Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador
El Salvador: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 23.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador, 1989–2023
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 23.6% for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador peaked at 38.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2019.
That places El Salvador 45th out of 123 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 36.1% | — |
| 1991 | 38.1% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 34.4% | -9.7% |
| 1996 | 35.1% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 37.4% | +6.6% |
| 1999 | 35.0% | -6.4% |
| 2000 | 33.6% | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 34.3% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 34.6% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 34.3% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 31.7% | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 32.0% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 29.7% | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 28.2% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 30.4% | +7.8% |
| 2009 | 30.5% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 28.2% | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 27.8% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 27.6% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 26.8% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 25.6% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 26.6% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 25.3% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 24.9% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 23.4% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 25.0% | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 24.2% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 23.6% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 36.1% | 36.1% | 36.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 36.0% | 34.4% | 38.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 31.9% | 28.2% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 23.4% | 30.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 23.6% | 25.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 43 Argentina 24.1% compare
- 44 Jamaica 23.7% compare
- 45 Costa Rica 23.6% compare
- 47 Israel 23.5% compare
- 48 North Macedonia 23.3% compare
More poverty & inequality data for El Salvador
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.77 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,819 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 20.61 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 20.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in El Salvador was 23.6% in 2023, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 38.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2019.
- How does El Salvador rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- El Salvador ranks 45th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.