Demographics of El Salvador

Demographics of El Salvador
Population	6,377,358 (2015 est.)[1]
Male population	3,026,110
Female population	3,351,248
Population growth	1.68%
Birth rate	25.72/1,000
Death rate	5.53/1,000
Infant mortality rate	22.19/1,000
Life expectancy	73.44 years[2]

This article is about the demographic features of the population of El Salvador, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

El Salvador's population numbers 6,377,358. Ethnically, 86.3% of Salvadorans are mixed (mixed Indigenous Native American and European Spanish origin). Another 12.7% is of pure European descent, other 0.23% are pure indigenous descent, 0.13% black people and others 0.64%.^[3]

Population

El Salvador's population, 1961-2003.

El Salvador's population was 6,377,358 in 2015, compared to 2,200,000 in 1950.^[4] In 2010 the percentage of the population below the age of 15 was 32.1%, 61% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.9% were 65 years or older.^[4]

	Total population (x 1000)	Proportion aged 0–14 (%)	Proportion aged 15–64 (%)	Proportion aged 65+ (%)
1950	2 200	42.7	53.3	4.0
1955	2 433	43.6	52.6	3.8
1960	2 773	45.1	51.1	3.7
1965	3 244	46.3	50.1	3.7
1970	3 736	46.4	49.9	3.6
1975	4 232	45.8	50.5	3.7
1980	4 661	45.2	50.9	3.9
1985	5 004	44.1	51.8	4.2
1990	5 344	41.7	53.7	4.6
1995	5 748	39.6	55.5	4.9
2000	5 959	38.3	56.2	5.5
2005	6 073	35.7	58.1	6.2
2010	6 218	32.1	61.0	6.9

Emigration

The migration rate accelerated during the period of 1979 to 1981, this marked the beginning of the civil unrest and the spread of political killings.^[5]The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the United States; Guatemala is the second country that hosts more Salvadorans behind the United States, approximately 110,000 Salvadorans according to the national census of 2010.^[6] in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in Canada, Australia, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, Italy, and Sweden since the migration trend began in the early 1970s.^[7] The 2010 U.S. Census counted 1,648,968 Salvadorans in the United States, up from 655,165 in 2000.^[8]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic Groups in El Salvador %^[9]

  Mestizos (86.3%)

  Whites (12.7%)

  Amerindians/Others (1%)

White Salvadorans

12.7% of Salvadorans are white. This population is mostly made up of ethnically Spanish people, while there are also Salvadorans of French, German, Swiss, English, Irish, and Italian descent. In northern departments like the Chalatenango Department, it is well known that residents in the area are of pure Spanish descent;^[10] settling in the region that is now Chalatenango in the late 18th century.^[11] The governor of San Salvador, Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet, ordered families from northern Spain (Galicia and Asturias) to settle the area to compensate for the lack of indigenous people to work the land; so it isn't uncommon to see people with blond hair, fair skin, and blue or green eyes in municipalities like Dulce Nombre de María, La Palma, and El Pital.

There are a significant population (of about 100,000^[12]) who is of Arab descent; mostly from Palestine (especially from the area of Bethlehem), but also from Lebanon. Salvadorans of Palestinian descent numbered around 70,000 individuals, while Salvadorans of Lebanese descent is around 25,000.^[13] There is also a small community of Jews who came to El Salvador from France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Mestizo Salvadorans

86.3% of the population are mestizo, having mixed indigenous and European ancestry.^[9] In the mestizo population, Salvadorans who are racially European, especially Mediterranean, as well as Afro-Salvadoran, and the indigenous people in El Salvador who do not speak indigenous languages or have and indigenous culture, all identify themselves as being culturally mestizo.^[14]

Indigenous Salvadorans

According to the Salvadoran Government, about 0.23% of the population are of full indigenous origin (Pipil, located in the west and central part of the country, and Lenca, found east of the Lempa River). There are small populations of Cacaopera people in the Morazán Department and a few Ch'orti' people live in the department of Ahuachapán, near the border of Guatemala.

