Share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of population living in the capital city was 25.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 25.6% for share of population living in the capital city in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador peaked at 28.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 16.3%, in 1950.
El Salvador ranks 43rd of 170 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 16.3% | — |
| 1955 | 17.8% | +9.2% |
| 1960 | 19.8% | +11.1% |
| 1965 | 21.1% | +6.8% |
| 1970 | 22.5% | +6.7% |
| 1975 | 23.9% | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 24.9% | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 27.4% | +10.2% |
| 1990 | 28.4% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 28.1% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 27.7% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 27.2% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 26.7% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 25.6% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 17.0% | 16.3% | 17.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 20.4% | 19.8% | 21.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 23.2% | 22.5% | 23.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 26.1% | 24.9% | 27.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 28.2% | 28.1% | 28.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.5% | 27.2% | 27.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 26.0% | 26.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.6% | 25.6% | 25.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More population data for El Salvador
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.8534 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.2367 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.8534 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.5 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,637 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.3467 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.9% (2100)
- Population density 244.85 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 204,177 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador?
- Share of population living in the capital city in El Salvador was 25.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 28.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.3% in 1950.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- El Salvador ranks 43rd out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.