Remittances to El Salvador have Increased by 15.2% in 2025, Fueled by U.S. Contributions

By Eddie Galdamez  | Updated on May 27, 2025
Remittances to El SalvadorDowntown San Salvador.

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Remittances to El Salvador continue to fuel the economy, posting strong growth through the first four months of 2025, even as cryptocurrency-based transfers sharply decline, according to new data from the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).

The BCR reported that year-to-date remittances totaled $3.08 billion, an 15.2% increase—or $406.6 million—compared to the same period in 2024.

El Salvador Real Estate

In April alone, Salvadorans received $805.9 million in remittances, up 7.5% from a year earlier, underscoring the critical role remittance flows play in the nation’s economic stability.

Remittances to El Salvador
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Change
2024-2025
January 423.8 522.3 560.3 602.2 599.9 677.1 77.3 (12.9%)
February 448.5 510.2 579.9 612.8 631.5 729.3 97.8 (15.5%)
March 435.4 688.2 685.1 721.9 688.4 863.3 174.9 (25.4%)
April 287.3 648.0 648.7 672.6 749.4 805.9 56.5 (7.5%)
May 414.4 688.7 706.9 761.4 763.8
June 508.1 627.1 637.9 695.2 669.1
July 553.1 632.7 642.4 699.5 714.0
August 559.3 621.5 654.9 682.8 709.1
September 553.4 600.9 628.1 674.1 683.1
October 575.4 652.7 674.1 694.5 732.4
November 519.4 632.3 631.9 657.8 706.3
December 651.6 760.7 769.5 800.7 832.7
Totals “Millions” 5929.9 7585.2 7819.6 8275.4 8479.7 3075.7 15.2% *YTD

The United States remains by far the largest source of remittances, sending $2.84 billion, or 92.5% of the total.

Canada followed with $26.9 million (0.9%), while Spain and Italy contributed $20.1 million (0.7%) and $18.4 million (0.6%), respectively.

Crypto Wallet Remittances to El Salvador

Meanwhile, remittances sent via cryptocurrency wallets have plunged. As of April, crypto-based remittances amounted to $16.1 million, down 44.3% compared to the same period in 2024.

El Salvador Real Estate

The BCR said this represents a year-over-year decrease of $12.8 million. Despite El Salvador’s early efforts to promote Bitcoin and other digital assets for cross-border transactions, crypto remittances have struggled to gain traction.

In 2024, they accounted for just 1% of total remittances. So far in 2025, that share has fallen further to just 0.5%, following recent modifications to the country’s cryptocurrency regulations.

Cryptocurrency Wallet Remittances to El Salvador
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Change
2024-2025
January 10.1 8.4 6.8 2.4 -4.3 (-64.0%)
February 9.4 7.6 6.4 2.3 -4.1 (-64.0)
March 9.8 8.5 8.0 6.9 -1.1 (-13.5%)
April 10.1 7.5 7.7 4.4 -3.3 (-42.8%)
May 12.6 7.7 6.8
June 11.5 7.0 6.8
July 10.4 6.5 7.2
August 10.9 6.3 7.7
September 2.0 10.8 6.0 7.2
October 17.9 10.2 5.4 7.2
November 12.3 10.7 5.5 6.6
December 12.4 10.3 6.6 7.2
Totals 44.6 126.7 82.9 85.5 16.1 -12.8 (-44.3% *YTD

SEE ALSO: El Salvador Bitcoins: A Nation’s Journey into Digital Currency

Remittances by Department

As of April 2025, the San Salvador department leads the country in remittance inflows, receiving 18.6% of the national total, or $572.3 million.

Remittances to the San Salvador department have increased by 7.9%, representing a $41.9 million rise compared to the same period in 2024.

On the other hand, Cuscatlán remains the department with the lowest share, accounting for 2.9% of total remittances, or $88.4 million. Despite a 19.2% increase—equivalent to an additional $14.2 million over the previous year—Cuscatlán continues to rank last nationwide.

    1. San Salvador 572.3
    2. San Miguel 346.2
    3. La Libertad 265.0
    4. Santa Ana 241.2
    5. Usulután 228.1
    6. La Unión 216.3
    7. Chalatenango 177.4
    8. Sonsonate 157.7
    9. Cabañas 136.6
    10. Morazán 134.9
    11. La Paz 129.5
    12. Ahuachapán 126.5
    13. San Vicente 105.7
    14. Cuscatlán 88.4

Remittances by Municipalities

The San Salvador Center municipality has received the highest volume of remittances so far this year, totaling $335.9 million, or 10.9% of the national figure, an increase of $13.6 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In contrast, the Sonsonate North municipality has recorded the lowest amount, receiving $13.3 million, or 0.4% of the total, reflecting a 17.2% increase over the previous year.

Top Five Municipalities

  1. San Salvador Center 335.9
  2. San Miguel Center 215.4
  3. San Salvador East 123.6
  4. Usulután East 120.8
  5. La Unión North 113.5

Bottom Five Municipalities

  1. San Salvador South 25.6
  2. Chalatenango North 22.6
  3. Santa Ana East 16.5
  4. Ahuachapán North 15.6
  5. Sonsonate North 13.3

SEE ALSO: Analyzing Poverty in El Salvador: An Insight Into El Salvador’s Poverty Rate!

Remittances sent to Salvadorans are pivotal in the nation’s economy, providing vital financial support to many families.

Data from the Multiple Purpose Household Survey (EHPM), published by the Salvadoran Ministry of Economy, indicates that 1.6 million Salvadorans benefit from remittances. Many of these people are in extreme poverty or relative poverty.

Remittances have increased steadily in the last decade; they are a big part of El Salvador’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.