The number of indigenous people in El Salvador have been criticized by indigenous organizations and academics as too small and accuse the government of denying the existence of indigenous Salvadorans in the country.^[15] According to the National Salvadoran Indigenous Coordination Council (CCNIS) and CONCULTURA (National Council for Art and Culture at the Ministry of Education ), approximately 600,000 or 10 per cent of Salvadorian peoples are indigenous.^[16] Nonetheless, very few Amerindians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant Mestizo/Spanish culture. The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by historically high rates of old-world diseases, absorption into the mestizo population, as well as mass murder during the 1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising (or La Matanza) which saw (estimates of) up to 30,000 peasants killed in a short period of time. Many authors note that since La Matanza the indigenous in El Salvador have been very reluctant to describe themselves as such (in census declarations for example) or to wear indigenous dress or be seen to be taking part in any cultural activities or customs that might be understood as indigenous.^[17] Departments and cities in the country with notable indigenous populations include Sonsonate (especially Izalco, Nahuizalco, and Santo Domingo), Cacaopera, and Panchimalco, in the department of San Salvador.^[18]

Languages

Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants.

Spanish (official), Salvadoran Sign Language, and Pipil (Nawat). Immigrant languages include Chinese, Turkish, Poqomam, and American Sign Language.^[19]

Literacy

definition: age 10 and over can read and write

total: 95.0%^[20]

male: 94.4%

female: 95.5%

urban: 97.2%

rural: 91.8%

Religion

Catholicism is the majority religion in El Salvador at 57.1%.^[2] Protestant groups compromise 21.2% of the population.^[2] Individual groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, and Latter-day Saints 0.7%.^[2] A sizable 16.8% population claim no religious affiliation in El Salvador.^[2]

Vital statistics

UN estimates

The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. ^[4]

Period	Live births per year	Deaths per year	Natural change per year	CBR*	CDR*	NC*	TFR*	IMR*	Life expectancy total	Life expectancy males	Life expectancy females
1950-1955	108 000	48 000	61 000	46.7	20.6	26.1	6.30	147	45.1	43.4	46.8
1955-1960	125 000	46 000	78 000	47.8	17.8	30.0	6.60	132	49.3	47.2	51.5
1960-1965	144 000	47 000	97 000	47.7	15.5	32.3	6.76	119	53.0	50.5	55.7
1965-1970	156 000	47 000	109 000	44.8	13.5	31.3	6.43	109	55.6	52.6	58.9
1970-1975	168 000	49 000	119 000	42.1	12.3	29.8	5.95	100	57.0	53.2	61.2
1975-1980	177 000	52 000	124 000	39.7	11.8	27.9	5.46	91	57.0	51.9	62.7
1980-1985	174 000	55 000	119 000	36.1	11.4	24.7	4.80	77	56.9	50.6	64.2
1985-1990	171 000	44 000	126 000	33.0	8.6	24.4	4.20	56	63.1	57.4	69.1
1990-1995	169 000	37 000	132 000	30.5	6.8	23.8	3.73	38	68.0	63.3	72.9
1995-2000	161 000	38 000	123 000	27.5	6.6	20.9	3.30	27	69.2	64.4	73.9
2000-2005	133 000	39 000	94 000	22.0	6.4	15.6	2.60	23	70.2	65.4	74.9
2005-2010	127 000	40 000	87 000	20.7	6.5	14.2	2.35	21	71.3	66.5	75.9
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Registered data^[21]

Salvadoran boy in La Unión, El Salvador.

(Nuestros Ángeles de El Salvador) Salvadoran women dancers from San Salvador, El Salvador.

