El Salvador - SV - SLV - ESA - Central America and the Caribbean

chief of mission: Ambassador William H. DUNCAN (since 24 January 2023)

embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador

mailing address: 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450

telephone: [503] 2501-2999

FAX: [503] 2501-2150

email address and website:
ACSSanSal@state.gov

https://sv.usembassy.gov/

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)

13 50 N, 88 55 W

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: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

about the same size as New Jersey

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)

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.

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

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

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

26.6% (2022 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

lowest 10%: 1.9% (2022 est.)

highest 10%: 28.7% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

garments, plastic products, electrical capacitors, raw sugar, toilet paper (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 36%, Guatemala 17%, Honduras 15%, Nicaragua 8%, Costa Rica 5% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

sugarcane, maize, milk, chicken, sorghum, beans, oranges, coconuts, eggs, mangoes/guavas (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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)

revenues: $9.359 billion (2023 est.)

expenditures: $9.371 billion (2023 est.)

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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 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

refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, packaged medicine, plastics (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

307 km

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

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

chief of state: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)

head of government: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)

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 4 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029)

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%

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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

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

 

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

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

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)

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

total: 590 km

border countries (2): Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km

agricultural land: 57.7% (2022 est.)

arable land: 34.8% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 7.7% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 15.2% (2022 est.)

forest: 27.7% (2022 est.)

other: 14.5% (2022 est.)

civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Asamblea legislativa)

legislative structure: unicameral

number of seats: 60 (all directly elected)

electoral system: proportional representation

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 3 years

most recent election date: 2/4/2024

parties elected and seats per party: New Ideas (N) (54); Other (6)

percentage of women in chamber: 31.7%

expected date of next election: February 2027

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 89.1%

male: 91.3%

female: 87.3% (2019)

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

noun: Salvadoran(s)

adjective: Salvadoran

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

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

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

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

total: 12.5 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: 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: fixed-line services, roughly 14 per 100, mobile-cellular competition now at 175 subscribers per 100 inhabitants (2021)

international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2019)

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

presidential republic

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: 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

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Central America and the Caribbean

240 sq km (2022)

chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen Milena MAYORGA VALERA (since 23 December 2020)

chancery: 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 595-7500

FAX: [1] (202) 232-3763

email address and website:
infoEEUU@rree.gob.sv

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

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)

percent of population: 63% (2022 est.)

.sv

IDPs: 52,000 (2022)

$34.016 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Fitch rating: B- (2017)

Moody's rating: B3 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating: B- (2018)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

26.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 12 years (2018)

urban population: 75.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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)

improved:

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 94.2% of population

total: 98.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 5.8% of population

total: 1.8% of population (2020 est.)

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

1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

1.62 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

1.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

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

20.8 years (2008 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

71.9% (2014)

household consumption: 81.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 18% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 22% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: -2.7% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 31.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -49.8% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 47.6 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 35 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 12.5 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 8 (2024 est.)

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

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

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

YS

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 97.1% of population

total: 99.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 2.9% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)

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

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.)

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.

USA 28%, China 15%, Guatemala 11%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 5% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 442 m

9.7% of GDP (2021)

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 multiple cases since 2022, for example, as many as 8,000 troops have been deployed alongside thousands of police on single operations against criminal gang members 

the FAES exercises 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 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)

approximately 25,000 active military personnel (2025)

note: El Salvador has pledged to increase the size of the military to 40,000 troops by 2026

the FAES is lightly armed with an inventory of mostly older imported arms and equipment, largely from the US  (2023)

municipal: 470 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 210 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 1.43 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,648,996 tons (2010 est.)

on food: 26.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 0.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

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.)

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site

consumption: 500 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 9.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 19.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

geothermal: 24.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste: 14% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

consumption: 486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports: 486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 3 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 56,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

0.98 (2024 est.)

55% (2023 est.)

24.09% of GDP (2023 est.)
24.54% of GDP (2022 est.)
26.25% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

women married by age 15: 4.3%

women married by age 18: 19.7% (2021 est.)

total ports: 3 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 0

very small: 3

ports with oil terminals: 3

key ports: Acajutla, Acajutla Offshore Terminal, La Union

2.839 million (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 7.2% (2023 est.)

male: 5.3% (2023 est.)

female: 10.8% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

-7.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 29.7 years (2024 est.)

male: 28.2 years

female: 31.2 years

$13.076 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

43 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$3.426 billion (2021 est.)
$3.083 billion (2020 est.)
$4.446 billion (2019 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

101.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)

2.76% (2023 est.)
3% (2022 est.)
4.33% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 6,628,702 (2024 est.)

male: 3,172,244

female: 3,456,458

8.694 million 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.)

from consumed natural gas: 948,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 21,041 sq km

land: 20,721 sq km

water: 320 sq km

20.61% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$71.957 billion (2023 est.)
$69.516 billion (2022 est.)
$67.623 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

27 (2025)

total: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 11.5 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 182 (2022 est.)

38.8 (2022 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

4.05% (2023 est.)
7.2% (2022 est.)
3.47% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

-$465.688 million (2023 est.)
-$2.182 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.25 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$11,400 (2023 est.)
$11,100 (2022 est.)
$10,800 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 671,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2022 est.)

total: 7.9% (2020 est.)

male: 14.1% (2020 est.)

female: 1.7% (2020 est.)

24.6% (2016)

24.421 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

17.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 2.803 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 6.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports: 140 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 750.096 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 770.613 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 5 (2023)

by type: other 5

5% (2014)

$17.032 billion (2023 est.)
$18.184 billion (2022 est.)
$15.483 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$10.629 billion (2023 est.)
$10.164 billion (2022 est.)
$8.351 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

total subscriptions: 863,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2022 est.)

total: 2.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 1.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total population: 75.9 years (2024 est.)

male: 72.4 years

female: 79.5 years

3.51% (2023 est.)
2.8% (2022 est.)
11.9% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.12% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 4.6% (2023 est.)

industry: 25% (2023 est.)

services: 59.8% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.34% (2024 est.)