Economy - overview:
The smallest country in Central America geographically, El Salvador has the fourth largest economy in the region. With the global recession, real GDP contracted in 2009 and economic growth has since remained low, averaging less than 2% from 2010 to 2014, but recovered somewhat in 2015. Remittances accounted for 17% of GDP in 2014 and were received by about a third of all households.In 2006, El Salvador was the first country to ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which has bolstered the export of processed foods, sugar, and ethanol, and supported investment in the apparel sector amid increased Asian competition. In September 2015, El Salvador kicked off a five-year $277 million second compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) - a United States Government agency aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty - to improve El Salvador's competitiveness and productivity in international markets..The Salvadoran Government maintained fiscal discipline during post-war reconstruction and reconstruction following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005, but El Salvador's public debt, estimated at 65% of GDP in 2015, has been growing over the last several years. Total external debt was nearly 60% of GDP in 2015.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$52.88 billion (2015 est.) $51.7 billion (2014 est.) $50.71 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 108
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.65 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2015 est.) 2% (2014 est.) 1.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,300 (2015 est.) $8,100 (2014 est.) $8,000 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
11% of GDP (2015 est.) 8.8% of GDP (2014 est.) 8.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 92.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 11.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 12.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 27%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -43.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 10.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 25.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 63.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products

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

Industrial production growth rate:
2.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
2.774 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 21%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 20%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 58% (2011 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
6.1% (2015 est.) 6.2% (2014 est.)
note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
36.5% (2010 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 37% (2009 est.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.9 (2007) 52.5 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 29
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $5.133 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $5.938 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
20% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
64.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 62.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
note: El Salvador's total public debt includes non-financial public sector debt, financial public sector debt, and central bank debt
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.9% (2015 est.) 1.1% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.1% (31 December 2015 est.) 5.99% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$3.017 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $2.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$11.45 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $10.87 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$13.22 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $12.26 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$10.74 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $5.474 billion (31 December 2011) $4.227 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$678 million (2015 est.) -$1.194 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$4.489 billion (2015 est.) $4.256 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, textiles and apparel, gold, ethanol, chemicals, electricity, iron and steel manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 46.5%, Honduras 14.2%, Guatemala 13.4%, Nicaragua 6.4%, Costa Rica 4.6% (2014)

Imports:
$9.213 billion (2015 est.) $9.463 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Imports - partners:
US 41%, Guatemala 9.5%, China 7.3%, Mexico 7%, Honduras 5.3% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.66 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $2.693 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$15.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $14.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$9.708 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $9.358 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$727.3 million (31 December 2015 est.) $857.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
note: the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy