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Central America and the Caribbean
Page last updated: May 27, 2024
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.
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
13 50 N, 88 55 W
Central America and the Caribbean
Total: 21,041 km²
Land: 20,721 km²
Water: 320 km²
About the same size as New Jersey
Area comparison map:
Total: 590 km
Border countries (2): Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km
307 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 442 m
Hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 13.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 11.7% (2018 est.)
274 km² (2020)
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
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
Smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea
Total: 6,628,702
Male: 3,172,244
Female: 3,456,458 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 107; male 110; total 110
Noun: Salvadoran(s)
Adjective: Salvadoran
Mestizo 86.3%, White 12.7%, Indigenous 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), Black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 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.
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.)
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.
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)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 51.3
Youth dependency ratio: 39
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.3
Potential support ratio: 8.1 (2021 est.)
Total: 29.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 28.2 years
Female: 31.2 years
0.34% (2024 est.)
17.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
-7.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
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
Urban population: 75.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)
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.)
20.8 years (2008 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
43 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
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 population: 75.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 72.4 years
Female: 79.5 years
2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)
0.98 (2024 est.)
71.9% (2014)
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.)
9.9% of GDP (2020)
2.87 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
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.)
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
24.6% (2016)
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: 7.9% (2020 est.)
Male: 14.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.7% (2020 est.)
5% (2014)
55% (2023 est.)
Women married by age 15: 4.3%
Women married by age 18: 19.7% (2021 est.)
4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89.1%
Male: 91.3%
Female: 87.3% (2019)
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2018)
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
Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 13.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 11.7% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 75.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.6% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 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.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,648,996 tons (2010 est.)
Municipal: 470 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 210 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.43 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
26.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
Conventional short form: El Salvador
Local long form: RepĂşblica 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)
Presidential republic
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)
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
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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
Civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRĂŤGUEZ DE GUEVARA (since 1 December 2023); note - parliament granted a six-month leave of absence to President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez and Vice President FĂ©lix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (to allow them to participate in the 4 February 2024 presidential election) and approved the appointment of Claudia Juana RODRĂŤGUEZ DE GUEVARA as acting president from 1 December 2023 to 1 June 2024, when election winner Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez will be sworn in for a second term
Head of government: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRĂŤGUEZ 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 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%; note he will be inaugurated on 1 June 2024
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%
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%
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
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]
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
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
Turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white
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
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site
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
$59.537 billion (2022 est.)
$58.028 billion (2021 est.)
$52.195 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
2.6% (2022 est.)
11.18% (2021 est.)
-7.82% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$9,400 (2022 est.)
$9,200 (2021 est.)
$8,300 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$32.489 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
7.2% (2022 est.)
3.47% (2021 est.)
-0.37% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
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.
Agriculture: 12% (2017 est.)
Industry: 27.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 60.3% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 123; industry 96; agriculture 78
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.)
Sugarcane, maize, milk, chicken, beans, sorghum, coconuts, oranges, eggs, yautia (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
2.82% (2022 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
2.835 million (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
3% (2022 est.)
4.33% (2021 est.)
5.01% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 13.7% (2021 est.)
Male: 11.3%
Female: 18.3%
26.6% (2022 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
38.8 (2022 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 26.5% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 0.5% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 1.9%
Highest 10%: 28.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
23.68% of GDP (2022 est.)
25.38% of GDP (2021 est.)
23.79% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $6.448 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $7.273 billion (2019 est.)
-2.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
65.55% of GDP (2021 est.)
70.36% of GDP (2020 est.)
53.88% of GDP (2019 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
19.42% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
-$2.146 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.272 billion (2021 est.)
$403.054 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$10.129 billion (2022 est.)
$8.33 billion (2021 est.)
$6.073 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
US 38%, Guatemala 16%, Honduras 16%, Nicaragua 7%, Costa Rica 4% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Garments, plastic products, electrical capacitors, fabric, raw sugar (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$18.07 billion (2022 est.)
$15.459 billion (2021 est.)
$10.398 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
US 30%, China 16%, Guatemala 12%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 6% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Refined petroleum, garments, natural gas, plastic products, plastics (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$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
$17.24 billion (2019 est.)
$16.712 billion (2018 est.)
The US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy
Population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
Electrification - total population: 97.8% (2021)
Electrification - urban areas: 99.2% (2021)
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.)
Comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 112; transmission/distribution losses 94; imports 65; exports 88; consumption 115
Fossil fuels: 28.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 30% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 22.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 12.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
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.)
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.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
347 bbl/day (2015 est.)
49,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
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.)
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.)
24.124 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 863,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 11.509 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 182 (2022 est.)
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)
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)
.sv
Total: 3.969 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 63% (2021 est.)
Total: 586,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2020 est.)
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
YS
27 (2024)
Total: 12.5 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge
Total: 9,012 km
Paved: 5,341 km
Unpaved: 3,671 km (2017)
422 km (2022) (Rio Lempa River is partially navigable by small craft)
Total: 5 (2023)
By type: other 5
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
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) (2024)
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
1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
Approximately 25,000 active military personnel (21,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2023)
The FAES has a mix of mostly older imported platforms, largely from the US (2023)
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
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 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 six infantry brigades, plus a special security brigade comprised of border guards and military police, and an artillery brigade; the Navy operates 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 Martà 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)
IDPs: 52,000 (2022)
Tier rating: 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; El Salvador hired more police and prosecutors in specialized anti-trafficking units and provided awareness training for Salvadorans participating in temporary work programs abroad; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous year, to improve its anti-trafficking capacity; the government investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer traffickers; less than half of all victims received government services or referrals to care providers, and services provided were inadequate; the government arrested and detained thousands of suspected gang members, disabling criminal networks that fueled demand for sex and labor trafficking, but authorities arrested and detained children affiliated with gangs without screening for trafficking indicators; interagency coordination remained weak, government data was unreliable, and the national anti-trafficking council did not reconcile the data or publish a report on the government’s 2022 efforts; therefore, El Salvador remained on Tier 2 Watch list (2023)
Trafficking profile: 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; orphans, adolescent girls, and LGBTQI+ persons are at particular risk; sex trafficking reportedly occurs in the tourism industry; traffickers exploit victims within their own communities or homes, 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 Guatemala, Honduras, 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 and capitalize on fear to coerce victims and their families through threats of violence; in 2022, territorial gang control decreased dramatically across El Salvador, following the arrests of thousands of suspected gang members under the government’s state of exception; reports indicate extortion and violence declined significantly, but no data is available on the state of exception’s impact on trafficking; prior to the state of exception, limited government presence in gang-controlled territory exacerbated trafficking risks among vulnerable groups; many families were displaced fleeing gang exploitation of children; transnational criminal organizations and gangs, including MS-13 and Barrio 18, recruited, abducted, trained, armed, and subjected children to forced labor—including assassinations, extortion, and drug trafficking; these groups subjected 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 US; traffickers exploit some Salvadorans who irregularly migrate to the US in forced labor, criminal activity, and sex trafficking en route or upon arrival; traffickers exploit some victims from Asia, South America, or other Central American countries in sex and labor trafficking in El Salvador; reported corruption and complicity among some government officials may have obstructed anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts (2023)
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