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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 21,041 km²
Land: 20,721 km²
Water: 320 km²
Comparative: about the same size as New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 590 km
Border countries: (2) Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km

Coastline: 307 km

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

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

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

Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 13.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 11.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 274 km² (2020)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 470 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 210 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.43 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 26.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

Geography
Note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea

Population
Distribution: 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: 6,602,370 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.46% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 22.8% (2019 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Salvadoran(s)
Adjective: Salvadoran

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

Languages: Spanish (official), Nawat (among some Amerindians)
Major-language samples:

Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 857,304/female 819,670)
15-64 years: 66.39% (male 2,072,784/female 2,310,573)
65 years and over: 8.21% (2023 est.) (male 232,684/female 309,355)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.3
Youth dependency ratio: 39
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.3
Potential support ratio: 8.1 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 29.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 27.7 years
Female: 30.7 years

Population growth rate: 0.46% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 17.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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

Major urban areas
Population: 1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
International 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
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 22.15 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.17 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.71 megatons (2020 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
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.8 years (2008 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 43 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.6 years (2023 est.)
Male: 72.2 years
Female: 79.3 years

Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 71.9% (2014)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 99.6% of population
Improved rural: 94.2% of population
Improved total: 98.2% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.4% of population
Unimproved rural: 5.8% of population
Unimproved total: 1.8% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 9.9% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 2.87 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 1.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 2.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 7.9% (2020 est.)
Male: 14.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.7% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5% (2014)

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89.1%
Male: 91.3%
Female: 87.3% (2019)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2018)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 13.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 18.3%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
Conventional short form: El Salvador
Local long form: República de El Salvador
Local short form: El Salvador
Etymology: 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: presidential republic

Capital
Name: San Salvador
Geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: Spanish for "Holy Savior" (referring to Jesus Christ)

Administrative 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

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution
History: many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983
Amendments: 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: 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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ de Guevara (since 1 December 2023); note - parliament granted a six-month leave of absence to President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez and Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (to allow them to participate in the 4 February 2024 presidential election) and approved the appointment of Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ de Guevara as acting president from 1 December 2023 to 1 June 2024
Head of government: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ de Guevara (since 1 December 2023)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
Elections/appointments: 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 4 February 2024)
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: 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: last held on 28 February 2021 (next to be held in 2024)
Election results: 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 courts: 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: 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: Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace

Political parties and leaders:

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, 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: Ambassador Carmen Milena MAYORGA VALERA (since 23 December 2020)
In the us chancery: 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 595-7,500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-3,763
In the us email address and website: infoEEUU@rree.gob.sv
In the us consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Brentwood (NY), Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Laredo (TX), Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), New York, San Bernardino (CA), San Francisco, Tucson (AZ), Washington (DC), Woodbridge (VA)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William H. DUNCAN (since 24 January 2023)
From the us embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
From the us mailing address: 3,450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20,521-3,450
From the us telephone: [503] 2,501-2,999
From the us FAX: [503] 2,501-2,150
From the us email address and website:

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 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: 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 symbols: turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white

National anthem
Name: "Himno Nacional de El Salvador" (National Anthem of El Salvador)
Lyrics/music: Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE
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: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Economy overview: 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:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 84.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 27.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -44.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12% (2017 est.)
Industry: 27.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 60.3% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sugar cane, maize, milk, poultry, sorghum, beans, coconuts, eggs, apples, oranges

Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Industrial production growth rate: 9.47% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 2.658 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 13.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 18.3%

Population below poverty line: 22.8% (2019 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 38.8 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.2%
Highest 10%: 32.3% (2014 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $6.448 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $7.273 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -2.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 18.66% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:
Note: El Salvador's total public debt includes non-financial public sector debt, financial public sector debt, and central bank debt

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: United States 40%, Guatemala 15%, Honduras 15%, Nicaragua 6% (2019)
Commodities: clothing, electrical capacitors, plastic lids, sugar, packaged medicines, toilet paper (2021)

Imports:
Partners: United States 30%, China 14%, Guatemala 13%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 6% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, packaged medicines, clothing, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

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

Electricity
Access population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
Access electrification-total population: 97.8% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 99.2% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 94% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 2.586 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 6,443,200,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 158 million kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 1.45 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 795.8 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 28.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 30% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 22.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 12.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 59,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 347 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 49,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.632 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 7.63 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 24.124 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 862,717 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 11,071,073 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 175 (2021 est.)

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 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: .sv
Users total: 3.969 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 63% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 586,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2020 est.)

Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: 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: 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 service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and non-commissioned officers (2023)
Note: as of 2016, women made up about 6% of the active duty military

Space program
Overview: small, nascent space effort; ESAI serves as a link and coordination body for the aerospace industry with a focus on research, development, and innovation, particularly in the fields of science, technology, and engineering; has sought training and cooperation on space programs from South Korea and Turkey (2023)
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in space programs

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,545,105 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 10.73 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YS

Airports: 68 (2021)
With paved runways: 5
With paved runways 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.)
With unpaved runways: 63
With unpaved runways 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: 2 (2021)

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

Roadways
Total: 9,012 km (2017)
Paved: 5,341 km (2017)
Unpaved: 3,671 km (2017)

Waterways: 422 km (2022) (Rio Lempa River is partially navigable by small craft)

Merchant marine
Total: 4 (2022)
By type: other 4

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Puerto Cutuco
Oil terminals: Acajutla offshore terminal

Disputes international: 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: 52,000 (2022)

Illicit drugs: 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