El Salvador

Program Overview > El Salvador

INTRODUCTION

El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.

Note: Statistical information and copy in the Project Locations area of our website is drawn from the CIA World Factbook, 2010.

OTHER INFORMATION >El Salvador

Major Infectious Diseases:

Degree of Risk: high

Food or Waterborne Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne Diseases: dengue fever

Water Contact Disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Median age:

Total: 24.3 years

Male: 22.9 years

Female: 25.7 years (2011 est.)

Nationality:

Noun: Salvadoran(s)

Adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic Groups: mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official), Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Population:

Total: 6,071,774 (July 2011 est.)

Population Growth Rate:

Growth Rate: 0.318% (2011 est.)

Birth Rate: 17.75 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death Rate: 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net Migration Rate: -8.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Sex Ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate: total: 20.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life Expenctancy at Birth: total population: 73.44 years
male: 70.16 years
female: 76.87 years (2011 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 2.08 children born/woman (2011 est.)

El Salvador

AT A GLANCE
El Salvador

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 30.6% (male 953,842/female 905,688)

15-64 years: 63% (male 1,802,113/female 2,021,191)

65 years and over: 6.4% (male 173,363/female 215,577) (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS:

Adult Prevelence Rate: 0.8% (2009 est.)

People Living with HIV/AIDS: 34,000 (2009 est.)

Deaths: 1,400 (2009 est.)

Literacy:

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Population: total population: 81.1%
male: 82.8%
female: 79.6% (2007 census)