Rank #59 by World Population
🇸🇻El Salvador
El Salvador has a population of 6,309,624, ranking #59 in the world. The capital is San Salvador. Located in Latin America & Caribbean .
World Bank: Upper middle income
6,309,624
Population
#59
World Rank
72.1
Life Expectancy
$5,365
GDP Per Capita
El Salvador, #59 by world population
El Salvador Population History (1960-2024)
The country of El Salvador had a population of 2,791,459 in 1960 and 6,338,193 in 2024, a 2.3× growth over 64 years. The peak was 6,338,193 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 1.29%.
6,338,193
Population (2024)
2,791,459
Population (1960)
6,338,193
Peak (2024)
1.29%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,791,459 |
| 1961 | 2,870,016 |
| 1962 | 2,949,204 |
| 1963 | 3,028,679 |
| 1964 | 3,111,883 |
| 1965 | 3,199,466 |
| 1966 | 3,290,961 |
| 1967 | 3,385,184 |
| 1968 | 3,480,773 |
| 1969 | 3,576,485 |
| 1970 | 3,668,796 |
| 1971 | 3,757,523 |
| 1972 | 3,846,830 |
| 1973 | 3,938,068 |
| 1974 | 4,029,671 |
| 1975 | 4,120,449 |
| 1976 | 4,210,310 |
| 1977 | 4,301,256 |
| 1978 | 4,394,114 |
| 1979 | 4,480,388 |
| 1980 | 4,540,382 |
| 1981 | 4,570,599 |
| 1982 | 4,622,477 |
| 1983 | 4,707,367 |
| 1984 | 4,798,003 |
| 1985 | 4,894,706 |
| 1986 | 4,992,769 |
| 1987 | 5,092,441 |
| 1988 | 5,195,833 |
| 1989 | 5,298,979 |
| 1990 | 5,399,726 |
| 1991 | 5,495,077 |
| 1992 | 5,585,609 |
| 1993 | 5,659,957 |
| 1994 | 5,714,129 |
| 1995 | 5,762,131 |
| 1996 | 5,805,286 |
| 1997 | 5,844,578 |
| 1998 | 5,880,781 |
| 1999 | 5,913,900 |
| 2000 | 5,943,366 |
| 2001 | 5,968,060 |
| 2002 | 5,986,631 |
| 2003 | 5,998,599 |
| 2004 | 6,004,671 |
| 2005 | 6,005,578 |
| 2006 | 6,002,319 |
| 2007 | 6,009,824 |
| 2008 | 6,029,297 |
| 2009 | 6,048,279 |
| 2010 | 6,068,249 |
| 2011 | 6,090,127 |
| 2012 | 6,113,975 |
| 2013 | 6,138,839 |
| 2014 | 6,162,955 |
| 2015 | 6,183,676 |
| 2016 | 6,200,800 |
| 2017 | 6,213,533 |
| 2018 | 6,219,807 |
| 2019 | 6,222,318 |
| 2020 | 6,234,673 |
| 2021 | 6,255,782 |
| 2022 | 6,280,319 |
| 2023 | 6,309,624 |
| 2024 | 6,338,193 |
Demographics
| Population | 6,309,624 |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.47% |
| Urban Population | 74.6% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.77 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 72.1 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 9.2 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 89.8% |
Economy & Trade
$5,365
GDP Per Capita
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
Upper middle income
Income Level
39.8
Gini Index (inequality)
81.7%
Trade (% of GDP)
707,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
9.3%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
1.62
Physicians per 1,000
3.2%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
89.8%
Literacy Rate
9.2
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
98.3%
Electricity Access
60.1%
Internet Users
177
Mobile Subs per 100
304.5
People per km2
-23,253
Net Migration
Environment
27.5%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Latin America & Caribbean
El Salvador in global context
El Salvador is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
El Salvador has a population of 6,309,624, ranking #59 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 0.47%.
Life expectancy in El Salvador is 72.1 years. The infant mortality rate is 9.2 per 1,000 live births.
El Salvador's GDP per capita is $5,365. It is classified as a upper middle income country by the World Bank.
74.6% of El Salvador's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 304.5 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in El Salvador is 89.8%. The country spends 3.2% of GDP on education.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. population demographics dataset. The detail above comes directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.