El Salvador

Code: ES | Region: Central America N Caribbean

Introduction

Background

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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

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

Geographic coordinates

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13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references

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Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total

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21,041 sq km

land

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20,721 sq km

water

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320 sq km

Area - comparative

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about the same size as New Jersey

Land boundaries

total

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590 km

border countries

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Guatemala 199 km; Honduras 391 km

Coastline

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307 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm

contiguous zone

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24 nm

exclusive economic zone

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200 nm

Climate

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

Terrain

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mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation

highest point

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Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

lowest point

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Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

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442 m

Natural resources

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hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use

agricultural land

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57.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 34.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 15.2% (2023 est.)

forest

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33% (2023 est.)

other

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9.3% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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240 sq km (2022)

Population distribution

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high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador

Natural hazards

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

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

total

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6,334,723 (2025 est.)

male

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3,026,645

female

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3,308,078

Nationality

noun

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Salvadoran(s)

adjective

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Salvadoran

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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Spanish (official), Nawat (among some indigenous)

major-language sample(s)

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La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

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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.)

Age structure

0-14 years

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25.3% (male 855,841/female 818,642)

15-64 years

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66.3% (male 2,077,745/female 2,317,416)

65 years and over

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8.4% (2024 est.) (male 238,658/female 320,400)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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43 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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29.9 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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13.1 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

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7.6 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

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31.2 years (2025 est.)

male

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28.2 years

female

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31.2 years

Population growth rate

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0.34% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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12.46 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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-3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador

Urbanization

urban population

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75.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

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1.116 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.74 male(s)/female

total population

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0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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20.8 years (2008 est.)

note

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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39 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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10 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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13.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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10 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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75.9 years (2024 est.)

male

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72.4 years

female

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79.5 years

Total fertility rate

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1.4 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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0.68 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 94.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 98.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 5.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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9.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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21.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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1.62 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

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1.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 98.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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24.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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2.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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1.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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7.8% (2025 est.)

male

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14.7% (2025 est.)

female

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1.7% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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5% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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50.7% (2021 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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4.3% (2021)

women married by age 18

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19.7% (2021)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

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3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

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15.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy

total population

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89.8% (2024 est.)

male

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91.6% (2024 est.)

female

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88.2% (2024 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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11 years (2023 est.)

male

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11 years (2023 est.)

female

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12 years (2023 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements

party to

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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

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Law of the Sea

Climate

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

Land use

agricultural land

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57.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 34.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 15.2% (2023 est.)

forest

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33% (2023 est.)

other

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9.3% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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75.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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8.694 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

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1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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7.745 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

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948,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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23.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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1.649 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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15.2% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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433.229 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

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94.316 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural

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1.411 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total renewable water resources

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26.27 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Republic of El Salvador

conventional short form

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El Salvador

local long form

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República de El Salvador

local short form

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El Salvador

etymology

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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

Government type

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presidential republic

Capital

name

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San Salvador

geographic coordinates

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13 42 N, 89 12 W

time difference

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UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology

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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

Administrative divisions

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14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapán, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazán, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulután

Legal system

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civil law system with minor common law influence; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts

Constitution

history

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many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983

amendment process

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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

International law organization participation

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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yes

citizenship by descent only

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yes

dual citizenship recognized

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yes

residency requirement for naturalization

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5 years

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

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President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)

head of government

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President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)

cabinet

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Council of Ministers selected by the president

election/appointment process

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president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)

most recent election date

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4 February 2024

election results

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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%

expected date of next election

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28 February 2027; note - on 31 July 2025, the Legislative Assembly voted to move the date of the next presidential election from 2029 to 2027 to bring the presidential election cycle in line with the three-year legislative and municipal election cycle

note

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

Legislative branch

legislature name

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Legislative Assembly (Asamblea legislativa)

legislative structure

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unicameral

number of seats

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60 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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proportional representation

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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3 years

most recent election date

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2/4/2024

parties elected and seats per party

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New Ideas (N) (54); Other (6)

percentage of women in chamber

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31.7%

expected date of next election

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February 2027

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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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

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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

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Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace

