San Salvador, El Salvador Population 2024

San Salvador's 2024 population is now estimated at 1,123,380In 1950, the population of San Salvador was 194,099San Salvador has grown by 7,330 in the last year, which represents a 0.66% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of San Salvador, which typically includes San Salvador's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

San Salvador (literally meaning “holy savior”) is the 4th most populous city of El Salvador and its capital. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which is comprised of the capital itself and 13 other municipalities, is home to a population of over 2 million people. The city of San Salvador in 2019 has an estimated population of around 282,000.

Demographics

The ethnic and racial demographics of the city of San Salvador break down as follows:

  • Mestizo: 86% (persons of combined European and Indigenous American descent)
  • White or Creole: 12% (European descent)
  • 2% other

Virtually every citizen of San Salvador speaks Spanish. English is more widely spoken today than it has been in the past, due mainly to the import of entertainment and culture from the United States, and a large number of Salvadoran emigrants having moved to the United States and since returned.

History

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the native Pipil people a capital called Cuzcatlan, not too far from present-day San Salvador. Little is known about Cuzcatlan, as it was abandoned to prevent Spanish rule. The Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado ordered Cuzcatlan occupied and the abandoned city was further developed for Spanish use.

The town of San Salvador was founded in April of 1525, before it moved location twice, once in 1528 and again in 1545. The new site for San Salvador was picked for its fertile land along the Acelhuate River and larger amount of space. The population of the San Salvador remained low until early into the 20th century.

Population Growth

Until 2005, the population of San Salvador had been growing steadily. Between 2005 and 2007, however, San Salvador saw a huge decrease in population, going from 507,000 in 2005 to 316,000, dropping to almost 300,000 by the end of the decade.

While decline didn’t continue quite so extremely, it did nonetheless continue. 2013 saw the population fall from around 316,000 to just over 290,000, continuing over the year to fall to just below 282,000 in 2014. By 2016 this had fallen to 248,000, and in 2018 238,000. Until the sharp decline in 2005, San Salvador was well above El Salvador’s other cities, population wise. The second most populous city in El Salvador was Soyapango, with fewer than 295,000, compared to San Salvador’s nearly 508,000.

Come 2007, every major city of El Salvador had seen a sharp decline, but not nearly as severely as San Salvador. While still the most populous city as of 2007, where the 10 years that followed saw further decrease San Salvador’s population, the other cities saw growth, leaving San Salvador in 2017 the fourth most populous city in the country, behind Soyapango, Santa Ana and San Miguel, respectively.

This decline has been caused by widespread poverty and crime. Today, about 20% of El Salvador's population lives outside of the country.

Growth Rate
0.66%

86 Rows

Year
Population
20351,241,900
20341,232,630
20331,222,880
20321,212,600
20311,201,720
20301,190,260
20291,178,350
20281,166,240
20271,154,270
20261,142,860
20251,132,420
20241,123,380
20231,116,050
20221,110,680
20211,107,300
20201,105,770
20191,105,660
20181,106,700
20171,104,150
20161,101,600
20151,099,060
20141,096,520
20131,093,990
20121,091,460
20111,088,940
20101,086,430
20091,083,920
20081,081,420
20071,078,920
20061,076,430
20051,073,940
20041,071,470
20031,068,990
20021,066,520
20011,064,060
20001,061,610
19991,059,160
19981,056,710
19971,054,270
19961,051,840
19951,049,410
19941,046,990
19931,044,570
19921,034,640
19911,001,590
1990969,631
1989938,695
1988908,787
1987879,752
1986851,684
1985824,511
1984798,240
1983772,738
1982748,084
1981724,216
1980701,141
1979678,741
1978657,085
1977636,121
1976615,853
1975596,178
1974577,156
1973558,742
1972540,940
1971523,658
1970499,507
1969476,412
1968454,415
1967433,376
1966413,339
1965394,228
1964376,025
1963358,616
1962342,035
1961326,221
1960311,194
1959296,828
1958283,144
1957270,091
1956257,656
1955245,761
1954234,431
1953223,624
1952213,328
1951203,480
1950194,099

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
1950194,0990%0
1951203,4804.83%9,381
1952213,3284.84%9,848
1953223,6244.83%10,296
1954234,4314.83%10,807
1955245,7614.83%11,330
1956257,6564.84%11,895
1957270,0914.83%12,435
1958283,1444.83%13,053
1959296,8284.83%13,684
1960311,1944.84%14,366
1961326,2214.83%15,027
1962342,0354.85%15,814
1963358,6164.85%16,581
1964376,0254.85%17,409
1965394,2284.84%18,203
1966413,3394.85%19,111
1967433,3764.85%20,037
1968454,4154.85%21,039
1969476,4124.84%21,997
1970499,5074.85%23,095
1971523,6584.83%24,151
1972540,9403.3%17,282
1973558,7423.29%17,802
1974577,1563.3%18,414
1975596,1783.3%19,022
1976615,8533.3%19,675
1977636,1213.29%20,268
1978657,0853.3%20,964
1979678,7413.3%21,656
1980701,1413.3%22,400
1981724,2163.29%23,075
1982748,0843.3%23,868
1983772,7383.3%24,654
1984798,2403.3%25,502
1985824,5113.29%26,271
1986851,6843.3%27,173
1987879,7523.3%28,068
1988908,7873.3%29,035
1989938,6953.29%29,908
1990969,6313.3%30,936
19911,001,5903.3%31,959
19921,034,6403.3%33,050
19931,044,5700.96%9,930
19941,046,9900.23%2,420
19951,049,4100.23%2,420
19961,051,8400.23%2,430
19971,054,2700.23%2,430
19981,056,7100.23%2,440
19991,059,1600.23%2,450
20001,061,6100.23%2,450
20011,064,0600.23%2,450
20021,066,5200.23%2,460
20031,068,9900.23%2,470
20041,071,4700.23%2,480
20051,073,9400.23%2,470
20061,076,4300.23%2,490
20071,078,9200.23%2,490
20081,081,4200.23%2,500
20091,083,9200.23%2,500
20101,086,4300.23%2,510
20111,088,9400.23%2,510
20121,091,4600.23%2,520
20131,093,9900.23%2,530
20141,096,5200.23%2,530
20151,099,0600.23%2,540
20161,101,6000.23%2,540
20171,104,1500.23%2,550
20181,106,7000.23%2,550
20191,105,660-0.09%-1,040
20201,105,7700.01%110
20211,107,3000.14%1,530
20221,110,6800.31%3,380
20231,116,0500.48%5,370
20241,123,3800.66%7,330
20251,132,4200.8%9,040
20261,142,8600.92%10,440
20271,154,2701%11,410
20281,166,2401.04%11,970
20291,178,3501.04%12,110
20301,190,2601.01%11,910
20311,201,7200.96%11,460
20321,212,6000.91%10,880
20331,222,8800.85%10,280
20341,232,6300.8%9,750
20351,241,9000.75%9,270

San Salvador Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
San Salvador1,123,3800.66%

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