El Salvador poverty rate for 2023 was 29.90%, a 2.8% decline from 2022.

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<li>El Salvador poverty rate for 2022 was <strong>32.70%</strong>, a <strong>0.8% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>El Salvador poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>33.50%</strong>, a <strong>1.2% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>El Salvador poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>34.70%</strong>, a <strong>4.4% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

The share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in El Salvador saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 8.6 percent. In comparison to 2021, the share decreased not significantly by 0.1 percentage points (-1.15 percent). The poverty headcount ratio refers to the share of the total population living on less than an average of 3.2 dollars per day. 2011 international dollars and purchasing power parity (PPP) have been used to allow comparisons over extended periods without the influence of monetary inflation.Find more key insights for the share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in countries like Costa Rica and Honduras.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in El Salvador was reported at 26.6 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. El Salvador - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This statistic shows the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in El Salvador from 2009 to 2019. In 2019, the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in El Salvador amounted to 22.8 percent of the population.

SV: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 4.080 % in 2016. SV: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 4.080 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2016, with 1 observations. SV: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank: Poverty. The growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the bottom 40% is computed as the annualized average growth rate in per capita real consumption or income of the bottom 40% of the population in the income distribution in a country from household surveys over a roughly 5-year period. Mean per capita real consumption or income is measured at 2011 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet). For some countries means are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The annualized growth rate is computed as (Mean in final year/Mean in initial year)^(1/(Final year - Initial year)) - 1. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported. The initial year refers to the nearest survey collected 5 years before the most recent survey available, only surveys collected between 3 and 7 years before the most recent survey are considered. The final year refers to the most recent survey available between 2011 and 2015. Growth rates for Iraq are based on survey means of 2005 PPP$. The coverage and quality of the 2011 PPP price data for Iraq and most other North African and Middle Eastern countries were hindered by the exceptional period of instability they faced at the time of the 2011 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See PovcalNet for detailed explanations.; ; World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) circa 2010-2015 (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).; ; The comparability of welfare aggregates (consumption or income) for the chosen years T0 and T1 is assessed for every country. If comparability across the two surveys is a major concern for a country, the selection criteria are re-applied to select the next best survey year(s). Annualized growth rates are calculated between the survey years, using a compound growth formula. The survey years defining the period for which growth rates are calculated and the type of welfare aggregate used to calculate the growth rates are noted in the footnotes.

El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 2.200 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.900 % for 2015. El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 10.400 % from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2016, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.700 % in 1991 and a record low of 1.900 % in 2015. El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

As of 2023 in El Salvador, the share of the population living in extreme poverty conditions was higher in rural areas accounting for the 11.1 percent of the people. The national average was 8.8 percent.

22.3 (%) in 2019. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

In 2023, in El Salvador, the proportion of the population living in poverty conditions was slightly higher in rural areas, accounting for a total share of 28.3 percent. Additionally, rural areas also had the highest share of extreme poverty among the different geographical residencies.

The share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in Costa Rica declined to three percent in 2023. The share thereby reached its lowest value in recent years. The poverty headcount ratio refers to the share of the total population living on less than an average of 3.2 dollars per day. 2011 international dollars and purchasing power parity (PPP) have been used to allow comparisons over extended periods without the influence of monetary inflation.Find more key insights for the share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in countries like Honduras and El Salvador.

8,60 (%) in 2022. Population below $3.1 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.1 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

The poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Honduras decreased by 9.5 percentage points (-12.91 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. Over the observed period, the poverty headcount ratio has been subject to fluctuation.These figures refer to the share of the population living below the poverty line, based on parameters set by relevant authorities.Find more key insights for the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in countries like El Salvador.

El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data was reported at 37.900 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 36.000 % for 2013. El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 43.250 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2014, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.200 % in 2011 and a record low of 35.800 % in 2006. El Salvador SV: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Rural poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the rural population living below the national poverty lines.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

In 2014, the share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in Nicaragua decreased by 9.8 percentage points (-40.5 percent) compared to 2009. As a result, the share in Nicaragua saw its lowest number in 2014 with 14.4 percent. The poverty headcount ratio refers to the share of the total population living on less than an average of 3.2 dollars per day. 2011 international dollars and purchasing power parity (PPP) have been used to allow comparisons over extended periods without the influence of monetary inflation.Find more key insights for the share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in countries like El Salvador and Honduras.

