Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 75.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
75.5%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
86th
of 236 countries
All-time high
75.5%
in 2025
All-time low
36.4%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in El Salvador, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in El Salvador stood at 75.5%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in El Salvador peaked at 75.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 36.4%, in 1950.
That places El Salvador 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 36.4% | — |
| 1951 | 36.6% | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 36.9% | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 37.1% | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 37.3% | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 37.5% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 37.7% | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 37.9% | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 38.1% | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 38.2% | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 38.4% | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 38.5% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 38.6% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 38.7% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 38.8% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 38.9% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 39.0% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 39.1% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 39.2% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 39.3% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 39.4% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 39.5% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 39.7% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 40.0% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 40.2% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 40.6% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 41.0% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 41.4% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 41.8% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 42.3% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 42.8% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 43.4% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 43.9% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 44.5% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 45.1% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 45.7% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 47.0% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 47.7% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 48.3% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 49.0% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 49.6% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 50.3% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 50.9% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 51.7% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 53.2% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 54.0% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 54.8% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 55.7% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 56.6% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 57.5% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 58.3% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 59.2% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 60.1% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 61.0% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 61.9% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 62.8% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 63.6% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 64.5% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 65.4% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 66.3% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 68.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 68.9% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 69.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 70.4% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 71.1% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 71.8% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 72.4% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 73.1% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 73.7% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 74.1% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 74.6% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 75.1% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 75.5% | +0.6% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 75.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 75.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 72.0%, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 37.4% | 36.4% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 38.9% | 38.4% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.6% | 39.4% | 42.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.5% | 42.8% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.2% | 49.0% | 55.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.6% | 56.6% | 64.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.1% | 65.4% | 72.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.3% | 73.1% | 75.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More population data for El Salvador
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.5 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.8534 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.9% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 204,177 people (2100)
- Population density 244.85 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.9% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.3467 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in El Salvador?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in El Salvador was 75.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 75.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.4% in 1950.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- El Salvador ranks 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.