Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 86.3%, white 12.7%, Amerindian 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)

Languages:
Spanish (official), Nawat (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:
6,141,350 (July 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.31% (male 860,122/female 816,855)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 20.71% (male 638,989/female 632,741)
[see also: Age structure 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 38.1% (male 1,077,378/female 1,262,585)
[see also: Age structure 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 6.8% (male 186,570/female 230,839)
[see also: Age structure 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 7.09% (male 192,713/female 242,558) (2015 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]
population pyramid:
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 54.3%
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 41.7%
[see also: Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio country ranks ]
elderly dependency ratio: 12.6%
[see also: Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio country ranks ]
potential support ratio: 7.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - potential support ratio country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 26.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 24.6 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 27.6 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]

Population growth rate:
0.25% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
16.46 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-8.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 66.7% of total population (2015)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

Major urban areas - population:
SAN SALVADOR (capital) 1.098 million (2015)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2015 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:
54 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.86 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - total country ranks ]
male: 19.94 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 15.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 98

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.42 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - total country ranks ]
male: 71.14 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 77.86 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 119

Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
72.3%
note: percent of women aged 15-44 (2008)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
6.9% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 91
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

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

Hospital bed density:
1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: urban: 97.5% of population rural: 86.5% of population total: 93.8% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - Improved - total country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population rural: 13.5% of population total: 6.2% of population (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved: urban: 82.4% of population rural: 60% of population total: 75% of population
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total Improved country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 17.6% of population rural: 40% of population total: 25% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total UnImproved country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.53% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,900 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
400 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[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:
20.1% (2014)
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: 88%
[see also: Literacy - total country ranks ]
male: 90.4%
[see also: Literacy - male country ranks ]
female: 86% (2015 est.)
[see also: Literacy - female country ranks ]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
[see also: School life expectancy - total country ranks ]
male: 12 years
[see also: School life expectancy - male country ranks ]
female: 12 years (2012)
[see also: School life expectancy - female country ranks ]

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

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 12.4%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - total country ranks ]
male: 11.8%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ]
female: 13.6% (2013 est.)
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 89