Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador

El Salvador: Share of urban population living in slums was 16.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
16.5%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
89th
of 214 countries
All-time high
46.5%
in 2006
All-time low
16.5%
in 2016
Years of data
13
2000–2024

Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador, 2000–2024

010203040502000201220242000: 1.9 %2002: 49.5 %2004: 49.5 %2006: 46.5 %2008: 40.5 %2010: 34.5 %2012: 28.5 %2014: 22.5 %2016: 16.5 %2018: 16.5 %2020: 16.5 %2022: 16.5 %2024: 16.5 %

Source: United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

El Salvador recorded 16.5% for share of urban population living in slums in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

The figure is down 26.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador peaked at 46.5% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 2016.

El Salvador ranks 89th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 1.9%
2002 49.5% +2505.3%
2004 49.5% +0.0%
2006 46.5% -6.1%
2008 40.5% -12.9%
2010 34.5% -14.8%
2012 28.5% -17.4%
2014 22.5% -21.1%
2016 16.5% -26.7%
2018 16.5% +0.0%
2020 16.5% +0.0%
2022 16.5% +0.0%
2024 16.5% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.6% 1.9% 49.5% 5
2010s 23.7% 16.5% 34.5% 5
2020s 16.5% 16.5% 16.5% 3

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 86 Lao People's Democratic Republic 17.2% compare
  2. 87 Libya 16.6% compare
  3. 87 Western Sahara 16.6% compare
  4. 90 Panama 16.3% compare
  5. 91 Suriname 15.8% compare
  6. 92 Uzbekistan 15.8% compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More population data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador?
Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador was 16.5% in 2024, according to United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of urban population living in slums recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2006.
What is the lowest share of urban population living in slums recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 2016.
How does El Salvador rank for share of urban population living in slums?
El Salvador ranks 89th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of urban population living in slums rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population living in slums. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of urban population living in slums in El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-urban-population-living-in-slums/el-salvador/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of urban population living in slums
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
214 places, 2,632 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

Proportion of urban population living in slums (%).