sports
El Salvador became one of the first countries to make Bitcoin legal tender, in 2021, alongside the US dollar.
El Salvador
Republic of El Salvador
Population, GDP, and key facts about El Salvador — updated for 2026.
Capital · SAN SALVADORContinent · AMERICASISO · SLV
El Salvador quick facts
- Population
- 6,338,193
- Area
- 21,040 km²
- Population density
- 305 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 34.9 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 5.5K
- Capital
- San Salvador
- Currency
- United States dollar ($, USD)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 365/month · $ 365/month (2024)
- Language
- Spanish
El Salvador at human scale
Where does El Salvador rank in the world?
Compare El Salvador with other countries
🇸🇻 vs 🇳🇮Compare El Salvador vs Nicaragua1.1× difference in population🇸🇻 vs 🇭🇳Compare El Salvador vs Honduras1.7× difference in population🇸🇻 vs 🇨🇬Compare El Salvador vs Congo, Rep.
Compare El Salvador with any country →El Salvador's war history
- Government of El SalvadorvsFMLN
- Government of El SalvadorvsGovernment of Honduras
IntrastateInterstate
Wars that reached at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year, since 1946 — not a full record of every armed conflict El Salvador has had. Source: UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset.
See every war since 1946 on the War Timeline →El Salvador's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 13%Renewables · 87%
- Hydropower30%
- Other renewables21%
- Solar20%
- Oil13%
- Bioenergy12%
- Wind3%
Share of El Salvador's own electricity generation by source, 2025. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about El Salvador
geography
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in mainland Central America, nicknamed the "Land of Volcanoes" for its roughly 20 volcanoes.
Countries near El Salvador
How many countries do you think El Salvador could fit?
Pour other countries into El Salvador's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about El Salvador
What is the capital of El Salvador?
The capital of El Salvador is San Salvador.
What is El Salvador's population?
El Salvador has a population of 6,338,193.
What is El Salvador's GDP per capita?
El Salvador's GDP per capita is US$ 5.5K.
What is the currency of El Salvador?
The currency of El Salvador is the United States dollar (USD).
What is the minimum wage in El Salvador?
El Salvador's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 365 per month (as of 2024) — $ 365 per month in local currency.
Is El Salvador bigger than Nicaragua?
Nicaragua is about 6.2× the size of El Salvador by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.