El Salvador

Presidential RepublicPop6.3MGDP (PPP)$74.0BCI30Beta CP0.0→Beta

El Salvador

⌘K

Overview

Background: El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms. El Salvador is beset by one of the world's highest homicide rates and pervasive criminal gangs.

Geography

Area

Land: 20,721 sq km
Water: 320 sq km
Total: 21,041 sq km

Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Land Use

Other: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Forest: 33% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 57.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 34.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 15.2% (2023 est.)

Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Coastline: 307 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Mean elevation: 442 m

Irrigated land: 240 sq km (2022)
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Land Boundaries

Total: 590 km
Border countries: Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

volcanism: significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (1,893 m), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (2,130 m) is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana
Geography note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea
Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Area comparative: about the same size as New Jersey
Geographic coordinates: 13 50 N, 88 55 W
Population distribution: high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 91.6% (2024 est.)
Female: 88.2% (2024 est.)
Total population: 89.8% (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages: Spanish (official), Nawat (among some indigenous)
Major language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 43.9%, Protestant 39.6% (Evangelical - unspecified 38.2%, Evangelical - Methodist 1.3%, Evangelical - Baptist 0.1%), none 16.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2023 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 12.46 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 28.2 years
Total: 31.2 years (2025 est.)
Female: 31.2 years

Population

Male: 3,026,645
Total: 6,334,723 (2025 est.)
Female: 3,308,078

Nationality

Noun: Salvadoran(s)
Adjective: Salvadoran

Tobacco Use

Male: 14.7% (2025 est.)
Total: 7.8% (2025 est.)
Female: 1.7% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 75.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 25.3% (male 855,841/female 818,642)
15 64 years: 66.3% (male 2,077,745/female 2,317,416)
65 years and over: 8.4% (2024 est.) (male 238,658/female 320,400)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo 86.3%, White 12.7%, Indigenous 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), Black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)

Child Marriage

Women married BY age 15: 4.3% (2021)
Women married BY age 18: 19.7% (2021)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 43 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 29.9 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.1 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 1.62 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 9.7% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 21.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 1.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 94.4% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 98.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 5.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 15.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 10 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.34% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.68 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 72.4 years
Female: 79.5 years
Total population: 75.9 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 39 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 98.3% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 1.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 2.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.8 years (2008 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 50.7% (2021 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5% (2021 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 11 years (2023 est.)
Total: 11 years (2023 est.)
Female: 12 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: three equal horizontal bands of cobalt blue (top), white, and cobalt blue, with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has a round emblem with the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL around it

meaning: the blue bands stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and the white for the land, as well as peace and prosperity

history: the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America

Capital

Name: San Salvador
Etymology: Spanish colonists founded the city in 1526 on the feast day of the Transfiguration of the Savior (Jesus Christ), and the name means "Holy Savior" in Spanish
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: yes
Citizenship BY descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983
Amendment process: proposals require agreement by absolute majority of the Legislative Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on basic principles, and citizen rights and freedoms cannot be amended

Country Name

Etymology: means "the Savior" in Spanish and is a shortened form of "the Divine Savior of the World" (el Divino Salvador del Mundo), referring to Jesus Christ; 16th-century Spanish colonists gave the name "San Salvador" to the fort located where the country's capital of San Salvador now stands, and the name was later used for the city and the surrounding region; the country was officially named El Salvador in 1824
Local long form: República de El Salvador
Local short form: El Salvador
Conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
Conventional short form: El Salvador

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Legal system: civil law system with minor common law influence; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 15 judges, including its president, and 15 substitute judges organized into Constitutional, Civil, Penal, and Administrative Conflict Chambers)
Subordinate courts: Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace
Judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Legislative Assembly on the recommendation of both the National Council of the Judicature, an independent body elected by the Legislative Assembly, and the Bar Association; judges elected for 9-year terms, with renewal of one third of membership every 3 years; consecutive reelection is allowed

Executive Branch

Note: note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
Chief of state: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)
Election results: 2024: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez reelected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (Nuevas Ideas) 84.7%, Manuel FLORES (FMLN) 6.4%, Joel SANCHEZ (ARENA) 5.6%, Luis PARADA (NT) 2%, other 1.3%

2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.7%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.4%, other 0.8%
Head of government: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)
Most recent election date: 4 February 2024
Election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)
Expected date of next election: 28 February 2027; note - on 31 July 2025, the Legislative Assembly voted to move the date of the next presidential election from 2029 to 2027 to bring the presidential election cycle in line with the three-year legislative and municipal election cycle

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
National color(s): blue, white

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site

Political parties: Christian Democratic Party or PDC
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN
Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA
National Coalition Party or PCN
Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA
New Ideas (Nuevas Ideas) or NI
Our Time (Nuestro Tiempo) or NT
Vamos or V

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 3 years
Number of seats: 60 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Asamblea legislativa)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 2/4/2024
Expected date of next election: February 2027
Percentage of women in chamber: 31.7%
Parties elected and seats per party: New Ideas (N) (54); Other (6)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Himno Nacional de El Salvador" (National Anthem of El Salvador)
History: officially adopted 1953, in use since 1879; at four minutes and 20 seconds, the anthem is one of the world's longest
Lyrics/music: Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE

National symbol(s): turquoise-browed motmot (bird)
Administrative divisions: 14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapán, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazán, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulután

