Demographics of El Salvador

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 6,377,358. Ethnically, 86.3% of Salvadorans are mixed (mixed Indigenous Native American and European Spanish origin). Another 12.7% is of pure European descent, other 0.23% are pure indigenous descent, 0.13% black people and others 0.64%.^[3]

Population

El Salvador's population, 1961-2003.

El Salvador's population was 6,377,358 in 2015, compared to 2,200,000 in 1950.^[4] In 2010 the percentage of the population below the age of 15 was 32.1%, 61% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.9% were 65 years or older.^[4]

Emigration

The migration rate accelerated during the period of 1979 to 1981, this marked the beginning of the civil unrest and the spread of political killings.^[5]The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the United States; Guatemala is the second country that hosts more Salvadorans behind the United States, approximately 110,000 Salvadorans according to the national census of 2010.^[6] in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in Canada, Australia, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, Italy, Taiwan and Sweden since the migration trend began in the early 1970s.^[7] The 2010 U.S. Census counted 1,648,968 Salvadorans in the United States, up from 655,165 in 2000.^[8]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic Groups in El Salvador %^[9]

  Mestizos (86.3%)

  Whites (12.7%)

  Amerindians/Others (1%)

White Salvadorans

12.7% of Salvadorans are white. This population is mostly made up of ethnically Spanish people, while there are also Salvadorans of French, German, Swiss, English, Irish, and Italian descent. In northern departments like the Chalatenango Department, it is well known that residents in the area are of pure Spanish descent;^[10] settling in the region that is now Chalatenango in the late 18th century.^[11] The governor of San Salvador, Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet, ordered families from northern Spain (Galicia and Asturias) to settle the area to compensate for the lack of indigenous people to work the land; so it isn't uncommon to see people with blond hair, fair skin, and blue or green eyes in municipalities like Dulce Nombre de María, La Palma, and El Pital.

There are a significant population (of about 100,000^[12]) who is of Arab descent; mostly from Palestine (especially from the area of Bethlehem), but also from Lebanon. Salvadorans of Palestinian descent numbered around 70,000 individuals, while Salvadorans of Lebanese descent is around 25,000.^[13] There is also a small community of Jews who came to El Salvador from France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Mestizo Salvadorans

86.3% of the population are mestizo, having mixed indigenous and European ancestry.^[9] In the mestizo population, Salvadorans who are racially European, especially Mediterranean, as well as Afro-Salvadoran, and the indigenous people in El Salvador who do not speak indigenous languages or have and indigenous culture, all identify themselves as being culturally mestizo.^[14]

Indigenous Salvadorans

According to the Salvadoran Government, about 0.23% of the population are of full indigenous origin (Pipil, located in the west and central part of the country, and Lenca, found east of the Lempa River). There are small populations of Cacaopera people in the Morazán Department and a few Ch'orti' people live in the department of Ahuachapán, near the border of Guatemala.

The number of indigenous people in El Salvador have been criticized by indigenous organizations and academics as too small and accuse the government of denying the existence of indigenous Salvadorans in the country.^[15] According to the National Salvadoran Indigenous Coordination Council (CCNIS) and CONCULTURA (National Council for Art and Culture at the Ministry of Education ), approximately 600,000 or 10 per cent of Salvadorian peoples are indigenous.^[16] Nonetheless, very few Amerindians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant Mestizo/Spanish culture. The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by historically high rates of old-world diseases, absorption into the mestizo population, as well as 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. 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.^[17] Departments and cities in the country with notable indigenous populations include Sonsonate (especially Izalco, Nahuizalco, and Santo Domingo), Cacaopera, and Panchimalco, in the department of San Salvador.^[18]

The World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated ^[19]

Nationality

• noun: Salvadoran(s)
• adjective: Salvadoran

Population

• 6,153,259

Languages

• Spanish (official)
• Nawat (among some Amerindians)

Literacy

• Total population: 88%
• Male: 90.4%
• Female: 86% (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

• Mestizo 86.3%
• White 12.7%
• Amerindian 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil)
• Black 0.1%
• Other 0.6%

Religions

• Roman Catholic 57.1%
• Protestant 21.2%
• Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%
• Mormon 0.7%
• Other religions 2.3%
• None 16.8%

Vital statistics

UN estimates

The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. ^[4]

Registered data^[20]

Salvadoran boy in La Unión, El Salvador.

(Nuestros Ángeles de El Salvador) Salvadoran women dancers from San Salvador, El Salvador.

Structure of the population ^[21]

Structure of the population (12.05.2007) (Census):

Structure of the population (01.07.2011) (Estimates based on the 2007 Population Census):

Gallery

• 

  Salvadoran boy during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees.

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  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees.

• 

  Salvadoran girl during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees

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  Salvadoran girl during the civil war, one of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys and girls during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran boys during the civil war, of many Salvadoran children refugees

• 

  Salvadoran men building class bench for children

• 

  Salvadoran women, beauty queen Irma Dimas

• 

See also

• El Salvador
• Ethnic groups in Central America
• History of the Jews in El Salvador
• Salvadoran Departments by HDI

References

Ancestry and ethnicity in El Salvador
Indigenous	Cacaopera Maya K'iche' people Pipil
Non-Indigenous	African Mestizo White German Jew Palestinian
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