Using panel data from the Multipurpose Household Survey (EHPM) for the period 2018-2022, this note analyzes the dynamics of poverty and labor transitions in El Salvador. We compute transition matrices and identify the key associated factors to these transitions. Labor transitions, more specifically the incorporation of new household members into the labor market, are key determinants of the dynamics of poverty. In a typical year in our sample, about one third of poor households leave poverty and about one half of extremely poor households leave extreme poverty. Initial income status is key to defining transitions since the probability of moving out of or into poverty increases the closer the income is to the poverty line.

The share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in Honduras decreased by 0.8 percentage points (-2.94 percent) compared to the previous year. The share thereby reached its lowest value in recent years. The poverty headcount ratio refers to the share of the total population living on less than an average of 3.2 dollars per day. 2011 international dollars and purchasing power parity (PPP) have been used to allow comparisons over extended periods without the influence of monetary inflation.Find more key insights for the share of population living on less than 3.2 U.S. dollars per day in countries like El Salvador and Nicaragua.

El Salvador Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data was reported at 0.610 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.630 % for 2018. El Salvador Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.630 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2019, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.830 % in 2016 and a record low of 0.250 % in 2014. El Salvador Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. This indicator shows the fraction of a country’s population experiencing out-of-pocket health impoverishing expenditures, defined as expenditures without which the household they live in would have been above the 60% median consumption but because of the expenditures is below the poverty line. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).;Global Health Observatory. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/financial-protection);Weighted average;This indicator is related to Sustainable Development Goal 3.8.2 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

El Salvador: Poverty, percent of population: Pour cet indicateur, La Banque mondiale fournit des données pour la El Salvador de 2020 à 2022. La valeur moyenne pour El Salvador pendant cette période était de 25.8 pour cent avec un minimum de 24.6 pour cent en 2021 et un maximum de 26.6 pour cent en 2022.

Abstract

The World Bank Group is interested in gauging the views of clients and partners who are either involved in development in El Salvador or who observe activities related to social and economic development. The following survey will give the World Bank Group's team that works in El Salvador, greater insight into how the Bank's work is perceived. This is one tool the World Bank Group uses to assess the views of its stakeholders, and to develop more effective strategies that support development in El Salvador. A local independent firm was hired to oversee the logistics of this survey.

This survey was designed to achieve the following objectives: - Assist the World Bank Group in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in El Salvador perceive the Bank Group; - Obtain systematic feedback from stakeholders in El Salvador regarding: · Their views regarding the general environment in El Salvador; · Their overall attitudes toward the World Bank Group in El Salvador; · Overall impressions of the World Bank Group's effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in El Salvador; · Perceptions of the World Bank Group's future role in El Salvador. - Use data to help inform El Salvador country team's strategy.

Geographic coverage

• Western Zone
• Central Zone
• Eastern Zone

Analysis unit

Stakeholders in El Salvador

Universe

Stakeholders in El Salvador

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

In March-April 2014, 135 stakeholders of the World Bank Group in El Salvador were invited to provide their opinions on the WBG's work in the country by participating in a country opinion survey. Participants were drawn from the office of the President; the office of the Prime Minister; office of a minister; office of a parliamentarian; ministries, ministerial departments, or implementation agencies; consultants/contractors working on WBG-supported projects/programs; project management units (PMUs) overseeing implementation of a project; local government officials; bilateral and multilateral agencies; private sector organizations; private foundations; the financial sector/private banks; NGOs; community based organizations; the media; independent government institutions; trade unions; faith-based groups; academia/research institutes/think tanks; judiciary branch; and other organizations.

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Research instrument

The Questionnaire consists of following sections:

A. General Issues Facing El Salvador: Respondents were asked to indicate whether El Salvador is headed in the right direction, what they thought were the top three most important development priorities in the country, which areas would contribute most to reducing poverty and generating economic growth in El Salvador, and how "shared prosperity" would be best achieved.

