Share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of population living in extreme poverty was 4.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador, 1989–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 4.6% for share of population living in extreme poverty in 2023.
That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and down 35.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador peaked at 28.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2019.
That places El Salvador 40th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 24.8% | — |
| 1991 | 28.9% | +16.9% |
| 1995 | 19.3% | -33.2% |
| 1996 | 21.2% | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 26.3% | +24.0% |
| 1999 | 22.4% | -14.9% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | -17.8% |
| 2001 | 19.4% | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 19.5% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 20.9% | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | -22.1% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | -23.2% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | -27.2% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | +37.4% |
| 2009 | 12.4% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 11.4% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | -11.2% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | -15.3% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -16.4% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -23.8% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | -21.2% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -10.6% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | -26.6% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | +71.9% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 4.6% | -10.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.8% | 24.8% | 24.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 23.7% | 19.3% | 28.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 15.8% | 9.2% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.7% | 3.0% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
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 share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador?
- Share of population living in extreme poverty in El Salvador was 4.6% in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in extreme poverty recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of population living in extreme poverty recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2019.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of population living in extreme poverty?
- El Salvador ranks 40th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of population living in extreme poverty rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.