Share of population living in cities in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of population living in cities was 42.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities in El Salvador, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in cities in El Salvador is 42.8%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities in El Salvador peaked at 43.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 20.4%, in 1950.
El Salvador ranks 91st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 20.4% | — |
| 1955 | 24.3% | +19.1% |
| 1960 | 26.6% | +9.6% |
| 1965 | 29.9% | +12.3% |
| 1970 | 31.8% | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 33.4% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 35.2% | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 37.2% | +5.8% |
| 1990 | 40.3% | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 42.8% | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 42.7% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 43.4% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 43.1% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 43.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 42.8% | -2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.3% | 20.4% | 24.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 28.2% | 26.6% | 29.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 32.6% | 31.8% | 33.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 36.2% | 35.2% | 37.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 41.5% | 40.3% | 42.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 42.7% | 43.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 43.1% | 43.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 42.8% | 42.8% | 42.8% | 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 cities in El Salvador?
- Share of population living in cities in El Salvador was 42.8% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4% in 1950.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of population living in cities?
- El Salvador ranks 91st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. 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 major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.