Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 2.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador, 1978–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador stood at 2.7%. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.2% on the previous year and down 34.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador peaked at 16.9% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2024.
El Salvador ranks 155th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 3.7% | — |
| 1979 | 6.8% | +82.1% |
| 1980 | 13.3% | +96.5% |
| 1985 | 16.9% | +27.1% |
| 1986 | 8.6% | -49.1% |
| 1988 | 9.4% | +8.6% |
| 1989 | 8.4% | -10.9% |
| 1990 | 10.0% | +19.3% |
| 1991 | 7.5% | -24.4% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -61.6% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +243.4% |
| 1994 | 7.7% | -22.7% |
| 1995 | 7.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 7.2% | -5.5% |
| 1997 | 7.7% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 7.1% | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 7.3% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 7.0% | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 7.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6.2% | -10.9% |
| 2003 | 6.9% | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 7.0% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 5.9% | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +24.6% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | -33.3% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | -12.2% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | -10.6% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | +12.5% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | +10.5% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | -8.6% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +20.1% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -13.6% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -30.8% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 2.7% | -9.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.3% | 3.7% | 6.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.3% | 8.4% | 16.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 7.5% | 2.9% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 5.9% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 2.7% | 5.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 152 Korea 2.8% compare
- 153 Kiribati 2.8% compare
- 154 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 2.7% compare
- 156 Papua New Guinea 2.7% compare
- 157 Isle of Man 2.7% compare
- 158 Seychelles 2.6% compare
More work & labour data for El Salvador
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.8531 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.8121 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.893 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.72 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.2563 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,984 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,013 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,591 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,482 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,073 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in El Salvador was 2.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 1985.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2024.
- How does El Salvador rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- El Salvador ranks 155th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.