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 2015-17 with an average annual growth rate of 2.4%. Remittances accounted for approximately 17.1% of GDP in 2016 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, 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 - a US 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 rebuilding following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005, but El Salvador's public debt, estimated at 68.1% of GDP in 2017, has been growing over the last several years. Total external debt was about 60% of GDP in 2017.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$56.9 billion (2017 est.)
$55.62 billion (2016 est.)
$54.34 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 108
$27.41 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
2.3% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)
2.3% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$8,900 (2017 est.)
$8,800 (2016 est.)
$8,600 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 145
13% of GDP (2017 est.)
11.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
10.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 88.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 12.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 13.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 25.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -39.4% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 10.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 24.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 64.9% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products
food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
2.774 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
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 ]
7% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
note: data are official rates; but underemployment is high
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
34.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.2%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 32.3% (2014 est.)
37 (2015 est.)
38 (2014)
country comparison to the world: 79
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $5.756 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $6.751 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
21% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-3.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
68.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
65.5% of GDP (2016 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: 53
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
0.8% (2017 est.)
0.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
6.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
6.37% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$3.311 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.129 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$12.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.97 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$15.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.71 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$4.4 billion (December 2016 est.)
$3.816 billion (December 2015 est.)
$3.535 billion (December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$266 million (2017 est.)
-$531 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$4.25 billion (2017 est.)
$4.186 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, textiles and apparel, ethanol, chemicals, electricity, iron and steel manufactures
US 48.3%, Honduras 14.2%, Guatemala 13.5%, Nicaragua 6.5%, Costa Rica 4.7% (2016)
$9.503 billion (2017 est.)
$8.823 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity
US 37.9%, Guatemala 10.2%, China 8.8%, Mexico 7.6%, Honduras 6.3% (2016)
$3.067 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.238 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$16.29 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$15.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$10.78 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.31 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$961.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.111 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
note: the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy, 1 (2017 est.)