Demographics of El Salvador
Encyclopedia
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 about 6,071,774 with 86% of Salvadorans are mixed (mixed Native American
Indigenous and European
Spanish origin by majority. The Salvadorans of mixed ancestry vary in their Europe
an and Native American
ancestry
12% of Salvadorans are white
; population is mostly of Spanish
, while there is also of French
, German
, Swiss, English
, Irish
, Italian
, Swedish, Norwegian
, Dutch
and Danish descent. The majority of Central European immigrants arrived during World War II as refugees Czech Republic
, Germany
, Hungary
, Poland
, and Switzerland
are scattered in different communities of El Salvador. Russians
came in during the Salvadoran civil war during the cold war, to help the communist guerrillas take over the country, as did Americans
, Australians, and Canadians when they helped the military government fight against the communists. About 1% is of indigenous origin (Mayan
, Pipil and Lenca). Very few Amerindians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant Mestizo/Spanish culture. In the Mestizo population, Salvadorans who are racially European, especially Mediterranean, the indigenous people in El Salvador who do not speak indigenous languages or have and indigenous culture, and Salvadorans of partial Nordic race also identify themselves as Mestizo culturally.
The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by 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 (nowadays this would be considered a genocide
by the army's methods to exterminate a certain racial group). 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.
There is a significant population of Palestinian Christian
and Chinese
immigrants. There is also a small community of Jews
and Muslims. Salvadorans have Middle Eastern and Arab ancestries that include Lebanon
, Syria
, and the majority come from Palestine
that immigrated to El Salvador.
Catholicism is the majority religion in El Salvador at 57.1%. Protestant groups compromise 21.2% of the population. Individual groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses
1.9%, and Mormons 0.7%. A sizable 16.8% population claim no religious affiliation in El Salvador.
Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants. The capital city of San Salvador
has about 1.6 million people; an estimated 37.3% of El Salvador's population live in rural areas. The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the US
; in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in Canada
, Panama
, Costa Rica
, Europe
and Australia
since the migration trend began in the early 1970s.
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
, English
, French
, Pipil
.
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
| Demographics of El Salvador | |
|---|---|
| Salvadoran Children | |
| Population | 6,071,774 (2011 est.) |
| Male population | 3,440,918 |
| Female population | 3,625,485 |
| Population growth | 1.68% |
| Birth rate Birth rate Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase... |
25.72/1,000 |
| Death rate | 5.53/1,000 |
| Infant mortality rate | 22.19/1,000 |
| Life expectancy Life expectancy Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience... |
73.44 years |
| Nationality | Salvadoran |
| Demographic bureaus | INEC |
El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
's population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
numbers about 6,071,774 with 86% of Salvadorans are mixed (mixed Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Indigenous and European
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Spanish origin by majority. The Salvadorans of mixed ancestry vary in their Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
ancestry
12% of Salvadorans are white
White Latin American
White Latin Americans are the people of Latin America who are white in the racial classification systems used in individual Latin American countries. Persons who are classified as White in one Latin American country may be classified differently in another country...
; population is mostly of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, while there is also of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Swiss, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Swedish, Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
, Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
and Danish descent. The majority of Central European immigrants arrived during World War II as refugees Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
are scattered in different communities of El Salvador. Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
came in during the Salvadoran civil war during the cold war, to help the communist guerrillas take over the country, as did Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australians, and Canadians when they helped the military government fight against the communists. About 1% is of indigenous origin (Mayan
Mayan
The adjective Mayan is sometimes used to refer to the indigenous peoples of southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America, such as Guatemala; their culture, language, and history...
, Pipil and Lenca). Very few Amerindians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant Mestizo/Spanish culture. In the Mestizo population, Salvadorans who are racially European, especially Mediterranean, the indigenous people in El Salvador who do not speak indigenous languages or have and indigenous culture, and Salvadorans of partial Nordic race also identify themselves as Mestizo culturally.
The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by mass murder during the 1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising
1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising
The peasant uprising of 1932, also known as La matanza , was a brief, peasant-led rebellion that occurred on January 22 of that year in the western departments of El Salvador...
