Total population (thousands) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Total population (thousands) was 6,352 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
6,352 thousands
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
112th
of 233 countries
All-time high
6,352 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
3,624 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in El Salvador, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 6,352 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in El Salvador peaked at 6,352 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3,624 thousands, in 1970.
That places El Salvador 112th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,624 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 3,713 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 3,802 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 3,892 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 3,984 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 4,075 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 4,166 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 4,255 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 4,348 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 4,441 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 4,520 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 4,561 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 4,581 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 4,664 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 4,750 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 4,846 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 4,944 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 5,042 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 5,143 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 5,249 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 5,349 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 5,450 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 5,540 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 5,631 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 5,689 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 5,739 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 5,785 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 5,826 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 5,863 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 5,898 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 5,930 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 5,957 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 5,979 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 5,994 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 6,003 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 6,006 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 6,005 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 6,000 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 6,020 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 6,039 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 6,058 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 6,079 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 6,102 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 6,126 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 6,151 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 6,175 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 6,193 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 6,209 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 6,218 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 6,221 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 6,223 thousands | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6,246 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 6,265 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 6,295 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 6,324 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 6,352 thousands | +0.4% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 6,352 thousands is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6,843 thousands, 93% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 6,352 thousands is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3,039 thousands, 2.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,030 thousands | 3,624 thousands | 4,441 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,830 thousands | 4,520 thousands | 5,249 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,677 thousands | 5,349 thousands | 5,898 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,993 thousands | 5,930 thousands | 6,039 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,153 thousands | 6,058 thousands | 6,221 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,284 thousands | 6,223 thousands | 6,352 thousands | 6 |
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 total population in El Salvador?
- Total population in El Salvador was 6,352 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 6,352 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,624 thousands in 1970.
- How does El Salvador rank for total population?
- El Salvador ranks 112th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release