Page last updated on June 22, 2014

Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 86.3%, white 12.7%, Amerindian 1% (2007 census)

Languages:
Spanish (official), Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)

Demographic profile:
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.

Population:
6,125,512 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 882,185/female 837,646)
15-24 years: 20.8% (male 640,322/female 635,409)
25-54 years: 37.5% (male 1,056,779/female 1,243,220)
55-64 years: 6.6% (male 182,937/female 224,019)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 187,664/female 235,331) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 57.6 %
youth dependency ratio: 46.2 %
elderly dependency ratio: 11.4 %
potential support ratio: 8.8 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.6 years
male: 24.1 years
female: 27.1 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.27% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
16.79 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
5.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 64.8% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 1.35% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:
SAN SALVADOR (capital) 1.605 million (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth:
20.8
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
81 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.44 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 97
male: 20.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.18 years
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 70.9 years
female: 77.62 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
72.5%
note: percent of women aged 15-44 (2008)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
6.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 87
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
1.6 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 95% of population
rural: 81% of population
total: 90.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 5.8% of population
rural: 19% of population
total: 9.9% of population (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 79.5% of population
rural: 53.4% of population
total: 70.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: 20.5% of population
rural: 46.6% of population
total: 29.5% of population (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
24,900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,000 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2013)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
25.8% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
6.6% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 129
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.5%
male: 87.1%
female: 82.3% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2012)

Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 179,303
percentage: 4 %
note: data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 12.4%
country comparison to the world: 97
male: 12.8%
female: 11.7% (2012)