(or La Matanza) which saw (estimates of) up to 30,000 peasants killed in a short period of time (nowadays this would be considered a genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
by the army's methods to exterminate a certain racial group). 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.
There is a significant population of Palestinian Christian
Palestinian Christian
Palestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
and Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
immigrants. There is also a small community of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Muslims. Salvadorans have Middle Eastern and Arab ancestries that include Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and the majority come from Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
that immigrated to El Salvador.
Catholicism is the majority religion in El Salvador at 57.1%. Protestant groups compromise 21.2% of the population. Individual groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
1.9%, and Mormons 0.7%. A sizable 16.8% population claim no religious affiliation in El Salvador.
Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants. The capital city of San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
has about 1.6 million people; an estimated 37.3% of El Salvador's population live in rural areas. The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since the migration trend began in the early 1970s.
Cities and metropolitan areas
Municipalities of El SalvadorMunicipalities of El Salvador
The departments of El Salvador are divided into 262 municipalities or municipios. The municipalities are listed below, by department El Salvador is divided into fourteen administrative divisions called departments, the equivalent of states in the United States. Each department is administered by a...
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
| Ethnic groups | |
|---|---|
| Salvadoran women | Group | Number |
| Mestizo Mestizo Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent... (86%) |
4,210,000 |
| White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... (12%) |
621,000 |
| Native American Indigenous peoples of the Americas The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans... (1%) |
69,000 |
| Source: CDI (2006) | |
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 35.4% (male 1,299,608/female 1,245,617)
- 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 2,033,423/female 2,225,810)
- 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 166,224/female 214,536) (2010 est.)
Birth rate
- 29.02 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
- 25.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- 18.06 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Death rate
- 6.27 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
- 5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- 5.61 deaths/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Net migration rate
- -4.0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
- -3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- -9.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- 29.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
- 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
- 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 73.18 years
- male: 70.16 years
- female: 76.87 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 3.38 children born/woman (2000 est.)
- 3.04 children born/woman (2008 est.)
- 2.12 children born/woman (2010 est.)
- 2.08 children born/woman (2011 est.) (below the sub-replacement fertilitySub-replacement fertilitySub-replacement fertility is a total fertility rate that leads to each new generation being less populous than the previous one in a given area. In developed countries sub-replacement fertility is any rate below approximately 2.1 children born per woman, but the threshold can be as high as 3.4...
threshold of 2.1)
Nationality
- noun: Salvadoran(s)
- adjective: Salvadoran
- noun: Central American(s)
- adjective: Central American
Ethnic groups
- Mestizo: 86%
- White: 12%
- Native American: >1% The very low numbers of Native indigenous people may be explained by 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 (nowadays this would be considered a genocide by the army's methods to exterminate a certain racial group) The Native American population consists primary of Pipils and Lencas (the latter confined to the Eastern regions of the country).
Languages
SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Pipil
Pipil language
Pipil is a Uto-Aztecan language descended from Nahuatl which was spoken in several parts of present day Central America before the Spanish conquest. It is on the verge of extinction in western El Salvador and has already gone extinct elsewhere in Central America...
.
Literacy
- definition: age 10 and over can read and write
- total population: 91.7%
- male: 92.1%
- female: 91.6% (2011 est.)
See also
- El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
- Ethnic groups in Central AmericaEthnic groups in Central AmericaCentral America is a region formed by 6 Latin American countries and one Anglo American nation...
- History of the Jews in El SalvadorHistory of the Jews in El SalvadorJews have been present in El Salvador since the early 19th century, starting with Sephardic French Jews and continuing with the arrival of World War II Ashkenazi refugees.-History of the Jews in El Salvador:...
- Religion in El SalvadorReligion in El SalvadorThere is diversity of religious and ethnic groups in El Salvador. The majority of the population are Christians, mostly Roman Catholics , while Protestantism represents 27.6% of the population.Mormonism and Pentecostalism are two of the notable non-catholic faiths in El Salvador.11.1 percent of the...