El Salvador vs Nicaragua: Population in largest city
El Salvador
1.13 million
in 2025
Nicaragua
1.12 million
in 2025
El Salvador rank
121st
Nicaragua rank
122nd
Population in largest city over time
- El Salvador
- Nicaragua
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports 1.13 million against 1.12 million in Nicaragua, a difference of 11,520.
Across all 66 years both countries report, El Salvador has been ahead every year.
El Salvador ranks 121st and Nicaragua ranks 122nd of 153 countries.
El Salvador has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | El Salvador | Nicaragua | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 388,586 | 264,867 | 123,720 | El Salvador |
| 1970s | 588,398 | 437,153 | 151,246 | El Salvador |
| 1980s | 814,785 | 613,404 | 201,381 | El Salvador |
| 1990s | 1.04 million | 830,288 | 206,593 | El Salvador |
| 2000s | 1.07 million | 921,533 | 151,195 | El Salvador |
| 2010s | 1.10 million | 1.02 million | 74,181 | El Salvador |
| 2020s | 1.12 million | 1.09 million | 25,572 | El Salvador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, El Salvador or Nicaragua?
- El Salvador, at 1.13 million against 1.12 million in Nicaragua as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between El Salvador and Nicaragua?
- 11,520, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and Nicaragua?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do El Salvador and Nicaragua rank globally for population in largest city?
- El Salvador ranks 121st and Nicaragua ranks 122nd of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.