The population of El Salvador is 6,330,947, with 61.7% of the Salvadoran population living in urban areas and 38.3% in rural territory. El Salvador’s population increased by 0.08% from 2021 to 2022, an increment of 5,120 individuals.
El Salvador has 6.6% more females than males, 53.3% to 46.7%. Nationally the country has 88 men for every 100 women. In the urban area, there are 84 men for every 100 women, and in the rural area, 93 men for every 100 women.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2022 Population Percentage |
Change 2021-2022 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,325,827 | 6,330,947 | 100% | 5,120 |
| Female | 3,370,080 | 3,373,945 | 53.3% | 3,865 |
| Male | 2,955,747 | 2,957,002 | 46.7% | 1,255 |
El Salvador’s population growth rate is expected to slow down in the upcoming years, mainly because of all the people leaving the country for political and economic reasons.
El Salvador Population by Department
The distribution of the population by departments indicates that 64.2% of the population is concentrated in 5 of the 14 departments. San Salvador, La Libertad, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, and San Miguel account for 4,062,482 Salvadorans.
In contrast, the five least populated departments, Cabañas, San Vicente, Chalatenango, Morazan, and La Union, consolidate 930,452 people, or 14.7% of the Salvadoran population.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2022 Population Percentage |
Change 2021-2022 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Salvador | 1,733,576 | 1,732,068 | 27.4% | -1,508 |
| La Libertad | 797,543 | 800,920 | 12.7% | 3,377 |
| Santa Ana | 560,522 | 560,355 | 8.9% | -167 |
| Sonsonate | 502,727 | 504,581 | 8.0% | 1,854 |
| San Miguel | 465,394 | 464,558 | 7.3% | -836 |
| Ahuachapan | 362,681 | 365,128 | 5.8% | 2,447 |
| La Paz | 355,944 | 357,629 | 5.6% | 1,685 |
| Usulutan | 349,733 | 349,229 | 5.5% | -504 |
| Cuscatlan | 264,291 | 266,027 | 4.2% | 1,736 |
| La Union | 231,817 | 229,871 | 3.6% | -1,946 |
| Morazan | 193,369 | 193,666 | 3.1% | 297 |
| Chalatenango | 180,580 | 179,255 | 2.8% | -1,325 |
| San Vicente | 174,033 | 174,223 | 2.8% | 190 |
| Cabañas | 153,617 | 153,437 | 2.4% | -180 |
| Total | 6,325,827 | 6,330,947 | — | 5,120 |
Visit our “Departments and Municipalities” page to get a breakdown of the population of all 262 Salvadoran municipalities.
Salvadoran population by age groups
Among the most important results obtained from the 2022 report is the representativeness of the young Salvadoran population between 15 and 29 years of age, with 25.8% of the total. This information is crucial as it allows the government to observe the country’s productive potential.
Another relevant age group is the population between 7 and 14 years of age, which by 2022 represented 13.1% of the total. This indicator is significant due to the demand for education services.
| Age group | 2021 | 2022 | Change 2021-2022 |
Change Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 | 10.4 | 9.9 | -0.5 | -4.81% |
| 7-14 | 12.9 | 13.1 | 0.2 | 1.55% |
| 15-29 | 26.6 | 25.8 | -0.8 | -3.01% |
| 30-59 | 36.1 | 37.1 | 1.0 | 2.77% |
| 60 Plus | 14.0 | 14.2 | 0.2 | 1.43% |
SEE ALSO: El Salvador Healthcare System. Healthcare in El Salvador.
| Age group | 2021 | 2022 | Change 2021-2022 |
Change Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 | 9.4 | 8.7 | -0.7 | -7.45% |
| 7-14 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 0.0 | 0.00% |
| 15-29 | 25.9 | 24.9 | -1.0 | -3.86% |
| 30-59 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 1.2 | 3.18% |
| 60 Plus | 14.9 | 15.4 | 0.5 | 3.36% |
SEE ALSO: The Struggles of Living in Rural Areas of El Salvador.
| Age group | 2021 | 2022 | Change 2021-2022 |
Change Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 0.1 | 0.84% |
| 7-14 | 14.3 | 14.6 | 0.3 | 2.10% |
| 15-29 | 27.7 | 27.1 | -0.6 | -2.17% |
| 30-59 | 33.5 | 34.0 | 0.5 | 1.49% |
| 60 Plus | 12.6 | 12.3 | -0.3 | -2.38% |
Most populated Municipalities in El Salvador
The most populated municipalities in El Salvador in 2022 are San Salvador, Soyapango, Santa Ana, San Miguel, and Apopa. The following table has the ten most populated municipalities in the country.
| Municipality | Department | 2022 Population |
2023 Population |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Salvador | San Salvador | 335,982 | 335,070 |
| 2 | Soyapango | San Salvador | 258,672 | 258,445 |
| 3 | Santa Ana | Santa Ana | 251,095 | 250,318 |
| 4 | San Miguel | San Miguel | 215,597 | 214,677 |
| 5 | Apopa | San Salvador | 155,466 | 155,219 |
| 6 | Mejicanos | San Salvador | 135,556 | 134,878 |
| 7 | Santa Tecla | La Libertad | 127,294 | 127,269 |
| 8 | Ahuachapan | Ahuachapan | 125,544 | 126,730 |
| 9 | Delgado | San Salvador | 123,258 | 123,429 |
| 10 | Colon | La Libertad | 120,088 | 120,819 |
Most of the most populated municipalities are in the San Salvador greater metropolitan area.
Least populated Municipalities in El Salvador
The municipalities less populated in El Salvador are San Antonio Los Ranchos, Azacualpa, Mercedes La Ceiba, San Francisco Lempa, and San Luís del Carmen. The following table has the ten least populated municipalities in the country.
| Municipality | Department | 2022 Population |
2023 Population |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 253 | San Jose Cancasque | Chalatenango | 1524 | 1509 |
| 254 | Cinquera | Cabañas | 1363 | 1364 |
| 255 | San Jose Las Flores | Chalatenango | 1323 | 1318 |
| 256 | Las Vueltas | Chalatenango | 1301 | 1294 |
| 257 | San Isidro Labrador | Chalatenango | 1235 | 1233 |
| 258 | San Luís del Carmen | Chalatenango | 1103 | 1098 |
| 259 | Mercedes La Ceiba | La Paz | 1008 | 1012 |
| 260 | San Francisco Lempa | Chalatenango | 1008 | 1006 |
| 261 | Azacualpa | Chalatenango | 997 | 994 |
| 262 | San Antonio Los Ranchos | Chalatenango | 988 | 979 |
Most of the municipalities with few inhabitants are in the department of Chalatenago, which is a mainly rural department near the Honduras border.