Political parties

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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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Carmen Milena MAYORGA VALERA (since 23 December 2020)

chancery

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

telephone

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[1] (202) 595-7500

FAX

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[1] (202) 232-3763

email address and website

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

consulate(s) general

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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)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Naomi C. FELLOWS (since August 2025)

embassy

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

mailing address

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3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450

telephone

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[503] 2501-2999

FAX

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[503] 2501-2150

email address and website

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ACSSanSal@state.gov https://sv.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

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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

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15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday

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Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Flag

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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 has a round emblem with the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL around it meaning: the blue bands stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and the white for the land, as well as peace and prosperity history: the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America

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 and centered in the white band

National symbol(s)

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turquoise-browed motmot (bird)

National color(s)

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blue, white

National anthem(s)

title

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"Himno Nacional de El Salvador" (National Anthem of El Salvador)

lyrics/music

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Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE

history

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officially adopted 1953, in use since 1879; at four minutes and 20 seconds, the anthem is one of the world's longest

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site

Economy

Economic overview

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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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

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$73.961 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

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$72.085 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

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$69.621 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

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2.6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

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3.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

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3% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$11,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

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$11,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

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$11,100 (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

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$35.365 billion (2024 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

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0.9% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

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7.2% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

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4.4% (2024 est.)

industry

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22.4% (2024 est.)

services

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61% (2024 est.)

note

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

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

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79.6% (2024 est.)

government consumption

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19.2% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

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22.2% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

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-1.9% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services

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32.8% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

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-51.9% (2024 est.)

note

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

Agricultural products

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

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

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0.4% (2024 est.)

note

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

Labor force

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2.89 million (2024 est.)

note

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

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

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2.9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

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3% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

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6.7% (2024 est.)

male

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5.2% (2024 est.)

female

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9.5% (2024 est.)

note

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

Population below poverty line

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26.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

text

39.8 (2023 est.)

note

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

Average household expenditures

on food

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26.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco

text

0.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

text

1.9% (2023 est.)

highest 10%

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29.7% (2023 est.)

note

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

Remittances

Remittances 2024

text

24% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

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24.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

24.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

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

Budget

revenues

text

$9.359 billion (2023 est.)

expenditures

text

$10.313 billion (2023 est.)

note

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

Public debt

Public debt 2023

text

102.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

text

20.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

text

-$632.549 million (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

text

-$367.831 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

-$2.144 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Exports

Exports 2024

text

$11.586 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

text

$10.629 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$10.164 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Exports - partners

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

note

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

Exports - commodities

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

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2024

text

$18.354 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

text

$17.034 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

text

$18.181 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Imports - partners

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

note

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

Imports - commodities

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

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

text

$3.705 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

text

$3.079 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$2.695 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

text

$12.668 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates

text

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

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

text

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity

text

2.803 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption

text

6.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

text

140 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports

text

750.096 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

text

770.613 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

text

9.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

text

19.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

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2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

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31% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

geothermal

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24.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste

text

14% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

consumption

text

500 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

text

2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production

text

3 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

text

56,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

text

486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

text

486.291 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

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24.421 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

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885,000 (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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14 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

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11.2 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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177 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

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multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio stations and 2 government-owned radio stations; transition to digital transmission was set to begin in 2018, along with adoption of the Japanese-Brazilian Digital Standard (ISDB-T) (2022)

Internet country code

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.sv

Internet users

percent of population

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68% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

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671,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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11 (2022 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

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Airports

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27 (2025)

Railways

total

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12.5 km (2014)

narrow gauge

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12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge

Merchant marine

total

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5 (2023)

by type

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other 5

Ports

total ports

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3 (2024)

large

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medium

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small

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very small

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ports with oil terminals

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key ports

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Acajutla, Acajutla Offshore Terminal, La Union

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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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)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2024

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1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

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1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

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1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

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1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

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1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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approximately 25,000 active FAES (2025)

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

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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the FAES is lightly armed with an inventory of mostly older or secondhand arms and equipment, largely provided by the US (2025)

Military service age and obligation

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18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (17-22 for military schools); men are subject to selective compulsory military service; service obligation up to 18 months (2025)

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note: in 2024, women comprised over 11% of the active military

Military - note

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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) are 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 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 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)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

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note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

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392 (2024 est.)

IDPs

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35,391 (2024 est.)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

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major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)