El Salvador’s Municipalities and Population: List of the New 44 Municipalities

On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the Salvadoran legislature voted and approved changing the municipalities from 262 to 44; on June 14, President Bukele signed the approved bill, making it official. Governing of the new municipalities is set to begin on May 1, 2024.

This day, after the democratic and overwhelming vote of the Legislative Assembly, I have signed and authorized that it becomes law, the total reorganization of the political-administrative division of El Salvador, reducing the mayoralties of our country from 262 to 44.” Nayib Bukele.

According to Salvadoran authorities, reducing municipalities from 262 to 44 was a strategic step to streamline governance, enhance efficiency, and allocate resources effectively.

El Salvador’s Municipalities: The Most Populated Municipalities

The most populated municipality is San Salvador East, with 773,058 inhabitants. This municipality is incorporated by Cuscatancingo, Ciudad Delgado, Ilopango, San Martin, Soyapango, and Tonacatepeque.

The second most populous municipality is San Salvador Center, with 560,294 inhabitants; it includes the districts of San Salvador, Ayutuxtepeque, Mejicanos, Santo Tomas, and Santiago Texacuangos.

With 280,635 people, San Miguel Center is the third most populated municipality in the country; it includes the now districts of San Miguel, Comacaran, Uluzuapa, Moncagua, Quelepa, and Chirilagua.

SEE ALSO: 2024 Salvadoran Municipal Elections: Who Governs the 44 Municipalities of El Salvador?

Least Populated Municipalities

The least populated municipality is Chalatenango North, with 27,731 inhabitants. This new municipality integrates the new districts of La Palma, San Ignacio, San Fernando, and Citala.

The second least populous municipality is Sonsonate West, with 58,442 inhabitants; it would only include the area of Acajutla.

With 63,411 people, Morazan North is the third least populated municipality in the country; it includes the new districts of Arambala, Cacaopera, Corinto, El Rosario, Joateca, Jocoaitique, Meanguera, Perquin, San Fernando, San Isidro, and Torola.

Ahuachapan

Municipalities in Ahuachapan

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Ahuachapan – Center	180,790	Ahuachapan – 126,730 Apaneca – 9,532 Concepcion de Ataco – 12,663 Tacuba – 31,865
2	Ahuachapan – South	114,603	Guaymango – 23,963 Jujutla – 32,839 San Francisco Menendez – 47,912 San Pedro Puxtla – 9,889
3	Ahuachapan – North	72,418	Atiquizaya – 40,161 El Refugio – 11,631 San Lorenzo – 10,361 Turin – 10,265

Cabañas

Municipalities in Cabañas

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Cabañas – West	84,663	Ilobasco – 69,348 Tejutepeque – 7,515 Jutiapa – 6,436 Cinquera – 1,364
2	Cabañas – East	68,908	Sensuntepeque – 38,899 Victoria – 12,191 Dolores – 5,725 Guacotecti – 5,327 San Isidro – 6,766

Chalatenango

Municipalities in Chalatenango

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Chalatenango – Center	83,077	Nueva Concepcion – 26,609 Tejutla – 13,473 La Reina – 8,947 Agua Caliente – 6,899 Dulce Nombre de Maria – 4,136 El Paraiso – 11,307 San Francisco Morazan – 3,221 San Rafael – 3,679 Santa Rita – 4,806
2	Chalatenango – South	67,358	Chalatenango – 24,753 Arcatao – 2,452 Azacualpa – 994 Comalapa – 4,418 Concepcion Quezaltepeque – 5,394 El Carrizal – 2,232 La Laguna – 3,378 Las Vueltas – 1,294 Nombre de Jesus – 4,642 Nueva Trinidad – 1,586 Ojos de Agua – 3,459 Potonico – 1,601 San Antonio de la Cruz – 1,941 San Antonio los Ranchos – 979 San Francisco Lempa – 1,006 San Isidro Labrador – 1,233 San Jose Cancasque – 1,509 San Miguel de Mercedes – 2,071 San Jose Las Flores – 1,318 San Luis del Carmen – 1,098
3	Chalatenango – North	27,731	San Fernando – 2,268 La Palma – 11,107 Citala – 5,346 San Ignacio – 9,010

