🇸🇻 El Salvador Population 2026
As of 2026, the population of El Salvador is 6,391,254, ranking #113 in the world (0.08% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 0.40% per year. The biggest city is San Salvador with 525,990 inhabitants.
Live estimate
6,391,692
Growth rate
0.40%
Density
308
people / km² (799 / mi²)
Median age
28.4
Fertility rate
1.74
births per woman
Life expectancy
72.7
years
El Salvador population 1950–2100
By 2050, the population of El Salvador is projected to reach 6,663,346, and 5,073,224 by 2100. The population is expected to peak in 2047 at 6,669,836, then decline.
El Salvador population by year
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6,391,254 | 0.40% | 308.5 | 28.4 |
| 2025 | 6,365,503 | 0.41% | 307.2 | 27.9 |
| 2024 | 6,338,193 | 0.45% | 305.9 | 27.4 |
| 2023 | 6,309,624 | 0.46% | 304.5 | 27.0 |
| 2022 | 6,280,319 | 0.48% | 303.1 | 26.5 |
| 2021 | 6,255,782 | 0.31% | 301.9 | 26.1 |
| 2020 | 6,234,674 | 0.37% | 300.9 | 25.7 |
| 2019 | 6,222,318 | 0.03% | 300.3 | 25.3 |
| 2018 | 6,219,808 | 0.05% | 300.2 | 24.9 |
| 2017 | 6,213,533 | 0.15% | 299.9 | 24.5 |
| 2016 | 6,200,800 | 0.26% | 299.3 | 24.2 |
| 2015 | 6,183,676 | 0.29% | 298.4 | 23.8 |
| 2014 | 6,162,955 | 0.38% | 297.4 | 23.5 |
| 2013 | 6,138,839 | 0.40% | 296.3 | 23.3 |
| 2012 | 6,113,975 | 0.41% | 295.1 | 23.0 |
| 2011 | 6,090,127 | 0.37% | 293.9 | 22.8 |
| 2010 | 6,068,250 | 0.35% | 292.9 | 22.6 |
| 2009 | 6,048,279 | 0.31% | 291.9 | 22.4 |
| 2008 | 6,029,297 | 0.32% | 291.0 | 22.2 |
| 2007 | 6,009,824 | 0.33% | 290.0 | 22.1 |
| 2006 | 6,002,319 | -0.08% | 289.7 | 21.9 |
| 2005 | 6,005,578 | -0.03% | 289.8 | 21.7 |
| 2004 | 6,004,671 | 0.06% | 289.8 | 21.4 |
| 2003 | 5,998,598 | 0.14% | 289.5 | 21.1 |
| 2002 | 5,986,630 | 0.25% | 288.9 | 20.8 |
| 2001 | 5,968,060 | 0.37% | 288.0 | 20.5 |
| 2000 | 5,943,366 | 0.46% | 286.8 | 20.2 |
| 1999 | 5,913,900 | 0.53% | 285.4 | 19.9 |
| 1998 | 5,880,781 | 0.59% | 283.8 | 19.6 |
| 1997 | 5,844,578 | 0.64% | 282.1 | 19.3 |
| 1996 | 5,805,286 | 0.70% | 280.2 | 18.9 |
| 1995 | 5,762,130 | 0.79% | 278.1 | 18.6 |
| 1994 | 5,714,129 | 0.89% | 275.8 | 18.3 |
| 1993 | 5,659,956 | 1.02% | 273.2 | 17.9 |
| 1992 | 5,585,609 | 1.63% | 269.6 | 17.8 |
| 1991 | 5,495,076 | 1.64% | 265.2 | 17.7 |
| 1990 | 5,399,726 | 1.86% | 260.6 | 17.7 |
| 1989 | 5,298,979 | 1.90% | 255.7 | 17.7 |
| 1988 | 5,195,833 | 2.03% | 250.8 | 17.6 |
