{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "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": { "Location": { "text": "Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "13 50 N, 88 55 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Central America and the Caribbean" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "21,041 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "20,721 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "320 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "about the same size as New Jersey" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "590 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "307 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Cerro El Pital 2,730 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Pacific Ocean 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "442 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "74.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "13.6% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "11.7% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "274 sq km (2020)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "athough it is the smallest country in land area in Central America, El Salvador has a population that is 18 times larger than Belize; at least 20% of the population lives abroad; high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "

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), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana

" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "6,602,370 (2023 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Salvadoran(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Salvadoran" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Mestizo 86.3%, White 12.7%, Amerindian 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), Black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Spanish (official), Nawat (among some Amerindians)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." } }, "Religions": { "text": "Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 est.)" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is well into its demographic transition, experiencing slower population growth, a decline in its number of youths, and the gradual aging of its population. The increased use of family planning has substantially lowered El Salvador's fertility rate, from approximately 6 children per woman in the 1970s to replacement level today. A 2008 national family planning survey showed that female sterilization remained the most common contraception method in El Salvador - its sterilization rate is among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean - but that the use of injectable contraceptives is growing. Fertility differences between rich and poor and urban and rural women are narrowing.

Salvadorans fled during the 1979 to 1992 civil war mainly to the United States but also to Canada and to neighboring Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Emigration to the United States increased again in the 1990s and 2000s as a result of deteriorating economic conditions, natural disasters (Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001), and family reunification. At least 20% of El Salvador's population lives abroad. The remittances they send home account for close to 20% of GDP, are the second largest source of external income after exports, and have helped reduce poverty.

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "25.4% (male 857,304/female 819,670)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "66.39% (male 2,072,784/female 2,310,573)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "8.21% (2023 est.) (male 232,684/female 309,355)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "51.3" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "39" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "12.3" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "8.1 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "27.7 years" }, "male": { "text": "26.2 years" }, "female": { "text": "29.3 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.46% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "17.49 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "5.92 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-7.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "athough it is the smallest country in land area in Central America, El Salvador has a population that is 18 times larger than Belize; at least 20% of the population lives abroad; high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "75.4% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "0.9 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.75 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.92 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.8 years (2008 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "43 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "11.9 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "13.55 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "10.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "75.63 years" }, "male": { "text": "72.16 years" }, "female": { "text": "79.27 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.04 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.99 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "71.9% (2014)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.6% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 94.2% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 98.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.4% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 5.8% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 1.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "9.9% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "2.87 physicians/1,000 population (2018)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "1.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 97.1% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 99.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 2.9% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "high (2023)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "dengue fever" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "24.6% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "2.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "1.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "7.9% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "14.1% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "1.7% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "5% (2014)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "55% (2023 est.)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "89.1%" }, "male": { "text": "91.3%" }, "female": { "text": "87.3% (2019)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "12 years" }, "male": { "text": "12 years" }, "female": { "text": "12 years (2018)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "13.7%" }, "male": { "text": "11.3%" }, "female": { "text": "18.3% (2021 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "Law of the Sea" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "74.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "13.6% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "11.7% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "75.4% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "23.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "7.17 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "4.71 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "1,648,996 tons (2010 est.)" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "470 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "210 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "1.43 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "26.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of El Salvador" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "El Salvador" }, "local long form": { "text": "República de El Salvador" }, "local short form": { "text": "El Salvador" }, "etymology": { "text": "name is an abbreviation of the original Spanish conquistador designation for the area \"Provincia de Nuestro Senor Jesus Cristo, el Salvador del Mundo\" (Province of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World), which became simply \"El Salvador\" (The Savior)" } }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "San Salvador" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "13 42 N, 89 12 W" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "Spanish for \"Holy Savior\" (referring to Jesus Christ)" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan" }, "Independence": { "text": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983" }, "amendments": { "text": "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; amended 2003, 2009, 2014" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "yes" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "yes" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "yes" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { "text": "President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers selected by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 5-year term; election last held on 3 February 2019 (next to be held on February 2024)" }, "election results": { "text": "
2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.72%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.41%, other 0.77%