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)	TFR
1950	2 200	90 557	27 454	63 103	41.2	12.5	28.7
1951	2 237	93 634	29 030	64 604	41.8	13.0	28.9
1952	2 280	96 802	32 423	64 379	42.5	14.2	28.2
1953	2 327	98 474	30 280	68 194	42.3	13.0	29.3
1954	2 378	102 009	31 810	70 199	42.9	13.4	29.5
1955	2 433	105 040	31 151	73 889	43.2	12.8	30.4
1956	2 491	106 539	28 127	78 412	42.8	11.3	31.5
1957	2 553	114 929	32 893	82 036	45.0	12.9	32.1
1958	2 621	115 154	32 831	82 323	43.9	12.5	31.4
1959	2 694	115 622	30 038	85 584	42.9	11.1	31.8
1960	2 773	121 403	28 768	92 635	43.8	10.4	33.4
1961	2 859	124 871	28 471	96 400	43.7	10.0	33.7
1962	2 951	127 154	30 342	96 812	43.1	10.3	32.8
1963	3 047	133 395	29 614	103 781	43.8	9.7	34.1
1964	3 145	133 072	29 496	103 576	42.3	9.4	32.9
1965	3 244	137 430	30 906	106 524	42.4	9.5	32.8
1966	3 342	137 950	30 368	107 582	41.3	9.1	32.2
1967	3 440	139 955	28 957	110 998	40.7	8.4	32.2
1968	3 537	140 986	29 863	111 123	39.8	8.4	31.4
1969	3 636	142 699	33 655	109 044	39.2	9.2	29.9
1970	3 736	141 471	35 094	106 377	37.8	9.4	28.4
1971	3 836	154 309	28 752	125 557	40.2	7.5	32.7
1972	3 938	153 464	32 383	121 081	38.9	8.2	30.7
1973	4 038	155 632	31 865	123 767	38.5	7.9	30.6
1974	4 137	158 524	30 494	128 030	38.3	7.4	30.9
1975	4 232	159 731	31 601	128 130	37.7	7.5	30.3
1976	4 325	165 822	30 826	134 996	38.3	7.1	31.2
1977	4 414	177 531	33 009	144 522	40.2	7.5	32.7
1978	4 500	172 897	30 086	142 811	38.4	6.7	31.7
1979	4 582	174 183	32 936	141 247	38.0	7.2	30.8
1980	4 661	169 930	38 967	130 963	36.4	8.4	28.1
1981	4 734	163 305	37 468	125 837	34.5	7.9	26.6
1982	4 805	156 796	33 284	123 512	32.6	6.9	25.7
1983	4 872	144 193	32 697	111 496	29.6	6.7	22.9
1984	4 938	142 202	28 854	113 348	28.8	5.8	23.0
1985	5 004	139 514	27 225	112 289	27.9	5.4	22.5
1986	5 069	145 126	25 731	119 395	28.7	5.1	23.6
1987	5 134	148 355	27 581	120 774	28.9	5.4	23.6
1988	5 200	149 299	27 774	121 525	28.8	5.4	23.4
1989	5 269	151 859	27 768	124 091	28.9	5.3	23.6
1990	5 344	148 360	28 195	120 165	27.8	5.3	22.5
1991	5 425	151 210	27 066	124 144	27.9	5.0	22.9
1992	5 511	154 014	27 869	126 145	27.9	5.1	22.9
1993	5 597	168 000	38 000	130 000	30.0	6.8	23.2
1994	5 678	160 772	29 407	131 365	28.3	5.2	23.1
1995	5 748	159 336	29 130	130 206	27.7	5.1	22.7
1996	5 807	163 007	28 904	134 103	28.1	5.0	23.1
1997	5 855	164 143	29 118	135 025	28.0	5.0	23.1
1998	5 895	158 350	29 919	128 431	26.9	5.1	21.8
1999	5 929	153 636	28 056	125 580	25.9	4.7	21.2
2000	5 959	150 176	28 154	122 022	25.2	4.7	20.5
2001	5 985	138 354	29 959	108 395	23.1	5.0	18.1
2002	6 008	129 363	27 458	101 905	21.5	4.6	17.0
2003	6 029	124 476	29 377	95 099	20.6	4.9	15.8
2004	6 050	119 710	30 058	89 652	19.8	5.0	14.8
2005	6 073	112 769	30 933	81 836	18.6	5.1	13.5
2006	6 097	107 111	31 453	75 658	17.6	5.2	12.4
2007	6 123	106 471	31 349	75 122	17.4	5.1	12.3
2008	6 152	111 278	31 594	79 684	18.1	5.1	13.0
2009	6 183	107 880	32 872	75 008	17.5	5.3	12.2
2010	6 218	104 939	32 586	72 353	17.0	5.3	11.7
2011	6 256	109 384	33 211	76 173	17.6	5.3	12.3
2012		110 843	32 148	78 695	17.7	5.1	12.6	2,3
2013								2,2

Structure of the population ^[22]