| 1987 | 5,092,442 | 1.99% | 245.8 | 17.5 |
| 1986 | 4,992,768 | 1.96% | 241.0 | 17.3 |
| 1985 | 4,894,706 | 2.00% | 236.2 | 17.1 |
| 1984 | 4,798,004 | 1.99% | 231.6 | 16.9 |
| 1983 | 4,707,367 | 1.83% | 227.2 | 16.8 |
| 1982 | 4,622,477 | 1.81% | 223.1 | 16.6 |
| 1981 | 4,570,599 | 0.44% | 220.6 | 16.5 |
| 1980 | 4,540,382 | 0.89% | 219.1 | 16.4 |
| 1979 | 4,480,388 | 1.77% | 216.2 | 16.2 |
| 1978 | 4,394,114 | 2.12% | 212.1 | 16.1 |
| 1977 | 4,301,256 | 2.15% | 207.6 | 16.0 |
| 1976 | 4,210,310 | 2.12% | 203.2 | 15.8 |
| 1975 | 4,120,449 | 2.20% | 198.9 | 15.7 |
| 1974 | 4,029,672 | 2.26% | 194.5 | 15.6 |
| 1973 | 3,938,068 | 2.34% | 190.1 | 15.6 |
| 1972 | 3,846,830 | 2.35% | 185.7 | 15.5 |
| 1971 | 3,757,523 | 2.35% | 181.3 | 15.5 |
| 1970 | 3,668,796 | 2.43% | 177.1 | 15.5 |
| 1969 | 3,576,485 | 2.67% | 172.6 | 15.5 |
| 1968 | 3,480,772 | 2.76% | 168.0 | 15.5 |
| 1967 | 3,385,184 | 2.81% | 163.4 | 15.6 |
| 1966 | 3,290,961 | 2.83% | 158.8 | 15.7 |
| 1965 | 3,199,466 | 2.81% | 154.4 | 15.7 |
| 1964 | 3,111,883 | 2.74% | 150.2 | 15.8 |
| 1963 | 3,028,679 | 2.67% | 146.2 | 15.9 |
| 1962 | 2,949,204 | 2.64% | 142.3 | 16.0 |
| 1961 | 2,870,016 | 2.80% | 138.5 | 16.0 |
| 1960 | 2,791,459 | 2.75% | 134.7 | 16.1 |
| 1959 | 2,717,537 | 2.62% | 131.2 | 16.2 |
| 1958 | 2,648,661 | 2.51% | 127.8 | 16.3 |
| 1957 | 2,582,511 | 2.54% | 124.6 | 16.4 |
| 1956 | 2,518,165 | 2.50% | 121.5 | 16.5 |
| 1955 | 2,456,595 | 2.45% | 118.6 | 16.6 |
| 1954 | 2,397,831 | 2.39% | 115.7 | 16.7 |
| 1953 | 2,341,983 | 2.32% | 113.0 | 16.8 |
| 1952 | 2,287,952 | 2.35% | 110.4 | 16.9 |
| 1951 | 2,235,305 | 2.31% | 107.9 | 17.1 |
| 1950 | 2,183,506 | 2.38% | 105.4 | 17.2 |
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 6,416,442 | 0.39% | 309.7 | 28.9 |
| 2028 | 6,440,934 | 0.37% | 310.9 | 29.3 |
| 2029 | 6,464,414 | 0.36% | 312.0 | 29.8 |
| 2030 | 6,486,206 | 0.32% | 313.0 | 30.3 |
| 2031 | 6,506,402 | 0.30% | 314.0 | 30.8 |
| 2032 | 6,525,797 | 0.29% | 315.0 | 31.3 |
| 2033 | 6,544,662 | 0.29% | 315.9 | 31.8 |
| 2034 | 6,562,188 | 0.25% | 316.7 | 32.2 |
| 2035 | 6,578,181 | 0.24% | 317.5 | 32.7 |
| 2036 | 6,593,324 | 0.22% | 318.2 | 33.2 |
| 2037 | 6,607,020 | 0.19% | 318.9 | 33.6 |
| 2038 | 6,619,833 | 0.19% | 319.5 | 34.0 |
| 2039 | 6,631,167 | 0.15% | 320.0 | 34.4 |
| 2040 | 6,640,752 | 0.14% | 320.5 | 34.8 |
| 2041 | 6,649,293 | 0.12% | 320.9 | 35.2 |
