El Salvador: housing

How many people own their home in El Salvador?

55.3% of households in El Salvador owned their home in 2025, according to the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador (BCR) household survey. The share was 52.8% in urban areas and 59.4% in rural areas. 21.3% of households lived in a home they occupied free of charge.

Tenure describes the legal basis on which a household lives in its home. Other groups include tenants, owners still paying in instalments, and owners whose house stands on private or public land they do not own. 95.1% of households lived in a private or independent house.

Official sources: BCR: Multi-Purpose Household Survey (EHPM) 2025 (PDF)

How much do houses cost in El Salvador?

No official house price figures were found on the sites of the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador and the National Office of Statistics and Censuses, checked on 15 October 2026.

The BCR reported that lending for housing was 65.1% higher in June 2026 than a year earlier, and that construction output grew 11.2% in the second quarter of 2026, according to its GDP release. These figures show activity in housing and building, but not prices.

Official sources: BCR: GDP, second quarter of 2026

What is El Salvador's urbanisation rate?

The latest figure from the UN Population Division, for 2025, is 75.5%. No year since 2005 has been higher. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 66.2%, and El Salvador placed 12th highest of 33. Worldwide: 56th of 193.

How many people in El Salvador live in slums?

16.5%: that is the share of city dwellers living in slums in El Salvador for 2022, according to UN-Habitat. No year since 2006 has been lower. Latin America & Caribbean median: 14.7%; El Salvador is 8th highest of 26. Of 170 countries with 2022 data, 83rd highest.

What share of people in El Salvador have electricity?

The latest figure from the World Bank, for 2024, is 98.7%. Its high point since 2005 was 2022, at 100.0%; its low point was 2005, at 87.5%. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 99.5%, and El Salvador placed 21st highest of 33. World rank, highest first: 116th of 193.

What share of people in El Salvador have safe sanitation?

In 2024, the share of people using safely managed sanitation in El Salvador was 36.0%, according to WHO and UNICEF. It is the bottom of the series, which starts in 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 44.7%; El Salvador is 12th highest of 16. Worldwide: 94th of 134.

What is access to clean cooking in El Salvador?

The latest figure from the WHO, for 2024, is 95.0%. That is the highest since at least 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 95.0%; El Salvador is 15th highest of 33. World rank, highest first: 86th of 192.