El Salvador: official statistics and sources
16 official bodies for El Salvador, from National Office of Statistics and Censuses (Central Reserve Bank) to COMPRASAL, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: Spanish. Capital: San Salvador.
Who holds power in El Salvador
- Head of state: Nayib Armando Bukele (Presidente de la República de El Salvador)
- Head of government: The head of state leads the government (no prime minister listed)
- Foreign minister: Alexandra Hill Tinoco (Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de la República de El Salvador)
Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Unitary presidential republic. How local power works in El Salvador: 4 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.
Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.
Government, regions and cities
- Government and power in El Salvador: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
- All 14 departments: San Salvador, La Libertad, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, San Miguel…
- The 11 largest cities: San Salvador
Key figures
What the figures show
El Salvador had 6.4 million people in 2025, by the World Bank's count; ten years earlier the figure was 6.2 million. It ranks 17th of 33 in the World Bank's Latin America and Caribbean region and 111th of 193 worldwide.
In 2025 El Salvador recorded gross domestic product of $36.7 billion, converted to US dollars by the World Bank. Divided by population it comes to $5,767, where the middle country in the region has $10,989.
Output rose 3.9% after inflation in 2025 (World Bank). The IMF's October 2026 outlook projects 4.5% for 2026.
For 2025 as a whole the World Bank records 0.3%. IMF projections put 2026 at 2.7%.
Unemployment stood at 3.3% in 2025 on the ILO's modelled estimate, which can differ from the national survey.
Government debt was 87.6% of GDP in 2025, the IMF estimates, heading to 85.0% in 2026. The regional median is 65.6%.
A baby born in 2024 could expect to live 72.3 years.
- Annual inflation since 2015: highest 7.2% (2022), lowest -0.7% (2015).
- Debt ratio 2015: 73.5%; 2025: 87.6%.
- GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: +52%.
Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.
Official sources in El Salvador
Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output
- National Office of Statistics and Censuses (Central Reserve Bank) (Oficina Nacional de Estadística y Censos)
Census results, consumer price index, household surveys and other official statistics for El Salvador. Not in English.
Central bank interest rates and money
- Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador (Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador)
Economic statistics, national accounts, balance of payments and financial system regulations. Not in English.
Parliament debates, votes, bills
- Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Decrees, laws in force, session records and deputy information. Not in English.
Government
- Presidency of the Republic (Presidencia de la República de El Salvador)
Presidential announcements, press releases and government information. Not in English.
Laws and the official gazette the text of laws
- Official Gazette (National Printing Office) (Diario Oficial – Imprenta Nacional)
Downloadable editions of the Diario Oficial with laws, decrees and notices. Not in English.
- Judicial Documentation Centre (Centro de Documentación Judicial)
Legislation database and case law of the Supreme Court of Justice. Not in English.
Courts judgments
- Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Rulings of the Supreme Court and its Constitutional Chamber, and judiciary notices. Not in English.
Elections results and rules
- Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral)
Official election results, electoral register information and regulations. Not in English.
Regulators
- Financial System Superintendency (Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero)
Supervision of banks, insurers, pensions and securities, with financial statistics. Not in English.
- Superintendency of Competition (Superintendencia de Competencia)
Competition investigations, sanctions and market studies. Not in English.
- General Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (Superintendencia General de Electricidad y Telecomunicaciones)
Electricity and telecommunications regulation, tariffs and sector data. Not in English.
Ombudsman
- Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman (Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos)
Human rights reports, resolutions and complaint information. Not in English.
Access to information requests to public bodies
- Institute for Access to Public Information (Instituto de Acceso a la Información Pública (IAIP))
Enforces the access-to-information law, hears appeals and publishes its resolutions. Not in English.
Public registers companies, land, charities
- National Registry Centre (commercial register) (Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR))
Keeps the commercial register of companies and traders, with online searches and certifications. Not in English.
- National Registry Centre (property and cadastre) (Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR))
Keeps the property and mortgage register and the national cadastre. Not in English.
Public contracts government tenders and awards
- COMPRASAL (Sistema Electrónico de Compras Públicas (COMPRASAL))
Public procurement platform for tenders and contract awards. Not in English.
Notes
National statistics, formerly produced by DIGESTYC, are now produced by the Oficina Nacional de Estadística y Censos within the Central Reserve Bank.
The Court of Accounts site (cortedecuentas.gob.sv) returned a connection reset and HTTP 522 when checked on 2026-10-13, so it is not listed.
Freedom of information in El Salvador
The IAIP also publishes a 2025 reformed text (iaip.gob.sv). Both copies are scans that could not be read as text, so procedure fields are left empty.
Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.
El Salvador by subject
- Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
- Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
- Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
- Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
- Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
- Housing homes, cities, water and power
- Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
- Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
- Education schools, universities and literacy
- Environment emissions, air, forests and water
Power in El Salvador, from local government up to the G20
The global bodies above national governments, and the levels of power inside El Salvador. How the ten levels work.
Level 3: Local councils
- Cities of El Salvador the largest cities, with their figures
- Local government in El Salvador how councils, regions and municipalities work
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Regions of El Salvador 14 regions, states or provinces
Level 6: National government
- El Salvador: national government this page
- Government and power in El Salvador who leads, the parliament and the courts
- World leaders every country's head of state and government
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Common questions
What is the population of El Salvador?
6.4 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: National Office of Statistics and Censuses (Central Reserve Bank).
What is the inflation rate in El Salvador?
0.3% (2025, World Bank). Official index: National Office of Statistics and Censuses (Central Reserve Bank).
What is El Salvador's GDP?
$36.7 billion (2025, World Bank).
How much government debt does El Salvador have?
87.6% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).
Who publishes official statistics in El Salvador?
National Office of Statistics and Censuses (Central Reserve Bank) (Oficina Nacional de Estadística y Censos): https://onec.bcr.gob.sv/
Is there a freedom of information law in El Salvador?
Ley de Acceso a la Información Pública (Decreto Legislativo No. 534).
What is the central bank of El Salvador?
Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador (Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador): https://www.bcr.gob.sv/
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