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Indicators of economy in El Salvador

The essential economic performance of a country is reflected by the gross domestic product, the total of all goods and services sold. Worldwide gross domestic product in 2021 was at about 12,183 USD per capita. GDP in El Salvador, on the other hand, reached USD 4,551 per capita, or 28.74 billion USD for the whole country. El Salvador is therefore currently ranked 102 of the major economies. If this is calculated per inhabitant, taking purchasing power parity into account, then El Salvador ranks 119th in the list of the richest countries.

Inflation in El Salvador in 2022 was around 7.20%. Within the EU, the average in the same year was 9.22 percent. In the United States, it was most recently 8.00%.

The index for perceived corruption in the public sector is 33, which is below average by global standards.


Back to overview: El Salvador

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The consequences of the COVID pandemic were not insignificant in El Salvador 2020. Overall, gross domestic product in 2020 fell from 26.88 billion US dollars to 24.56 billion US dollars. With a drop of 8.6 percent, the economy in El Salvador suffered more significant losses than other countries. The tourism sector alone slumped by around 55 percent. The unemployment rate rose from 4.2 to 5.0 percent. The inflation rate fell from 0.1 percent previously to -0.4 percent by the end of 2020.

In 2021, there was already a recovery and the gross domestic product increased to 28.74 billion US dollars (=106.9% of 2019).

Income and purchasing power

The average monthly income in El Salvador is 355 US Dollar per capita. In the USA, the figure is 5,911 US Dollar. However, the prices of consumer goods are also around 51.8 percent lower than in the USA. If you compare income and price levels, the result is a more expensive life in El Salvador than in the United States. The bottom line is that the costs do not offset the lower income, and you get about 87.5 percent less.

However, it is also important to remember that this is a purely statistical model. Both the labor output and the type and quality of the goods received always correspond to the national average on both sides of the equation - so they do not necessarily have to match. Here you can also find an international comparison of cost of living and purchasing power.

Unemployment rates in percentages 1991 - 2022

Economic performance 2021

 El Salvador
Total
El Salvador
per capita
EU
Total
EU
per capita
GDP28.74 bn USD4,551.18 USD17.177 tn USD33,384.92 USD
Gross national product26.91 bn USD4,262.00 USD16.895 tn USD32,835.37 USD


In the Global Innovation Index, El Salvador ranked 100th in 2022 with 19.9 points. The index is calculated annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and most recently included 132 countries. The top country was Switzerland with 64.6 points.

Development of gross domestic product in billions of USD 1970 - 2021




Imports and Exports 2021

 El Salvador
Total
El Salvador
per capita
EU
Total
EU
per capita
Imports15.75 bn USD2,495.02 USD8.916 tn USD17,329.02 USD
Exports8.49 bn USD1,344.75 USD9.554 tn USD18,569.19 USD


Development of imports and exports in billions of USD 1976 - 2021

Exports
Imports



El Salvador: AirportsThe Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) in El SalvadorMonseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport - the only public airport in El Salvador
Currency: US dollarCountries that use the US dollarUsage and exchange rates of the US dollar. Convert USD to any other currency.
Germany: household debtsDebts an budget deficits in GermanyBudget surplus and deficits in the last 24 years in Germany incl. a comparison to the European Union