Cuscatlan

Municipalities in Cuscatlan

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Cuscatlan – South	161,972	Cojutepeque – 54,969 San Rafael Cedros – 19,567 Candelaria – 11,914 Monte San Juan – 13,171 El Carmen – 17,727 San Cristobal – 10,292 Santa Cruz Michapa – 13,784 San Ramon – 5,820 El Rosario – 4,119 Santa Cruz Analquito – 3,074 Tenancingo – 7,535
2	Cuscatlan – North	105,825	Suchitoto – 24,609 San Jose Guayabal – 10,083 Oratorio de Concepcion – 4,532 San Bartolome Perulapia – 9,877 San Pedro Perulapan – 56,724

La Libertad

Municipalities in La Libertad

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	La Libertad – West	180,850	Colon – 120,819 Jayaque – 15,377 Sacacoyo – 18,464 Tepecoyo – 17,013 Talnique – 9,177
2	La Libertad – Center	162,371	San Juan Opico – 90,198 Ciudad Arce – 72,173
3	La Libertad – South	142,268	Comasagua – 14,999 Santa Tecla – 127,269
4	La Libertad – East	115,828	Antiguo Cuscatlan – 38,058 Huizucar – 16,536 Nuevo Cuscatlan – 11,201 San Jose Villanueva – 20,107 Zaragoza – 29,926
5	La Libertad Coast	103,551	Chiltiupan – 13,148 Jicalapa – 7,778 La Libertad – 53,726 Tamanique – 14,961 Teotepeque – 13,938
6	La Libertad – North	99,065	Quezaltepeque – 65,605 San Matias – 9,025 San Pablo Tacachico – 24,435

La Paz

Municipalities in La Paz

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	La Paz – Center	129,767	El Rosario – 20,289 Jerusalen – 2,666 Mercedes la Ceiba – 1,012 Paraiso de Osorio – 4,012 San Antonio Masahuat – 4,689 San Emigdio – 3,598 San Juan Tepezontes – 4,642 San Luis la Herradura – 21,273 San Miguel Tepezontes – 6,316 San Pedro Nonualco – 11,929 Santa Maria Ostuma – 7,149 Santiago Nonualco – 42,192
2	La Paz – West	117,679	Cuyultitan – 5,959 Olocuilta – 32,560 San Juan Talpa – 8,203 San Pedro Masahuat – 29,054 Tapalhuaca – 4,031 San Francisco Chinameca – 8,172 San Luis Talpa – 29,700
3	La Paz – East	112,099	San Juan Nonualco – 17,601 San Rafael Obrajuelo – 11,422 Zacatecoluca – 83,076

La Union

Municipalities in La Union

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	La Union – South	120,969	Conchagua – 35,361 El Carmen – 12,432 Intipuca – 5,961 La Union – 34,944 Meanguera del Golfo – 2,222 San Alejo – 17,086 Yayantique – 6,819 Yucuaiquin – 5,871
2	La Union – North	107,690	Anamoros – 12,724 Bolivar – 3,876 Concepcion de Oriente – 7,766 El Sauce – 5,682 Lislique – 13,496 Nueva Esparta – 8,810 Pasaquina – 15,873 Poloros – 9,123 San Jose – 2,777 Santa Rosa de Lima – 27,563

Morazan

Municipalities in Morazan

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Morazan – South	130,876	Chilanga – 9,668 Delicias de Concepcion – 5,071 El Divisadero – 7,346 Gualococti – 3,931 Guatajiagua – 14,657 Jocoro – 10,891 Lolotiquillo – 4,755 Osicala – 9,684 San Carlos – 4,930 San Francisco Gotera – 22,933 San Simon – 13,105 Sensembra 3,091 Sociedad 11,613 Yamabal 5,377 Yoloaiquin 3,824
2	Morazan – North	63,411	Arambala – 2,969 Cacaopera – 12,695 Corinto – 17,375 El Rosario – 1,568 Joateca – 4,273 Jocoaitique – 3,809 Meanguera – 7,630 Perquin – 4,429 San Fernando – 1,980 San Isidro – 2,962 Torola – 3,721