| 2042 | 6,656,214 | 0.09% | 321.2 | 35.6 |
| 2043 | 6,661,884 | 0.08% | 321.5 | 36.0 |
| 2044 | 6,665,751 | 0.04% | 321.7 | 36.4 |
| 2045 | 6,668,025 | 0.03% | 321.8 | 36.8 |
| 2046 | 6,669,410 | 0.01% | 321.9 | 37.3 |
| 2047 | 6,669,836 | 0.00% | 321.9 | 37.7 |
| 2048 | 6,669,222 | -0.02% | 321.9 | 38.1 |
| 2049 | 6,666,756 | -0.05% | 321.8 | 38.5 |
| 2050 | 6,663,346 | -0.05% | 321.6 | 38.9 |
| 2051 | 6,658,584 | -0.09% | 321.4 | 39.3 |
| 2052 | 6,652,327 | -0.10% | 321.1 | 39.7 |
| 2053 | 6,645,254 | -0.12% | 320.7 | 40.1 |
| 2054 | 6,636,014 | -0.16% | 320.3 | 40.5 |
| 2055 | 6,624,746 | -0.18% | 319.7 | 40.9 |
| 2056 | 6,612,214 | -0.20% | 319.1 | 41.3 |
| 2057 | 6,598,565 | -0.21% | 318.5 | 41.7 |
| 2058 | 6,584,690 | -0.21% | 317.8 | 42.1 |
| 2059 | 6,570,284 | -0.23% | 317.1 | 42.4 |
| 2060 | 6,554,199 | -0.26% | 316.3 | 42.8 |
| 2061 | 6,537,102 | -0.26% | 315.5 | 43.1 |
| 2062 | 6,519,119 | -0.29% | 314.6 | 43.5 |
| 2063 | 6,499,526 | -0.32% | 313.7 | 43.8 |
| 2064 | 6,478,356 | -0.34% | 312.7 | 44.1 |
| 2065 | 6,455,855 | -0.36% | 311.6 | 44.4 |
| 2066 | 6,432,656 | -0.36% | 310.5 | 44.7 |
| 2067 | 6,408,814 | -0.38% | 309.3 | 45.0 |
| 2068 | 6,383,583 | -0.41% | 308.1 | 45.2 |
| 2069 | 6,357,176 | -0.42% | 306.8 | 45.5 |
| 2070 | 6,329,848 | -0.44% | 305.5 | 45.8 |
| 2071 | 6,301,664 | -0.45% | 304.1 | 46.0 |
| 2072 | 6,272,855 | -0.47% | 302.7 | 46.3 |
| 2073 | 6,241,824 | -0.53% | 301.2 | 46.5 |
| 2074 | 6,209,161 | -0.52% | 299.7 | 46.8 |
| 2075 | 6,175,901 | -0.55% | 298.1 | 47.0 |
| 2076 | 6,140,614 | -0.59% | 296.4 | 47.2 |
| 2077 | 6,103,698 | -0.61% | 294.6 | 47.4 |
| 2078 | 6,065,626 | -0.64% | 292.7 | 47.6 |
| 2079 | 6,026,033 | -0.67% | 290.8 | 47.8 |
| 2080 | 5,985,032 | -0.69% | 288.9 | 48.0 |
| 2081 | 5,942,992 | -0.71% | 286.8 | 48.2 |
| 2082 | 5,900,187 | -0.73% | 284.8 | 48.4 |
| 2083 | 5,856,529 | -0.75% | 282.7 | 48.6 |
| 2084 | 5,811,605 | -0.79% | 280.5 | 48.7 |
| 2085 | 5,765,732 | -0.80% | 278.3 | 48.9 |
| 2086 | 5,719,483 | -0.81% | 276.0 | 49.0 |
| 2087 | 5,672,920 | -0.82% | 273.8 | 49.1 |
| 2088 | 5,626,263 | -0.83% | 271.5 | 49.2 |
| 2089 | 5,579,410 | -0.84% | 269.3 | 49.3 |
| 2090 | 5,532,369 | -0.85% | 267.0 | 49.4 |
| 2091 | 5,485,392 | -0.86% | 264.7 | 49.5 |
| 2092 | 5,438,514 | -0.86% | 262.5 | 49.6 |
| 2093 | 5,391,717 | -0.87% | 260.2 | 49.7 |
| 2094 | 5,344,855 | -0.88% | 258.0 | 49.8 |