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 232-3763
Chancery: 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: [1] (202) 595-7500
Chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen Milena MAYORGA VALERA (since 23 December 2020)
Consulate(s) general: Aurora (CO), Boston, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Doral (FL), Duluth (GA), El Paso (TX), Elizabeth (NJ), Fresno (CA), Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Laredo (TX), Long Island (NY), Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), New York, Omaha (NE), San Bernardino (CA), San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Silver Spring (MD), Springdale (AR), St. Paul (MN), Tucson (AZ), Woodbridge (VA)
Email address and website: infoEEUU@rree.gob.sv

https://rree.gob.sv/embajadas-consulados-y-misiones-permanentes-de-la-republica-de-el-salvador/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [503] 2501-2150
Embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
Telephone: [503] 2501-2999
Mailing address: 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Naomi C. FELLOWS (since August 2025)
Email address and website: ACSSanSal@state.gov

https://sv.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

EL SALVADOR · LEGISLATURE

Legislative Assembly

60 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

—

Parties

—

Leaders

Current

NB
Nayib Bukele
- Head of StateSince 2019
- Head of GovernmentSince 2019

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $9.359 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $10.313 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $11.6B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $10.164 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $10.629 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $11.586 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $18.4B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $18.181 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $17.034 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $18.354 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
Labor force: 2.89 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 105.8%

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 102.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 24.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 24.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 24% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $12.668 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: upper-middle-income, dollarized Central American economy; reliant on remittances from US; recent growth linked to infrastructure investment, consumption, and crime reduction; $1.3 billion IMF loan to address fiscal imbalances; Bitcoin adopted as legal tender; persistent poverty and large informal sector

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.3%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 3% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.9% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: USA 36%, Guatemala 17%, Honduras 15%, Nicaragua 8%, Costa Rica 5% (2023)
Imports partners: USA 28%, China 15%, Guatemala 11%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $13,264

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $11,100 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $11,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $11,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.6%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.6% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: sugarcane, maize, milk, chicken, sorghum, beans, oranges, coconuts, eggs, mangoes/guavas (2023)
Exports commodities: garments, plastic products, electrical capacitors, raw sugar, toilet paper (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, packaged medicine, plastics (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$632.5M

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$2.144 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$367.831 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: -$632.549 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 20.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $35.365 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 79.6% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 19.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.9% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.2% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 32.8% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -51.9% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 26.6% (2022 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 26.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 0.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.9%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.2% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 0.9% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 0.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $73.961 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $69.621 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $72.085 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $73.961 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 5.2% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 6.7% (2024 est.)
Female: 9.5% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $2.695 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $3.079 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $3.705 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 22.4% (2024 est.)
Services: 61% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 4.4% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Highest 10%: 29.7% (2023 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023: 39.8 (2023 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 500 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 3 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 56,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 140 million kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 750.096 million kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 6.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 2.803 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 770.613 million kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Imports: 486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 24.421 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 19.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Geothermal: 24.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 9.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 14% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 68% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio stations and 2 government-owned radio stations; transition to digital transmission was set to begin in 2018, along with adoption of the Japanese-Brazilian Digital Standard (ISDB-T) (2022)
Internet country code: .sv

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 885,000 (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2024 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 11.2 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 177 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 671,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2022 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 0
Key ports: Acajutla, Acajutla Offshore Terminal, La Union
Very small: 3
Total ports: 3 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 3

Airports: 27 (2025)

Railways

Total: 12.5 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge

Merchant Marine

Total: 5 (2023)
BY type: other 5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YS

Environment

Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Land Use

Other: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Forest: 33% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 57.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 34.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 15.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 75.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.649 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.2% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 433.229 million cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 94.316 million cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 1.411 billion cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 8.694 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 948,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 7.745 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 23.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 26.27 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Military & Security

Military note: the Armed Force of El Salvador (FAES) is responsible for defending national sovereignty and ensuring territorial integrity but also has considerable domestic security responsibilities; while the National Civil Police (PNC) are responsible for maintaining public security, the country’s constitution allows the president to use the FAES “in exceptional circumstances” to maintain internal peace and public security; in 2016, the government created a special joint unit of Army commandos and police to fight criminal gangs; more military personnel were devoted to internal security beginning in 2019 when President BUKELE signed a decree authorizing military involvement in police duties to combat rising gang violence, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking, as well as assisting with border security

the military led the country for much of the 20th century; from 1980 to 1992, it fought a bloody civil war against guerrillas from the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front or FMLN, the paramilitary arm of the Democratic Revolutionary Front (Frente Democrático Revolucionario), a coalition of left-wing dissident political groups backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union; the FAES received considerable US support during the conflict; significant human rights violations occurred during the war and approximately 75,000 Salvadorans, mostly civilians, were killed (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.2%

Military expenditures 2020: 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: The Armed Forces of El Salvador (La Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Army of El Salvador (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Naval Force of El Salvador (Fuerza Naval de El Salvador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, FAS)

Ministry of Justice and Public Safety: National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil, PNC) (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (17-22 for military schools); men are subject to selective compulsory military service; service obligation up to 18 months (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the FAES is lightly armed with an inventory of mostly older or secondhand arms and equipment, largely provided by the US (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 25,000 active FAES (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

Transnational Issues

Illicit Drugs

Usg identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 35,391 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 392 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index30.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4135 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.09as of 2024-Q4140 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (50/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — El Salvador — vintage 2026-Q1: El Salvador factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/el-salvador

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

El Salvador

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Literacy

Languages

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

National Heritage

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Legislative Assembly

Current

Nayib Bukele

Budget

Exports

Imports

Public Debt

Remittances

Debt External

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Average Household Expenditures

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Railways

Merchant Marine

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

International Environmental Agreements

Military Expenditures