Structure of the population (12.05.2007) (Census):

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	2 719 371	3 024 742	5 744 113	100
0-4	283 272	272 621	555 893	9,68
5-9	349 150	335 577	684 727	11,92
10-14	359 523	346 824	706 347	12,30
15-19	298 384	302 181	600 565	10,46
20-24	228 001	258 541	486 542	8,47
25-29	206 963	250 927	457 890	7,97
30-34	178 400	223 849	402 249	7,00
35-39	156 514	196 633	353 147	6,15
40-44	132 218	171 413	303 631	5,29
45-49	109 957	142 165	252 122	4,39
50-54	95 275	120 459	215 734	3,76
55-59	81 718	101 357	183 075	3,19
60-64	68 207	83 657	151 864	2,64
65-69	55 781	69 376	125 157	2,18
70-74	43 449	54 008	97 457	1,70
75-79	33 658	42 326	75 984	1,32
80-84	20 401	26 469	46 870	0,82
85+	18 500	26 359	44 859	0,78

Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0-14	991 945	955 022	1 946 967	33,89
15-64	1 555 637	1 851 182	3 406 819	59,31
65+	171 789	218 538	390 327	6,80

Structure of the population (01.07.2011) (Estimates based on the 2007 Population Census):

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	2 925 284	3 290 858	6 216 143	100
0-4	309 786	296 430	606 216	9,75
5-9	308 052	294 483	602 535	9,69
10-14	362 232	348 111	710 343	11,43
15-19	352 598	350 791	703 389	11,32
20-24	276 109	305 559	581 668	9,36
25-29	209 615	261 340	470 955	7,58
30-34	180 198	235 412	415 609	6,69
35-39	168 638	219 197	387 835	6,24
40-44	149 955	194 952	344 907	5,55
45-49	127 846	167 719	295 565	4,75
50-54	108 714	140 978	249 692	4,02
55-59	93 682	119 911	213 593	3,44
60-64	78 899	100 625	179 525	2,89
65-69	65 846	82 450	148 295	2,39
70-74	52 993	66 934	119 928	1,93
75-79	38 678	49 603	88 281	1,42
80+	41 443	56 363	97 806	1,57

Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0-14	980 070	939 024	1 919 094	30,87
15-64	1 746 254	2 096 484	3 842 738	61,82
65+	198 960	255 350	454 310	7,31

Gallery

• 

  Salvadoran boy during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees.

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees.

• 

  Salvadoran girl during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran girl during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys and girls during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran men building class bench for children

• 

  Salvadoran women, beauty queen Irma Dimas

• 

See also

• El Salvador
• Ethnic groups in Central America
• History of the Jews in El Salvador
• Salvadoran Departments by HDI

References

1. http://countrymeters.info/es/El_Salvador/
3. CIA - The World Factbook - El Salvador
4. Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision
5. Jones, Richard C. (April 1989). "Causes of Salvadoran Migration to the United States". Geographical Review 79 (2): 183. doi:10.2307/215525.
6. INE 2010-Guatemala census.
7. "Mapa de las Migraciones Salvadoreñas". PNUD El Salvador. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
8. http://factfinder2.census.gov/
9. El Salvador entry at The World Factbook
10. Guzman, John (2011). Reflections Behind The Retina. Xlibris Corporation. p. 192.
11. "Carondelet". NCH Historias Multimedia. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
12. Zielger, Matthew. "El Salvador: Central American Palestine of the West?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
13. "Lebanese Diaspora – Worldwide Geographical Distribution". Retrieved 27 May 2015.
14. EL SALVADOR Visa Application - Tourist Visas, Business Visas, Expedited Visas - El Salvador Page
15. Ayala, Edgardo. "Native People of El Salvador Finally Gain Recognition". Retrieved 20 January 2016.
16. "El Salvador - Indigenous peoples". Minority rights groups international. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
17. Military Rule, 1931-1979 - History - El Salvador - Central America: 1979 history, center poverty, cause condition, party pdc, soccer war
18. "El Salvador - Indigenous peoples". Minority rights groups international. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
20. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/latinamericathecaribbean/elsalvador/IDHES_2007-2008_ElSalvador.pdf
21. United nations. Demographic Yearbooks
22. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm