El Salvador — GDP growth
GDP Growth (Annual %) for El Salvador, 1966–2025.
GDP growth for El Salvador was 3.91% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 60 years, from 1966 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 11.90% in 2021. The lowest was -15.84% in 1980 (about -4.1× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.02% per year.
El Salvador ranks 81 of 212 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 38%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 3.38%, so El Salvador sits above it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 67% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 63%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 13 of 40 economies; Cayman Islands (3.76%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 1188% in 1987. That is 49% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 34th of 115 in 1966 → 90th of 119 in 1970 → 149th of 152 in 1980 → 57th of 176 in 1990 → 165th of 199 in 2000 → 144th of 209 in 2010 → 151st of 209 in 2020 → 73rd of 186 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1966 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.91% | +1.3 pp |
| 2024 | 2.59% | -0.8 pp |
| 2023 | 3.36% | +0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 2.95% | -9.0 pp |
| 2021 | 11.9% | +19.8 pp |
| 2020 | -7.89% | -10.3 pp |
| 2019 | 2.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 2.41% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 2.25% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 2.54% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +0.7 pp |
| 2014 | 1.71% | -0.5 pp |
| 2013 | 2.24% | -0.6 pp |
| 2012 | 2.82% | -1.0 pp |
| 2011 | 3.81% | +1.7 pp |
| 2010 | 2.15% | +4.3 pp |
| 2009 | -2.11% | -4.3 pp |
| 2008 | 2.15% | +0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 1.85% | -2.5 pp |
| 2006 | 4.34% | +1.7 pp |
| 2005 | 2.68% | +1.8 pp |
| 2004 | 0.89% | -0.7 pp |
| 2003 | 1.57% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 1.57% | +0.7 pp |
| 2001 | 0.88% | -0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 1.13% | -1.0 pp |
| 1999 | 2.16% | -0.5 pp |
| 1998 | 2.65% | -0.5 pp |
| 1997 | 3.14% | +2.3 pp |
| 1996 | 0.81% | -3.9 pp |
| 1995 | 4.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 4.69% | -1.1 pp |
| 1993 | 5.82% | -1.2 pp |
| 1992 | 7.02% | +5.5 pp |
| 1991 | 1.49% | -3.3 pp |
| 1990 | 4.83% | +3.9 pp |
| 1989 | 0.96% | -0.9 pp |
| 1988 | 1.88% | -0.6 pp |
| 1987 | 2.51% | +2.3 pp |
| 1986 | 0.19% | -0.4 pp |
| 1985 | 0.61% | -0.7 pp |
| 1984 | 1.34% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 1.54% | +7.8 pp |
| 1982 | -6.31% | -0.6 pp |
| 1981 | -5.72% | +10.1 pp |
| 1980 | -15.84% | -11.7 pp |
| 1979 | -4.18% | -9.5 pp |
| 1978 | 5.32% | -1.5 pp |
| 1977 | 6.78% | +1.7 pp |
| 1976 | 5.05% | +2.1 pp |
| 1975 | 2.92% | -2.4 pp |
| 1974 | 5.34% | +0.5 pp |
| 1973 | 4.86% | -1.3 pp |
| 1972 | 6.12% | +2.3 pp |
| 1971 | 3.86% | +0.9 pp |
| 1970 | 2.98% | -0.5 pp |
| 1969 | 3.49% | +0.2 pp |
| 1968 | 3.24% | -2.2 pp |
| 1967 | 5.44% | -1.7 pp |
| 1966 | 7.16% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was El Salvador’s GDP growth in 1967?
5.44% (1967). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is El Salvador’s GDP growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1966 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -45.5% in total — about 1.0% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 3.91%; 2024: 2.59%; 2023: 3.36%; 2022: 2.95%; 2021: 11.9%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG — GDP Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.