| 2095 | 5,298,054 | -0.88% | 255.7 | 49.9 |
| 2096 | 5,251,562 | -0.88% | 253.5 | 50.0 |
| 2097 | 5,205,942 | -0.86% | 251.3 | 50.1 |
| 2098 | 5,161,162 | -0.86% | 249.1 | 50.1 |
| 2099 | 5,116,885 | -0.86% | 247.0 | 50.2 |
| 2100 | 5,073,224 | -0.85% | 244.8 | 50.3 |
States & provinces of El Salvador by population
| # | State / province | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Salvador | 1,740,847 | 27.2% |
| 2 | La Libertad | 747,662 | 11.7% |
| 3 | Santa Ana | 572,081 | 9.0% |
| 4 | San Miguel | 478,792 | 7.5% |
| 5 | Sonsonate | 463,739 | 7.3% |
| 6 | Usulután | 366,040 | 5.7% |
| 7 | Ahuachapán | 333,406 | 5.2% |
| 8 | La Paz | 328,221 | 5.1% |
| 9 | La Unión | 263,271 | 4.1% |
| 10 | Cuscatlán | 252,528 | 4.0% |
| 11 | Chalatenango | 204,808 | 3.2% |
| 12 | Morazán | 199,519 | 3.1% |
| 13 | San Vicente | 174,561 | 2.7% |
| 14 | Cabañas | 164,945 | 2.6% |
State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).
Biggest cities in El Salvador
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Salvador capital | San Salvador Department | 525,990 |
| 2 | Soyapango | San Salvador Department | 329,708 |
| 3 | San Miguel | San Miguel Department | 247,126 |
| 4 | Santa Ana | Santa Ana Department | 176,661 |
| 5 | Mejicanos | San Salvador Department | 160,317 |
| 6 | Santa Tecla | La Libertad Department | 124,694 |
| 7 | Apopa | San Salvador Department | 112,158 |
| 8 | Delgado | San Salvador Department | 71,594 |
| 9 | Sonsonate | Sonsonate Department | 59,468 |
| 10 | San Marcos | San Salvador Department | 54,615 |
| 11 | Usulután | Usulutan | 51,910 |
| 12 | Cojutepeque | Cuscatlan | 48,411 |
| 13 | Cuscatancingo | San Salvador Department | 44,369 |
| 14 | San Vicente | San Vicente Department | 41,504 |
| 15 | Zacatecoluca | La Paz Department | 39,613 |
FAQ
What is the population of El Salvador in 2026?
The population of El Salvador is 6,391,254 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).
What is the biggest city in El Salvador?
San Salvador is the biggest city in El Salvador with 525,990 inhabitants and it is also the capital.
Is the population of El Salvador growing or shrinking?
The population of El Salvador is growing at 0.40% per year, and is projected to peak in 2047 at 6,669,836.
Neighboring countries
Sources
- Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-06.
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