2014: Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN (FMLN) 48.9%, Norman QUIJANO (ARENA) 39%, Antonio SACA (CN) 11.4%, other 0.7%; percent of vote in second round - Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN 50.1%, Norman QUIJANO 49.9%" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { "text": "unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 3-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held on 28 February 2021 (next to be held in 2024)" }, "election results": { "text": "percent of vote by party - NI 66.5%, ARENA 12.2%, FMLN 6.9%, GANA 5.3%, PCN 4.1%, other 5%; seats by party - NI 56, ARENA 14, GANA 5, FMLN 4, other 5; composition - men 61, women 23, percent of women 27.4%" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { "text": "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" }, "subordinate courts": { "text": "Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace" } }, "Political parties and leaders": { "text": "Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Reynaldo CARBALLO]
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Oscar ORTIZ]
Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Nelson GUARDADO]
National Coalition Party or PCN [Manuel RODRIGUEZ]
Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Erick SALGUERO]
New Ideas (Nuevas Ideas) or NI [Xavier Zablah BUKELE]
Our Time (Nuestro Tiempo) or NT [Juan VALIENTE]
Vamos or V [Josue ALVARADO Flores]" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Carmen Milena MAYORGA VALERA (since 23 December 2020)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1400 16th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 595-7500" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 232-3763" }, "email address and website": { "text": "infoEEUU@rree.gob.sv" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Atlanta, Boston, Brentwood (NY), Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Loreado (TX), Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), New York, San Bernardino (CA), San Francisco, Tucson (AZ), Washington (DC), Woodbridge (VA)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Patrick H. VENTRELL" }, "embassy": { "text": "Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador" }, "mailing address": { "text": "3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450" }, "telephone": { "text": "[503] 2501-2999" }, "FAX": { "text": "[503] 2501-2150" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
ACSSanSal@state.gov

https://sv.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "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 features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water, as well as peace and prosperity", "note": "note: similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band" }, "National symbol(s)": { "text": "turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Himno Nacional de El Salvador\" (National Anthem of El Salvador)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE" }, "note": "note: officially adopted 1953, in use since 1879; at 4:20 minutes, the anthem of El Salvador is one of the world's longest" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { "text": "1 (cultural)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "growth-challenged Central American economy buttressed via remittances; dense labor force; fairly aggressive COVID-19 stimulus plan; new and lower banking reserve requirements; earthquake, tropical storm, and crime disruptions; widespread corruption" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$57.371 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$52.024 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$56.657 billion (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "10.28% (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2020": { "text": "-8.18% (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "2.44% (2019 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$9,100 (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$8,300 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$9,000 (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$27.023 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "3.47% (2021 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020": { "text": "-0.37% (2020 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "0.08% (2019 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B- (2017)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "B3 (2018)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B- (2018)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "12% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "27.7% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "60.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "84.5% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "15.8% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "16.9% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "27.6% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-44.9% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "sugar cane, maize, milk, poultry, sorghum, beans, coconuts, eggs, apples, oranges" }, "Industries": { "text": "food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "9.47% (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "2.658 million (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "21%" }, "industry": { "text": "20%" }, "services": { "text": "58% (2011 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "5.94% (2021 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2020": { "text": "6.25% (2020 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "4.17% (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "13.7%" }, "male": { "text": "11.3%" }, "female": { "text": "18.3% (2021 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "22.8% (2019 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019": { "text": "38.8 (2019 est.)" } }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "26.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "0.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.2%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "32.3% (2014 est.)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$6.448 billion (2019 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$7.273 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-2.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2020": { "text": "71.41% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Public debt 2019": { "text": "53.88% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Public debt 2018": { "text": "52.21% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: El Salvador's total public debt includes non-financial public sector debt, financial public sector debt, and central bank debt" }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "18.66% (of GDP) (2020 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "-$1.457 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2020": { "text": "$202.947 million (2020 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "-$113.356 million (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2021": { "text": "$8.491 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2020": { "text": "$6.295 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$8.057 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "United States 40%, Guatemala 15%, Honduras 15%, Nicaragua 6% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "clothing, electrical capacitors, plastic lids, sugar, packaged medicines, toilet paper (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { "text": "$15.754 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2020": { "text": "$10.764 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$12.469 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "United States 30%, China 14%, Guatemala 13%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 6% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, packaged medicines, clothing, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { "text": "$3.426 billion (31 December 2021 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020": { "text": "$3.083 billion (31 December 2020 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019": { "text": "$4.446 billion (31 December 2019 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2019": { "text": "$17.24 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Debt - external 2018": { "text": "$16.712 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "note: the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "1 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "1 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "1 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "1 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "1 (2017 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "population without electricity": { "text": "(2020) less than 1 million" }, "electrification - total population": { "text": "97.8% (2021)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "99.2% (2021)" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "94% (2021)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "2.586 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "6,443,200,000 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "158 million kWh (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "1.45 billion kWh (2019 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "795.8 million kWh (2019 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "28.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "30% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "22.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "12.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "59,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "0 barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "347 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "49,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "7.632 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "2,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "7.63 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "24.124 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "856,090 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "14 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "11,071,073 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "175 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "El Salvador is the smallest country in central America geographically, it has the fourth largest economy in the region; the country’s telecom sector has been restricted by poor infrastructure and unequal income distribution; there have been organizational delays which have slowed the development of telecom services; El Salvador’s fixed-line teledensity is substantially lower than the Latin American and Caribbean average; there has been a significant drop in the number of fixed lines since 2010, particularly in 2017, largely due to the substitution for mobile-only alternatives; about 94% of all telephony lines in the country are on mobile networks; mobile subscriptions are remarkably high considering El Salvador’s economic indicators, being about a third higher than average for Latin America and the Caribbean; the country was one of the last in the region to provide LTE services, mainly due to the inadequate provision of suitable spectrum; the multi-spectrum auction conducted at the end of 2019 has allowed MNOs to improve the reach and quality of their service offerings; El Salvador’s telecom legislation is one of the more liberal in Latin America, encouraging competition in most areas and permitting foreign investment; there are no regulations which promote wholesale broadband; the only effective cross-platform competition in the broadband market comes from the few cable operators; there has been some market consolidation in recent years (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line services, roughly 14 per 100, mobile-cellular competition now at 175 subscribers per 100 inhabitants (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2019)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio broadcast stations and two known government-owned radio broadcast station; transition to digital transmission to begin in 2018 along with adaptation of the Japanese-Brazilian Digital Standard (ISDB-T) (2022)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".sv" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "3.969 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "63% (2021 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "586,000 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "9 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "13" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "2,545,105 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "10.73 million (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "YS" }, "Airports": { "text": "68 (2021)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "text": "5", "note": "note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)" }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "text": "63", "note": "note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control" }, "Heliports": { "text": "2 (2021)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "12.5 km (2014)" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "9,012 km (2017)" }, "paved": { "text": "5,341 km (2017)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "3,671 km (2017)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "422 km (2022) (Rio Lempa River is partially navigable by small craft)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "4" }, "by type": { "text": "other 4 (2022)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Puerto Cutuco" }, "oil terminal(s)": { "text": "Acajutla offshore terminal" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "the Armed Force of El Salvador (La Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Army of El Salvador (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Navy of El Salvador (Fuerza Naval de El Salvador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2023)", "note": "note: the National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil, PNC) are under the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety; in 2016, El Salvador created a combined Army commando and PNC unit to combat criminal gang violence" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 25,000 active military personnel (21,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FAES has a mix of mostly older imported platforms, largely from the US (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-30 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and non-commissioned officers (2023)", "note": "note: as of 2016, women made up about 6% of the active duty military" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "175 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "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) is 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 1,000-strong 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; since the decree, a considerable portion of the Army has been deployed in support of the PNC; in late 2022 for example, more than 8,000 troops were deployed alongside some 2,000 police to a town on the outskirts of the capital to search for criminal gang members 

