Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador
El Salvador: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 2.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador, 1978–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador is 2.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 9.2% on the previous year and down 34.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador peaked at 16.9% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2024.
El Salvador ranks 153rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | 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% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 2.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 46% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 2.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.3%, 43% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +243.4% | 2.9% | 9.9% |
| 1980 | +96.5% | 6.8% | 13.3% |
| 1979 | +82.1% | 3.7% | 6.8% |
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
- 150 South Korea 2.8% compare
- 151 Kiribati 2.8% compare
- 152 Bolivia 2.7% compare
- 154 Papua New Guinea 2.7% compare
- 155 Isle of Man 2.7% compare
- 156 Seychelles 2.6% compare
More reference data data for El Salvador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2714 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6267 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0909 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3176 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4948 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador was 2.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 1985.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2024.
- How does El Salvador rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- El Salvador ranks 153rd out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.