Downtown San Salvador. SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El Salvador’s inflation rate rose slightly to 0.14% in March 2025, marking the second-lowest monthly rate since November 2024, when the country recorded a brief period of deflation, according to data released by the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).
The figure represents an increase of 0.08 percentage points from February’s 0.06% rate.
Year-over-year, inflation saw a significant drop of 0.63 percentage points compared to the 0.77% recorded in March 2024—an overall decrease of 81.8% over the past 12 months.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change 2024-2025 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.25 | -0.08 | 0.31 | 6.48 | 7.03 | 1.20 | 0.31 | -0.89 (-74.2%) |
| February | 0.35 | -0.39 | 1.06 | 6.67 | 6.82 | 0.80 | 0.06 | -0.74 (-92.5%) |
| March | 0.68 | -0.53 | 1.77 | 6.69 | 6.06 | 0.77 | 0.14 | -0.63 (-81.8%) |
| April | 0.80 | -1.05 | 2.79 | 6.55 | 5.44 | 1.14 | ||
| May | 0.80 | -0.95 | 2.59 | 7.48 | 4.41 | 1.42 | ||
| June | 0.53 | -0.23 | 2.59 | 7.76 | 3.78 | 1.48 | ||
| July | 0.13 | -0.06 | 3.43 | 7.42 | 3.34 | 1.78 | ||
| August | -0.49 | -0.30 | 4.30 | 7.66 | 3.09 | 1.17 | ||
| September | -0.68 | -0.39 | 4.97 | 7.49 | 3.02 | 0.58 | ||
| October | -0.87 | -0.21 | 5.49 | 7.47 | 2.66 | -0.07 | ||
| November | -0.58 | -0.18 | 6.20 | 7.32 | 2.11 | -0.31 | ||
| December | 0.00 | -0.09 | 6.11 | 7.32 | 1.23 | 0.29 |
SEE ALSO: El Salvador’s Basic Food Basket Cost
Among the categories tracked by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the “Restaurants and Hotels” division recorded the highest annual inflation in March at 3.25%, followed by “Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels,” which rose by 1.23%.
| Dec 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Index | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.06 | 0.14 | |||||||||
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | -0.47 | -0.49 | -0.55 | -0.99 | |||||||||
| Alcoholic beverages, tobacco | 1.21 | 0.79 | 1.11 | 1.15 | |||||||||
| Clothing and footwear | 0.09 | 0.14 | -0.30 | -0.52 | |||||||||
| Accommodation, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels |
2.07 | 1.97 | 1.99 | 2.23 | |||||||||
| Furniture, household items, and ordinary household maintenance |
-2.18 | -1.91 | -2.24 | -1.67 | |||||||||
| Health | 2.30 | 2.35 | 2.34 | 2.00 | |||||||||
| Transportation | -1.58 | -1.65 | -3.30 | -1.58 | |||||||||
| Communication | -0.39 | -0.73 | -0.75 | -0.75 | |||||||||
| Recreation and culture | -2.51 | -2.02 | -1.70 | -1.64 | |||||||||
| Education | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.43 | |||||||||
| Restaurants and hotels | 3.86 | 3.98 | 3.74 | 3.25 | |||||||||
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 1.31 | 1.37 | 1.29 | 1.52 |
Of the 12 CPI divisions, six have posted declines so far in 2025. The “Clothing and Footwear” sector reported the most notable drop, with a decrease of 0.61 percentage points.
Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Rate
One of the most critical components of the CPI — “Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages”—showed a substantial year-over-year decline of 3.20 percentage points, a drop of 144.8%.
Analysts say this trend offers relief to low-income households, as it eases the cost of the essential food basket and helps stabilize family budgets.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change 2024-2025 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.82 | 1.28 | 0.12 | 8.95 | 12.22 | 3.60 | -0.49 | -4.09 (-113.6%) |
| February | 0.93 | 0.91 | 0.73 | 9.45 | 12.61 | 2.15 | -0.55 | -2.70 (-125.6%) |
| March | 1.22 | 1.07 | 1.15 | 9.81 | 11.62 | 2.21 | -0.99 | -3.20(-144.8%) |
| April | 1.70 | 2.08 | -0.04 | 10.89 | 10.36 | 2.34 | ||
| May | 2.34 | 2.26 | -0.87 | 13.28 | 8.35 | 2.71 | ||
| June | 2.81 | 2.88 | -1.02 | 14.37 | 6.93 | 3.63 | ||
| July | 1.61 | 3.30 | -0.07 | 14.19 | 6.40 | 4.53 | ||
| August | -0.02 | 2.10 | 2.11 | 14.50 | 6.11 | 3.12 | ||
| September | -0.16 | 1.43 | 3.94 | 13.55 | 5.98 | 1.21 | ||
| October | 0.71 | 0.67 | 6.07 | 12.82 | 5.91 | -0.34 | ||
| November | 0.76 | 0.62 | 7.42 | 12.06 | 4.70 | -0.70 | ||
| December | 1.20 | 0.37 | 7.96 | 12.24 | 3.98 | -0.47 |
While global inflation continues to challenge economies worldwide, El Salvador’s inflation rate has remained relatively low.
Officials credit this stability to a series of economic measures implemented by President Nayib Bukele’s administration, which has helped keep the country’s inflation among the lowest in Latin America.
Despite recent improvements, economic experts warn that inflation remains a key issue, influencing purchasing power, the cost of living, and broader economic performance.