the FAES trains regularly, as well as with regional partners and the US, in such areas as internal security and disaster relief operations; it has deployed small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions and in support of military operations in Iraq (2003-2009); the FAES is deployed throughout the country in zones; the Army’s combat units are 6 infantry brigades, plus a special security brigade comprised of border guards and military police, and an artillery brigade; the Navy operates about 10 patrol boats and has a small force of naval commandos; the Air Force has a few dozen light ground attack fixed-wing aircraft and multirole helicopters

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 (2023)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "

El Salvador-Honduras: International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of \"bolsones\" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca.

" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { "text": "71,500 (2021)" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — El Salvador does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials convicted more traffickers and identified more victims; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous year to improve its anti-trafficking capacity; the government significantly reduced the number of specialized prosecutors; less than half of all victims received government services or referrals to care providers; officials did not implement procedures to identify potential victims among children apprehended for gang-related activity or persons forcibly displaced from their homes; the government did not initiate any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of officials allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes or report progress on investigations from previous years; the anti-trafficking council was inactive and did not draft a new national anti-trafficking action plan, report on the government's 2021 efforts, or compile data across agencies; therefore, El Salvador was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2022)" }, "trafficking profile": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in El Salvador, and traffickers exploit victims from El Salvador abroad; adults and children are exploited in sex trafficking within the country; children without parents, adolescent girls, and LGBTQI+ persons—especially transgender persons—are at particular risk; sex trafficking reportedly occurs in the tourism industry; traffickers exploit victims within their own communities, sometimes their own children or other family members; Salvadoran adults and children are exploited in forced labor in agriculture, domestic service, and begging; adults and children from neighboring countries—particularly Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua—are exploited in sex trafficking and forced labor in construction, domestic service, or the informal sector; traffickers recruit victims in regions of El Salvador with high levels of violence; limited government presence in gang-controlled territory exacerbates trafficking risks; gangs use the pretense of domestic employment to lure women into forced labor; transnational criminal organizations and gangs including MS-13 and Barrio 18 recruit, abduct, train, arm, and subject children to forced labor—including assassinations, extortion, and drug trafficking; these groups subject women and children, including LGBTQI+ children, to sex trafficking and forced labor in domestic service and child care; Salvadoran men, women, and children are exploited in sex trafficking and forced labor in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States; traffickers exploit some Central and South American, African, and Asian migrants who transit El Salvador to Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada in sex and labor trafficking; endemic corruption and complicity, including within law enforcement, the judiciary, the prison system, and local government, hinder anti-trafficking efforts (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "

a transit country for illicit drugs destined for the United States;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

 

" } } }