Source
Central bank

Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador

International Reserves

USD 3.6 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 26.1 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 53.4 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
1.9% 2.1% -2.1% 2.1% 3.8% 2.8% 2.2%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018*    
1.7% 2.4% 2.5% 2.3% 2.5%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 3,923.7 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 8,041.2 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.08% 0.06% 0.06% 0.05% 0.04%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 4.9% 
  • industry: 24.7%
  • services: 60.3%

(2019 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-0.7% 0.6% 1% 1.1% 0.9%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
6.5% 6.9% 6.8% 7% 7%

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015 2016* 2017*
64.3% 65.5% 67.3% 67.1% 68.3%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-3.5% -2.9% -2.4% -2.5% -3.1%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B-

Moody': B3

Standard & Poor's / Moody's

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -1.2 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-4.8 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

28.9% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.03% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

USD 12.7 billion (2018 estimate)

Total exports

USD 7.5 billion (2018)

Export commodities

Offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, textiles and apparel, ethanol, chemicals, electricity, iron and steel manufactures

Total imports

USD 12.7 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Exports - major partners

US 45.7%, Honduras 13.9%, Guatemala 13.5%, Nicaragua 6.7%, Costa Rica 4.6% (2017)

Imports - major partners

US 36.7%, Guatemala 10.5%, China 8.7%, Mexico 7.4%, Honduras 6.7% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 347 million USD 889 million USD 840 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD -0.4 million USD 0.2 million USD 0.0 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
USD 5.0 million N/A N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

91 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 148 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 168 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 87 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 79 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 25 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 140 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 70 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 46 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 126 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 92 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

103 out of 141 countries (2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

103 out of 141 countries

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC-6

Total area

21,041 sq km

Capital

San Salvador

Currency

US dollar (USD)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

Spanish (official), Nawat (among some Amerindians)

Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
5.25 million 5.87 million 6.19 million 6.46 million 6.77 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
38.4% 44.1% 58.9% 72%
Population median age

27.6 years

Population growth rate

0.25% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

75.1 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 88.1% 
Male: 90.3% 
Female: 86.3%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

8.5% (last available estimate, 2017)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

38 (last available estimate, 2017)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 3 (2019)            

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 13.7% Mobile: 146.9% (2018) 
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

33.82 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

San Salvador: 166th (2019)

CO2 emissions

1 metric tons per capita (2014)

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