Demographics of El Salvador

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Demographics of El Salvador
Population 6,408,111
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[1]

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 6.1 million. Ethnically, 78% of Salvadorans are mixed (mixed Indigenous Native American and European Spanish origin). Another 12% is of pure European descent, 10% are of pure indigenous descent, 0.16% are Black and others are 0.64%.[2]

Population[edit]

El Salvador's population, 1961-2015
Salvadoran troops
Salvadoran baseball players
Salvadoran children dancing traditional colonial music La Unión, El Salvador
Young Salvadoran girls dancing traditional colonial music San Miguel, El Salvador

El Salvador's population was 6,344,722 in 2016,[3] compared to 2,200,000 in 1950. 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[edit]

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, Taiwan 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[edit]

Out of the 6,408,111 people in El Salvador, 78% are Mestizo, 12% are of full European descent, 10% Indigenous, 0.8% Black, and 0.64% other.

Mestizo Salvadorans[edit]

Young Salvadoran men from the El Salvador national soccer team
Young Salvadoran women in Ahuachapan

78% of the population are mestizo, having mixed indigenous and European ancestry.[1] 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.[9]

Indigenous Salvadorans[edit]

Indigenous Salvadoran woman from Panchimalco
Map of El Salvador's Native American civilizations and their former kingdoms:
  Kingdom of the Lenca people
  Kingdom of the Cacaopera people
  Kingdom of the Xinca people
  Kingdom Maya Poqomam people
  Kingdom of Maya Ch'orti' people
  Kingdom of the Alaguilac people
  Kingdom of the Mixe people
  Kingdom of the Mangue language
  Kingdom of the Pipil people

According to the Salvadoran Government, about 10% of the population are of full or partial indigenous origin. The largest most dominant Native American groups in El Salvador are the Lenca people, Maya peoples: (Poqomam people/Chorti people) and Pipil people followed by small enclaves of Cacaopera people, Xinca people, Alaguilac people, Mixe people, Mangue language people, as well as an Olmec past. (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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[11]

White Salvadorans[edit]

Salvadoran children
Spaniard conquistador Pedro de Alvarado and his army became the first to settle and establish European colonies in El Salvador in 1524.
Spaniard colonizers began settling in El Salvador and taking native wives, producing a high birth rate of mestizo children which make up today's modern Salvadoran population.

Some 12% 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;[13] settling in the region that is now Chalatenango in the late 18th century.[14] 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; it is not 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.

Arab Salvadorans[edit]

There is a significant Arab population (of about 100,000);[15] 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.[16] There is also a small community of Jews who came to El Salvador from France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Pardo Salvadoran[edit]

Pardo is the term that was used in colonial El Salvador to describe a tri-racial Afro-Mestizo person of Indigenous, European, and African descent. Afro-Salvadorans are the descendants of the African population that were enslaved and shipped to El Salvador to work in mines in specific regions of El Salvador. They have mixed into and were naturally bred out by the general Mestizo population, which is a combination of a Mestizo majority and the minority of Pardo people, both of whom are racially mixed populations. Thus, there remains no significant extremes of African physiognomy among Salvadorans like there is in the other countries of Central America. A total of only 10,000 African slaves were brought to El Salvador over the span of 75 years, starting around 1548, about 25 years after El Salvador's colonization. El Salvador is the only country in Central America that does not have English Antillean (West Indian) or Garifuna populations of the Caribbean, but instead had older colonial African slaves that came straight from Africa. This is the reason why El Salvador is the only country in Central America not to have a caribbeanized culture, and instead preserved its classical Central America culture.[citation needed]

The World Factbook demographic statistics[edit]

The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[17]

Nationality[edit]

  • Noun: Salvadoran(s)
  • Adjective: Salvadoran

Population[edit]

Languages[edit]

Literacy[edit]

  • Total population: 88%
  • Male: 90.4%
  • Female: 86% (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups[edit]

Religions[edit]

Further information: Religion in El Salvador

Vital statistics[edit]

UN estimates[edit]

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 75 000 94 000 22.0 6.4 15.6 2.60 23 70.2 65.4 74.9
2005-2010 127 000 90 000 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[edit]

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
1940 1 633 74 637 45.7
1941 1 654 72 376 43.8
1942 1 675 71 414 42.6
1943 1 697 71 554 42.2
1944 1 719 72 590 42.2
1945 1 742 74 660 42.9
1946 1 764 72 042 30 996 41 046 40.8 17.6 23.2
1947 1 788 84 330 30 719 53 611 47.2 17.2 30.0
1948 1 811 80 770 30 527 50 243 44.6 16.9 27.7
1949 1 835 84 839 28 339 56 500 46.2 15.4 30.8
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 109 617 34 212 75 405 17.4 5.4 12.0 2.2
2014 108 903 37 461 71 442 17.2 5.9 11.3
2015 109 617 17.0

[19]

Structure of the population[edit]

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

[19]

Gallery[edit]

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

  • Salvadoran boys during the civil war

  • Salvadoran girl during the civil war

  • Salvadoran girl during the civil war

  • Salvadoran boys and girls during the civil war

  • Salvadoran boys during the civil war

  • Salvadoran boys during the civil war

  • Salvadoran boys during the civil war

  • Salvadoran men building class bench for children

  • Salvadoran women, beauty queen Irma Dimas

  • Colima-El-Salvador.JPG

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "El Salvador". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 
  2. ^ "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". Cia.gov. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
  3. ^ "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision". ESA.UN.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 10 September 2017. 
  4. ^ a b "Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision". Esa.un.org. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
  5. ^ Jones, Richard C. (April 1989). "Causes of Salvadoran Migration to the United States". Geographical Review. 79 (2): 183. doi:10.2307/215525. 
  6. ^ User, Super. "Institución". Ine.gob.gt. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
  7. ^ "Mapa de las Migraciones Salvadoreñas". PNUD El Salvador. Retrieved 26 May 2015. 
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2011-04-25. 
  9. ^ EL SALVADOR Visa Application - Tourist Visas, Business Visas, Expedited Visas - El Salvador Page Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ Ayala, Edgardo. "Native People of El Salvador Finally Gain Recognition". Ipsnews.net. Retrieved 20 January 2016. 
  11. ^ a b "El Salvador - Indigenous peoples". Minority rights groups international. Retrieved 20 January 2016. 
  12. ^ "Jose Napoleon Duarte,Hernandez Martinez,Ungo,Matanza,Central American Common Market,CACM,urban middle class,Christian Democratic Party,powerful families,death squads,Organization of American States,PRUD,International Court Of Justice,urban center,rapid population growth". Countriesquest.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
  13. ^ Guzman, John (2011). Reflections Behind The Retina. Xlibris Corporation. p. 192.  [self-published source]
  14. ^ "Carondelet". NCH Historias Multimedia. Retrieved 27 May 2015. 
  15. ^ Zielger, Matthew. "El Salvador: Central American Palestine of the West?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 27 May 2015. 
  16. ^ "Lebanese Diaspora – Worldwide Geographical Distribution". Retrieved 27 May 2015. 
  17. ^ "Central America and Caribbean :: BARBADOS". CIA The World Factbook. 
  18. ^ "El Salvador Population (2017, 2018) - Worldometers". Worldometers.info. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
  19. ^ a b "United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics". Unstats.un.org. Retrieved 4 October 2017. 
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