Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador publishes second release of Population and Housing Census results with updated socio-demographic indicators

The Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador has published a second set of results from the Seventh Population Census and Sixth Housing Census, expanding the country’s updated evidence base after 17 years. The release adds indicators on fertility, mortality, international emigration, education, remittances and economic characteristics, based on a census implemented in a fully digital format nationwide. Key findings include a decline in the total fertility rate to 1.4 in 2024 from 2.1 in 2007, alongside a fall in the share of women of reproductive age who have had at least one live birth to 60.7% from 66%. On mortality, 3.2% of households reported the loss of a member in the 12 months before the 2024 census, and men accounted for 52.4% of reported deaths; the share of deaths from maternal causes fell to 1.5% from 2.4%. On emigration, the United States remained the destination for 86% of Salvadoran migrants in 2024, with men representing 56.3% of migrants; insecurity or violence moved from the second most-cited reason for emigrating in 2014 to the least-cited in 2024. The census also reports that 26.8% of households receive family remittances (19.2% in 2007) and that the share of the population that never attended formal education fell to 8.6% (17.8% in 2007), while average schooling rose to 8 grades (6.2 in 2007) and illiteracy among those aged 10+ declined to 9.4% (16% in 2007). Labour indicators show the economically active population rising to 52.5% (45.4% in 2007), the employed share to 95.5% (88.6% in 2007), and the inactive population falling to 47.5% (54.6% in 2007). The Bank has made the results from both releases available through its statistical geoportal.