El Salvador population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Central America
6,391,254 people in 2026 (projected). El Salvador has an unusually large female surplus in middle and older age: above 45 there are only about seven men for every ten women.
- 2026 population
- 6.4Mrank 113 of 237
- Median age
- 28.4 yearsoldest rank 150
- Fertility rate
- 1.74births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Transitional8.5% age 65+
El Salvador population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
El Salvador age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 24.0% of the population, while 8.5% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 67.6% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies El Salvador’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 48.0: about 48 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (35.5 children and 12.6 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes El Salvador’s population pyramid
A pyramid shaped by emigration
The most striking feature of El Salvador’s pyramid is its lopsided upper half. In 2026 the sexes are roughly balanced up to age 34, but from 40 onwards the male side is markedly narrower: there are about 78 men per 100 women at ages 40–44, 69 at 50–54 and 66 at 60–64. The overall sex ratio, about 90 men per 100 women, places El Salvador near the bottom of the sex ratio by country ranking.
Emigration is widely seen as the main reason. The UN estimates net emigration of about 1.6 million between 1950 and 1999 and a further 1.4 million between 2000 and 2023, enormous totals for a country of just over six million. Large-scale departures, mostly to the United States, began during the civil war of 1980–92 and continued afterwards, driven by economic hardship and violence. Men appear to have been more likely to leave, and the deficit is concentrated in the cohorts born before the mid-1980s.
Mortality adds to the gap. Life expectancy is about 68 for men and 77 for women in 2026, a difference of almost nine years, partly linked to violent deaths among young men; homicide rates in El Salvador were among the highest in the world for much of the past three decades. The guide to sex ratios by age shows how emigration and excess male mortality combine in a pyramid.
A bulge in the late twenties
Below the depleted middle the pyramid widens. The 25–29 band, born about 1997–2001, is the largest in 2026 and about 10% bigger than its neighbours. These cohorts were born in the decade after the peace accords of 1992, when fertility was still around three children per woman, and they have so far been less affected by emigration than the generations above them. Fertility then fell quickly, to about 2.2 by 2010 and 1.7 in 2026, so each younger band is narrower.
El Salvador’s current profile is close to those of Ecuador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but none of them has as wide a gap between the sexes. Under the medium scenario the population peaks in 2047 at about 6.7 million, and by 2050 the widest band is 50–54, as the large 1990s cohorts move into middle age.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25–29 | 1997–2001 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +10% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2058. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2055.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, El Salvador is projected to record 96,922 births (about 265 births a day) and 48,100 deaths, a natural increase of 48,822. Net migration adds −23,530 people, ranking #206 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 2,884,104 births, 1,079,154 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −1,410,597. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −478,513 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 76.9 years46.2 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 68.2 years42.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 16.7 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 8.6per 1,000 births · 146 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 10.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 27.2 yearssex ratio at birth 104.8
Women in El Salvador are projected to live 8.7 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 146 to 8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #127 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 27.2 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for El Salvador
The median age of 28.4 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.74 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 72.7 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,391,254 | #113 | Largest first |
| Median age | 28.4 years | #150 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.74 | #131 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.4% | #148 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 years | #152 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 8.5% | #132 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in El Salvador
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25–29 | 626,409 | 9.8% | 318.9K / 307.6K |
| 2 | 30–34 | 574,754 | 9.0% | 288.5K / 286.2K |
| 3 | 20–24 | 560,136 | 8.8% | 287.3K / 272.9K |
| 4 | 15–19 | 556,260 | 8.7% | 287.4K / 268.8K |
| 5 | 10–14 | 549,808 | 8.6% | 283.2K / 266.6K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, El Salvador has 3,036,026 males and 3,355,228 females. That is 90.5 males per 100 females, ranking #215 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.5% of the population and females for 52.5%. There are 319,202 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 62.7 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.8 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How El Salvador has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 2,183,506 in 1950 to 6,391,254 in 2026, a change of 193%. Over the same span, median age moved from 17.2 to 28.4 years.