B. Overall Attitudes toward the World Bank Group (WBG): Respondents were asked to rate their familiarity with the WBG and other regional development banks, their effectiveness in El Salvador, WBG staff preparedness to help El Salvador solve its development challenges, , their agreement with various statements regarding the WBG's work, and the extent to which the WBG is an effective development partner. Respondents were asked to indicate the WBG's greatest values and weaknesses, the most effective instruments in helping reduce poverty in El Salvador, in which sectoral areas the WBG should focus most of its resources (financial and knowledge services), and to what reasons respondents attributed failed or slow reform efforts. Respondents were also asked to respond to a few questions about capacity building and whether they believe the World Bank Group should have more or less local presence.

C. World Bank Group's Effectiveness and Results: Respondents were asked to rate the extent to which the WBG's work helps achieve development results in El Salvador, the extent to which the WBG meets El Salvador's needs for knowledge services and financial instruments, the importance for the WBG to be involved in thirty one development areas, and the WBG's level of effectiveness across twenty-eight development areas, such as education, crime and violence, public sector governance/reform, poverty reduction, and economic growth.

D. The World Bank Group's Knowledge Work and Activities: Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently they consult WBG's knowledge work and activities and to rate the effectiveness and quality of the WBG's knowledge work and activities, including how significant of a contribution it makes to development results and its technical quality. Respondents were also asked about the WBG reports, including if they read/consulted the most recent LAC Flagship Report, whether they raised substantive new information, and whether they provided them with useful information in terms of work they do.

E. Working with the World Bank Group: Respondents were asked to rate WBG's technical assistance/advisory work's contribution to solving development challenges and their level of agreement with a series of statements regarding working with the WBG, such as the WBG's "Safeguard Policy" requirements being reasonable, and disbursing funds promptly. They were also asked to indicate whether they thing the World Bank Group takes enough risks.

F. The Future Role of the World Bank Group in El Salvador: Respondents were asked to indicate what the WBG should do to make itself of greater value in El Salvador, and which services the Bank should offer more of in the country. They were asked whether WBG has moved to the right direction, and the future role international development cooperation should play in El Salvador.

G. Communication and Information Sharing: Respondents were asked to indicate how they get information about economic and social development issues, how they prefer to receive information from the WBG, and their usage and evaluation of the WBG's websites. Respondents were also asked about their awareness of the WBG's Access to Information policy. Respondents were asked to rate WBG's responsiveness to information requests, value of its social media channels, and levels of easiness to find information they needed.

H. Background Information: Respondents were asked to indicate their current position, specialization, whether they professionally collaborate with the WBG, their exposure to the WBG in El Salvador, which WBG agencies they work with, whether IFC and the Bank work well together, and their geographic location.

Response rate

A total of 97 stakeholders participated in the survey (72% response rate).

El Salvador enjoys a significant demographic bonus: one in five Salvadorans is between 15 and 24 years old. Ensuring the well-being of this segment of the population is doubly beneficial: it improves the living conditions of a large sector of the population and contributes to improving human capital that will bear fruit for several decades. In both social and economic terms, it is a profitable investment. However, it is worrying to note that there is a higher incidence of extreme poverty and vulnerability in the young population than in the rest of the population. To achieve improvements in human capital, education and employment must be the primary focus areas. In education, we document a low percentage of young people who attend and remain in school, and a high level of learning poverty. In addition, a high percentage of young people do not study or work. On the other hand, the percentage of young men who study and work has fallen in recent years, while the percentage of women has remained constant. In employment, we find about half of young people active in the labor market, although most employed young people have informal jobs, with men having a higher incidence in informality. In terms of wages, the monthly labor income of young people is 17 percent lower than that of adults, and in the aggregate, the total income of young people represents 12 percent of the income generated by workers in El Salvador. In addition, gender gaps differ according to the type of employment. In general, men receive a higher salary than women. This is also true in the case of dependent employment. However, in self-employment, the situation is the other way around. The decompositions made for all three cases indicate that women should receive a higher salary. But, in general, there is evidence of men being favored. In this note, we present an overview of the situation of young people in El Salvador, paying special attention to their conditions in education and work and emphasizing gender differences and the poverty conditions in their households.