El Salvador Population (LIVE)

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El Salvador Population (1950 - 2026)

Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of El Salvador is 6,384,409 as of Thursday, March 12, 2026, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • El Salvador 2026 population is estimated at 6,391,253 people at mid-year.
  • El Salvador population is equivalent to 0.077% of the total world population.
  • El Salvador ranks number 113 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in El Salvador is 308 per Km² (799 people per mi²).
  • The total land area is 20,720 Km² (8,000 sq. miles).
  • 80.52% of the population is urban (5,146,497 people in 2026)
  • The median age in El Salvador is 28.4 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of El Salvador (2026 and historical)

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country's Share of World Pop World Population El Salvador Global Rank
2026 6,391,253 0.4% 25,750 −23,530 28.4 1.74 308 80.5% 5,146,497 0.077% 8,300,678,395 113
2025 6,365,503 0.43% 27,310 −23,934 27.9 1.75 307 79.9% 5,085,472 0.077% 8,231,613,070 113
2024 6,338,193 0.45% 28,569 −23,102 27.4 1.77 306 79.2% 5,022,985 0.078% 8,161,972,572 112
2023 6,309,624 0.47% 29,305 −23,253 27 1.77 305 78.6% 4,959,044 0.078% 8,091,734,930 112
2022 6,280,319 0.37% 22,823 −23,255 26.5 1.78 303 77.9% 4,893,661 0.078% 8,021,407,192 112
2020 6,234,673 0.16% 10,199 −25,213 25.7 1.82 301 76.3% 4,758,508 0.079% 7,887,001,292 112
2015 6,183,676 0.38% 23,085 −51,278 23.8 2.07 298 71.2% 4,399,797 0.083% 7,470,491,872 110
2010 6,068,249 0.21% 12,534 −54,688 22.6 2.24 293 66.5% 4,034,898 0.086% 7,021,732,148 108
2005 6,005,578 0.21% 12,442 −86,501 21.7 2.44 290 61.9% 3,716,729 0.091% 6,586,970,132 103
2000 5,943,366 0.62% 36,247 −94,861 20.2 3.08 287 58.2% 3,456,741 0.096% 6,171,702,993 101
1995 5,762,131 1.31% 72,481 −92,912 18.6 3.57 278 52.6% 3,029,314 0.10% 5,758,878,982 97
1990 5,399,726 1.98% 101,004 −39,689 17.7 3.96 261 48% 2,589,320 0.10% 5,327,803,110 97
1985 4,894,706 1.51% 70,865 −29,111 17.1 4.32 236 47% 2,298,304 0.10% 4,868,943,465 100
1980 4,540,382 1.96% 83,987 −71,318 16.4 5.11 219 44.5% 2,020,033 0.10% 4,447,606,236 99
1975 4,120,449 2.35% 90,331 −26,198 15.7 5.71 199 41.8% 1,723,324 0.10% 4,070,735,277 100
1970 3,668,796 2.78% 93,866 −11,367 15.5 6.18 177 39.4% 1,446,857 0.099% 3,694,683,794 101
1965 3,199,466 2.77% 81,601 −5,560 15.7 6.64 154 38.9% 1,244,965 0.096% 3,334,533,703 102
1960 2,791,459 2.59% 66,973 −4,885 16.1 6.62 135 38% 1,059,695 0.093% 3,015,470,894 104
1955 2,456,595 2.38% 54,618 −8,004 16.6 6.47 119 37% 909,227 0.090% 2,740,213,792 106

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

El Salvador Population Forecast

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country's Share of World Pop World Population El Salvador Global Rank
2030 6,486,207 0.38% 24,141 −23,036 30.3 1.71 313 82.8% 5,370,962 0.076% 8,569,124,911 111
2035 6,578,181 0.28% 18,395 −19,895 32.7 1.68 317 85% 5,594,549 0.074% 8,885,210,181 115
2040 6,640,752 0.19% 12,514 −17,581 34.8 1.67 320 86.9% 5,769,688 0.072% 9,177,190,203 116
2045 6,668,025 0.08% 5,455 −17,072 36.8 1.66 322 88.4% 5,894,454 0.071% 9,439,639,668 116
2050 6,663,346 −0.01% −936 −14,866 38.9 1.66 322 89.8% 5,983,999 0.069% 9,664,378,587 116

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

El Salvador Demographics (2026)

Life Expectancy
72.7 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality Rate
8.6

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Deaths under age 5
10.4

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in El Salvador

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 San Salvador 1,615,178
2 Santa Ana 214,624
3 Sonsonate 177,507
4 San Miguel 166,162
5 Lourdes 127,882
6 Ahuachapan 84,825
7 Chalchuapa 65,900
8 Usulután 64,355
9 Zacatecoluca 61,551
10 Cojutepeque 55,151
11 Quezaltepeque 54,864
12 Ciudad Arce 53,861
More info

See also


Notes

The El Salvador Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of El Salvador delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of El Salvador (1950 - 2026) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2026.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2026. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2026: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2026: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by El Salvador in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.