 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $3.70B | 2024 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 2.1 | 2024 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 1 | 2024 |
| PPP Conversion Factor | 0.42 | 2024 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 58.8% | 2024 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 84.7% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 32.8% | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 51.9% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $11.59B | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $18.35B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $6.45B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $15.97B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| FDI Outflows (% of GDP) | 0.8% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $923.9M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $8.49B | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 24.0% | 2024 |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 5.5% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -1.8% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $-632.5M | 2024 |
External Debt
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 75.4% | 2024 |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $24.96B | 2024 |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 35.0% | 2024 |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $13.10B | 2024 |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $666.2M | 2024 |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 1.6% | 2023 |
| Net ODA Received (USD) | $498.8M | 2023 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit by Financial Sector (% of GDP) | 111.4% | 2024 |
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 62.5% | 2024 |
| Bank Capital to Assets Ratio (%) | 8.5% | 2023 |
| Bank Nonperforming Loans (%) | 1.8% | 2023 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 43.4% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 34.4% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 54.7% | 2024 |
| Firms Using Banks to Finance Investment (%) | 39.4% | 2023 |
Business Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Get Electricity (days) | 26 | 2023 |
Private Sector
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Firms Expected to Pay Bribes (%) | 3.3% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Top Manager (%) | 55.5% | 2023 |
| Firms with Female Participation in Ownership (%) | 25.6% | 2023 |
| Firms Offering Training (%) | 34.9% | 2023 |
| Average Firm Age (years) | 18 years | 2023 |
| Firms Using Computers (%) | 49.4% | 2023 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6.3M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 0.5% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 305 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 21,040 | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 20,720 | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 75.1% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 4.8M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 24.9% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 72.1 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 67.5 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 76.3 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 1.8 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 15.8 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 7.5 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | -23,934 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 24.8% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 67.0% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 8.1% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 49.2% | 2024 |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 12.2% | 2024 |
| Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | 37.0% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 281.2 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 115.4 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 3.0M | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 62.1% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 49.1% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 77.3% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.3% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 3.6% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 3.1% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 7.8% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 13.9% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 23.1% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 63.0% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (%) | 60.0% | 2024 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 30.8% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 64.3% | 2025 |
| Part-Time Employment (%) | 22.6% | 2024 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 4.8% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 42.4% | 2025 |
| Employment to Population Ratio (%) | 60.1% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (% of total) | 35.7% | 2025 |
| NEET Youth (% not in education/employment) | 20.5% | 2024 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 3.2% | 2023 |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 15.9% | 2025 |
| Adult Literacy Rate (%) | 89.8% | 2024 |
| Female Literacy Rate (%) | 88.3% | 2024 |
| Male Literacy Rate (%) | 91.6% | 2024 |
| Youth Literacy Rate (%) | 98.2% | 2024 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 89.9% | 2024 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 62.1% | 2024 |
| Tertiary School Enrollment (%) | 32.8% | 2024 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 82.6% | 2024 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 72.7% | 2024 |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 57,339 | 2024 |
| Out-of-School Girls, Primary | 42,426 | 2023 |
| Primary School Teachers | 22,132 | 2024 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 17,715 | 2024 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 27 | 2018 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 28 | 2018 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 46.2% | 2018 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Primary) | 89.3 | 2023 |