San Miguel

Municipalities in San Miguel

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	San Miguel – Center	280,635	San Miguel – 214,677 Comacaran – 3,602 Uluazapa – 4,025 Moncagua – 27,624 Quelepa – 5,601 Chirilagua – 25,106
2	San Miguel – West	102,016	Chinameca – 26,270 Nueva Guadalupe – 9,671 Lolotique – 17,487 San Jorge – 11,357 San Rafael Oriente – 15,558 El Transito – 21,673
3	San Miguel – North	81,520	Ciudad Barrios – 27,098 Sesori – 10,415 Nuevo Eden de San Juan – 3,620 San Gerardo – 6,530 San Luis de la Reina – 6,676 Carolina – 8,407 San Antonio del Mosco – 6,598 Chapeltique – 12,176

San Salvador

Municipalities in San Salvador

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	San Salvador – East	773,058	Cuscatancingo – 75,767 Ciudad Delgado – 123,429 Ilopango – 119,555 San Martin – 92,661 Soyapango – 258,445 Tonacatepeque – 103,201
2	San Salvador – Center	560,294	AAyutuxtepeque – 36,658 Mejicanos – 134,878 San Salvador – 335,070 Santo Tomas – 31,035 Santiago Texacuangos – 22,653
3	San Salvador – West	191,719	Apopa – 155,219 Nejapa – 36,500
4	San Salvador – South	130,093	San Marcos – 59,962 Panchimalco – 53,333 Rosario de Mora – 16,798
5	San Salvador – North	75,285	Aguilares – 28,410 El Paisnal – 17,548 Guazapa – 29,327

San Vicente

Municipalities in San Vicente

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	San Vicente – South	106,480	San Vicente – 56,663 Guadalupe – 5,730 Verapaz – 6,369 Tepetitan – 3,967 Tecoluca – 28,088 San Cayetano Istepeque – 5,663
2	San Vicente – North	68,213	Apastepeque – 19,605 Santa Clara – 6,095 San Ildefonso – 9,035 San Esteban Catarina – 6,356 San Sebastian – 14,579 San Lorenzo – 5,698 Santo Domingo – 6,845

Santa Ana

Municipalities in Santa Ana

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Santa Ana – Center	250,318	Santa Ana – 250,318
2	Santa Ana – West	141,030	Candelaria de la Frontera – 23,076 Chalchuapa – 76,769 El Porvenir – 9,926 San Antonio Pajonal – 3,990 San Sebastian Salitrillo – 21,093 Santiago de la Frontera – 6,176
3	Santa Ana – North	101,775	Masahuat – 3,967 Metapan – 72,378 Santa Rosa Guachipilin – 4,707 Texistepeque – 20,723
4	Santa Ana – East	67,385	Coatepeque – 36,295 El Congo – 31,090

Sonsonate

Municipalities in Sonsonate

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Sonsonate – East	188,848	Izalco – 86,546 Armenia – 41,685 Caluco – 10,706 San Julian – 24,167 Cuisnahuat – 13,811 Santa Isabel Ishuatan – 11,933
2	Sonsonate – Center	159,001	Sonsonate – 80,982 Sonzacate – 27,507 Nahulingo – 12,104 San Antonio del Monte – 28,871 Santo Domingo de Guzman – 9,537
3	Sonsonate – North	100,391	Juayua – 23,516 Salcoatitan – 5,657 Santa Catarina Masahuat – 11,650 Nahuizalco – 59,568
4	Sonsonate – West	58,442	Acajutla – 58,442

Usulutan

Municipalities in Usulutan

	New Municipality	Population	Current Municipalities
1	Usulutan – East	159,251	Usulutan – 71,300 Jucuaran – 12,597 San Dionisio – 5,685 Concepcion Batres – 12,546 Santa Maria – 11,130 Ozatlan – 11,935 Tecapan – 6,958 Santa Elena – 17,368 California – 2,877 Ereguayquin – 6,855
2	Usulutan – North	111,878	Santiago de Maria – 20,426 Alegria – 12,514 Berlin – 17,211 Mercedes Umaña – 14,428 Jucuapa – 18,578 El Triunfo – 6,739 Estanzuelas – 9,214 San Buena Ventura – 4,360 Nueva Granada – 8,408
3	Usulutan – West	77,753	Jiquilisco – 49,911 Puerto El Triunfo – 16,248 San Agustin – 5,830 San Francisco Javier – 5,764