Statistics El Salvador 
El Salvador in the World
El Salvador - Introduction 2012
top of pageBackground: 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.
Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
El Salvador - People 2012
top of pagePopulation: 6,090,646 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 106
Growth rate: 0.303% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 166
Below poverty line: 36.5% (2010 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 57.1% Protestant 21.2% Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9% Mormon 0.7% other religions 2.3% none 16.8% (2003 est.)
Demographic profile:
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.
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.
Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 89% of population
rural: 83% of population
total: 87% of population
rural: 83% of population
total: 87% of population
Unimproved:
urban: 11% of population
rural: 17% of population
total: 13% of population
rural: 17% of population
total: 13% of population
Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 54
People living with hivaids: 34,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 67
Deaths: 1400 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 61
El Salvador - Government 2012
top of pageAdministrative divisions: 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
Legal system: civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (15 judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly; the 15 judges are assigned to four Supreme Court chambers - constitutional civil penal and administrative conflict)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Change (Cambio Democratico) or CD [Tomas CHEVEZ] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU); Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Andres ROVIRA]; National Coalition (Concertation Nacional) or CN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA] (formerly the National Conciliation Party or PCN); Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Alfredo CRISTIANI]; Party of Hope or PES [Rodolfo Antonio PARKER Soto] (formerly the Christian Democratic Party or PDC)
International organization participation: 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 NAM (observer) OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA SICA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL Union Latina UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top) white and 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
El Salvador - Economy 2012
top of pageEconomy overview: The smallest country in Central America geographically El Salvador has the third largest economy in the region. With the global recession in 2009 real GDP contracted by 3.1%. The economy slowed even further during 2010-12. Remittances accounted for 17% of GDP in 2011 and were received by about a third of all households. In 2006 El Salvador was the first country to ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) which has bolstered the export of processed foods sugar and ethanol and supported investment in the apparel sector amid increased Asian competition. El Salvador has promoted an open trade and investment environment and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending to telecom electricity distribution banking and pension funds. The Salvadoran Government maintained fiscal discipline during post-war reconstruction and reconstruction following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005. Taxes levied by the government include a value added tax (VAT) of 13% income tax of 30% excise taxes on alcohol and cigarettes and import duties. The VAT accounted for about 51.7% of total tax revenues in 2011. El Salvador's external debt amounts to about one-fourth of GDP. In 2012 El Salvador successfully completed a $461 million compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) - a United States Government agency aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty in the country's northern region the primary conflict zone during the civil war through investments in education public services enterprise development and transportation infrastructure. In December 2011 the MCC approved El Salvador's eligibility to develop a proposal for a program for consideration.
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$4.227 billion (31 December 2010)
$4.432 billion (31 December 2009)
$4.432 billion (31 December 2009)
Rank: 84
Exports: $5.402 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 109
Commodities: offshore assembly exports coffee sugar textiles and apparel gold ethanol chemicals electricity iron and steel manufactures
Partners: US 45.1% Guatemala 13.3% Honduras 8.6% Nicaragua 5.2% Germany 4.1% (2011)
Imports: $9.801 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 94
Commodities: raw materials consumer goods capital goods fuels foodstuffs petroleum electricity
Partners: US 39% Guatemala 9.8% Mexico 7.7% China 5.2% (2011)
El Salvador - Energy 2012
top of pageElectricity
Production: 5.728 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 112
Consumption: 5.756 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 109
Exports: 101.6 million kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 75
Imports: 215.8 million kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 85
Installed generating capacity: 1.501 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 114
Generation sources fossil fuels: 53% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 151
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 86
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 71
Generation sources other renewable sources: 15.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 11
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 131
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 109
Crude oil imports: 13,160 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 74
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 130
Refined petroleum
Products production: 16,750 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 98
Products consumption: 44,040 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 105
Products exports: 2,158 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 104
Products imports: 26,860 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 91
Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 126
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 141
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 193
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 192
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 135
Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.484 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 117
El Salvador - Communication 2012
top of pageTelephones
Main lines in use: 1.03 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 77
Mobile cellular: 8.316 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 86
Broadcast media: multiple privately-owned national terrestrial TV networks supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio broadcast stations and 1 government-owned radio broadcast station (2007)
El Salvador - Military 2012
top of pageMilitary service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation - 12 months with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2009)
El Salvador - Transportation 2012
top of pageEl Salvador - Transnational issues 2012
top of pageDisputes international: International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of 'bolsones' (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary in 1992 with final agreement 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 advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island not identified in the ICJ decision off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine
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