| Education Spending, Secondary (% of govt) | 34.0% | 2018 |
| Education Spending, Tertiary (% of govt) | 9.2% | 2018 |
Health
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ Emissions (tonnes per capita) | 1.5 | 2024 |
| CO₂ Emissions (total kilotonnes) | 10 | 2024 |
| Energy Use (kg oil eq. per capita) | 769 | 2022 |
| Electric Power Consumption (kWh per capita) | 1,110 | 2022 |
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 95.6% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 21.9% | 2021 |
| Access to Electricity (%) | 98.3% | 2023 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 94.4% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 20 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 27.5% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 5,704 | 2023 |
| Arable Land (%) | 34.8% | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 2.1% | 2024 |
| Marine Protected Areas (%) | 0.8% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 91.6% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 88.0% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 57.7% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 2,762 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 102.7 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 105.4 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 98.9 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 318,956 | 2023 |
| Total Fisheries Production (metric tonnes) | 55,759 | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 74.6 | 2023 |
| Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) | 6.7% | 2023 |
| Agricultural Irrigated Land (%) | 2.0% | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 12.4% | 2022 |
| Cereal Production (metric tons) | 881,000 | 2023 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 67.7% | 2023 |
| Mobile Subscriptions (per 100 people) | 180 | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 11.6 | 2023 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 191.2 | 2024 |
| R&D Spending (% of GDP) | 0.14% | 2022 |
| Patent Applications, Residents | 2 | 2021 |
| Patent Applications, Non-Residents | 144 | 2021 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 55 | 2022 |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $247.0M | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 6.9% | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (USD) | $414.7M | 2024 |
| Industrial Design Applications, Resident | 16 | 2021 |
| Researchers in R&D (per million) | 58 | 2022 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transport, Passengers Carried | 3.3M | 2023 |
| Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | 27.8 | 2023 |
| Container Port Traffic (TEU) | 242,307 | 2022 |
| Rail Lines (total km) | 547 | 2003 |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 2.70 | 2022 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 8.2% | 2022 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 0.0% | 2021 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 31.7% | 2024 |
| Female Labor Force Participation, 15+ (%) | 46.5% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 57.7% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 95.2% | 2018 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 54.2 | 2023 |
| Gender Parity Index, Primary | 96.58 | 2018 |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 1.01 | 2014 |
| Gender Parity in Primary Education | 0.96 | 2014 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.56 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | 0.05 | 2023 |
| Political Stability | 0 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | -0.31 | 2023 |
| Rule of Law | -0.37 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | -0.47 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 32.1% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 53.8% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 39.2% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 46.4% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 1.2% | 2024 |
| Military Expenditure (USD) | $425.2M | 2024 |
| Armed Forces Personnel | 42,000 | 2020 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 1.6% | 2020 |
| Military Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 3.8% | 2024 |
| Intentional Homicides (per 100,000) | 7.9 | 2022 |
Poverty & Inequality
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty at $2.15/day (%) | 4.6% | 2023 |
| Poverty at $3.65/day (%) | 8.6% | 2023 |
| Poverty at $6.85/day (%) | 29.9% | 2023 |
| Poverty Headcount, National (%) | 27.2% | 2023 |
| Gini Index | 39.8 | 2023 |
| Income Share, Top 10% | 29.7% | 2023 |
| Income Share, Bottom 10% | 1.9% | 2023 |
| Income Share, Top 20% | 45.8% | 2023 |
| Income Share, Bottom 20% | 5.6% | 2023 |
| Shared Prosperity Premium (%) | 3.6% | 2023 |
| Survey Mean Consumption (2017 PPP $ per day) | 15.46 | 2023 |
| Poverty Gap at $2.15/day (%) | 1.7% | 2023 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Coverage (%) | 6.7% | 2022 |
| Social Assistance Coverage (%) | 87.7% | 2022 |
| Labor Market Programs Coverage (%) | 1.7% | 2022 |
| Social Protection Coverage (%) | 88.8% | 2022 |
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.55 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.57 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.52 | 2020 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 7.6 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 707,000 | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Departures | 515,000 | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $755.0M | 2020 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $162.0M | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 12.3% | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Transport Services (USD) | $119.0M | 2020 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Population Growth (%) | 1.1% | 2024 |
| Population in Largest City | 1.1M | 2025 |
| Population in Largest City (% of urban) | 23.6% | 2025 |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 17.8% | 2025 |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 16.5% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | -1.4% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 36.0% | 2024 |
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