Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 305.9 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
305.9 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
41st
of 216 countries
All-time high
305.9 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
137.65 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in El Salvador, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 305.9 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in El Salvador peaked at 305.9 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 137.65 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
El Salvador ranks 41st of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 137.65 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 141.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 145.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 149.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 153.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 157.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 162.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 166.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 171.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 175.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 180.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 184.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 188.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 193.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 197.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 203.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 207.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 212.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 216.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 219.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 220.59 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 223.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 227.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 231.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 236.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 240.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 245.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 250.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 255.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 260.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 265.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 269.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 273.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 275.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 278.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 280.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 282.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 283.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 285.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 286.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 288.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 288.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 289.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 289.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 289.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 289.69 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 290.05 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 290.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 291.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 292.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 293.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 295.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 296.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 297.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 298.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 299.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 299.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 300.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 300.31 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 300.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 301.92 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 303.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 304.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 305.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 305.9 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 3.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 305.9 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 103.62 people per sq. km of land area, 3.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 153.97 people per sq. km of land area | 137.65 people per sq. km of land area | 171.53 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 195.95 people per sq. km of land area | 175.96 people per sq. km of land area | 216.24 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 235.1 people per sq. km of land area | 219.13 people per sq. km of land area | 255.74 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 275.39 people per sq. km of land area | 260.61 people per sq. km of land area | 285.42 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 289.56 people per sq. km of land area | 286.84 people per sq. km of land area | 291.9 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 297.37 people per sq. km of land area | 292.87 people per sq. km of land area | 300.31 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 303.27 people per sq. km of land area | 300.9 people per sq. km of land area | 305.9 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 38 Vietnam 322.2 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 39 Cayman Islands 310.24 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 40 Guam 310.12 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 42 United States Virgin Islands 299.93 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 43 Saint Lucia 294.66 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 44 United Kingdom 286.37 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for El Salvador
- Population in the largest city 23.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1779 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.13 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8047 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 53.86 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.13 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.249 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 24.44 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in El Salvador?
- Population density in El Salvador was 305.9 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 305.9 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 137.65 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does El Salvador rank for population density?
- El Salvador ranks 41st out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.