The under-15 share changed from 43.1% to 24.0%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.9% to 8.5%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, El Salvador’s population is projected to grow by about 4%, reaching 6,663,346 in 2050. The median age changes from 28.4 to 38.9 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.2 percentage points to 14.7%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 17.1%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 6,669,836 in 2047. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,183,506 | 17.2 | 6.30 | 44.2 | 102,496 | 45,946 | −4,526 | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 2,791,459 | 16.1 | 6.62 | 48.3 | 131,250 | 49,706 | −4,885 | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 3,668,796 | 15.5 | 6.18 | 51.4 | 156,991 | 56,494 | −11,367 | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 4,540,382 | 16.4 | 5.11 | 48.6 | 180,866 | 69,097 | −71,318 | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 5,399,726 | 17.7 | 3.96 | 62.0 | 182,148 | 41,837 | −39,689 | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 5,943,366 | 20.2 | 3.08 | 67.7 | 161,255 | 38,939 | −94,861 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 6,068,250 | 22.6 | 2.24 | 70.9 | 119,481 | 43,789 | −54,688 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 6,234,674 | 25.7 | 1.82 | 70.2 | 101,646 | 53,401 | −25,213 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 6,309,624 | 27.0 | 1.78 | 72.1 | 99,428 | 47,443 | −23,253 | +0.5% |
| 2024* | 6,338,193 | 27.4 | 1.77 | 72.3 | 98,858 | 47,344 | −23,102 | +0.5% |
| 2026* | 6,391,254 | 28.4 | 1.74 | 72.7 | 96,922 | 48,100 | −23,530 | +0.4% |
| 2030* | 6,486,206 | 30.3 | 1.71 | 73.6 | 93,334 | 49,783 | −23,036 | +0.3% |
| 2040* | 6,640,752 | 34.8 | 1.67 | 75.6 | 81,090 | 54,219 | −17,581 | +0.1% |
| 2050* | 6,663,346 | 38.9 | 1.65 | 77.5 | 71,788 | 60,225 | −14,866 | -0.1% |
| 2060* | 6,554,199 | 42.8 | 1.64 | 79.3 | 63,704 | 66,706 | −13,965 | -0.3% |
| 2070* | 6,329,848 | 45.8 | 1.64 | 81.0 | 56,472 | 73,777 | −10,597 | -0.4% |
| 2080* | 5,985,032 | 48.0 | 1.63 | 82.5 | 50,080 | 82,768 | −8,916 | -0.7% |
| 2090* | 5,532,369 | 49.4 | 1.62 | 84.0 | 44,797 | 85,053 | −6,719 | -0.8% |
| 2100* | 5,073,224 | 50.3 | 1.62 | 85.3 | 40,243 | 78,256 | −5,361 | -0.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 247,202 | 236,109 | 483,311 | 7.6% |
| 5–9 | 254,828 | 243,209 | 498,037 | 7.8% |
| 10–14 | 283,171 | 266,637 | 549,808 | 8.6% |
| 15–19 | 287,443 | 268,817 | 556,260 | 8.7% |
| 20–24 | 287,254 | 272,882 | 560,136 | 8.8% |
| 25–29 | 318,851 | 307,558 | 626,409 | 9.8% |
| 30–34 | 288,533 | 286,221 | 574,754 | 9.0% |
| 35–39 | 215,760 | 234,415 | 450,175 | 7.0% |
| 40–44 | 159,651 | 204,899 | 364,550 | 5.7% |
| 45–49 | 148,131 | 207,276 | 355,407 | 5.6% |
| 50–54 | 129,289 | 187,739 | 317,028 | 5.0% |
| 55–59 | 114,171 | 166,020 | 280,191 | 4.4% |
| 60–64 | 92,835 | 140,325 | 233,160 | 3.6% |
| 65–69 | 73,894 | 112,198 | 186,092 | 2.9% |
| 70–74 | 56,847 | 87,921 | 144,768 | 2.3% |
| 75–79 | 41,151 | 64,575 | 105,726 | 1.7% |
| 80–84 | 23,674 | 40,791 | 64,465 | 1.0% |
| 85–89 | 10,233 | 20,283 | 30,516 | 0.5% |
| 90–94 | 2,687 | 6,182 | 8,869 | 0.1% |
| 95–99 | 405 | 1,091 | 1,496 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 17 | 79 | 96 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to El Salvador’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Ecuador97% overlap · median age 29.7
- India96% overlap · median age 29.2
- Mexico96% overlap · median age 30.0
- Dominican Republic96% overlap · median age 28.7
- Belize95% overlap · median age 27.3
- Peru95% overlap · median age 30.5
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for El Salvador.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). El Salvador Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/el-salvador/
MLA
“El Salvador Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/el-salvador/.
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World Population Pyramid. “El Salvador Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/el-salvador/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of El Salvador in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, El Salvador's population in 2026 is projected at 6,391,254.
What is the median age in El Salvador?
The projected median age in El Salvador in 2026 is 28.4 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in El Salvador?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.74 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is El Salvador's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 4%, from 6.4M to 6.7M.
What share of El Salvador is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 8.5% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 14.7%.
How many babies are born in El Salvador each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 96,922 births and 48,100 deaths in 2026, about 265 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 48,822.
What is life expectancy in El Salvador for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 76.9 years for women and 68.2 years for men, a gap of 8.7 years in favour of women.
Does El Salvador have more immigrants or emigrants?
El Salvador is projected to lose about 23,530 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −1,410,597.
What is the sex ratio in El Salvador?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 90.5 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.