Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador

El Salvador: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 2.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.7%
Change on year
down 9.2%
World rank
153rd
of 185 countries
All-time high
16.9%
in 1985
All-time low
2.7%
in 2024
Years of data
42
1978–2024

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in El Salvador, 1978–2024

510151978200120241978: 3.7 %1979: 6.8 %1980: 13.3 %1985: 16.9 %1986: 8.6 %1988: 9.4 %1989: 8.4 %1990: 10 %1991: 7.5 %1992: 2.9 %1993: 9.9 %1994: 7.7 %1995: 7.7 %1996: 7.2 %1997: 7.7 %1998: 7.1 %1999: 7.3 %2000: 7 %2001: 7 %2002: 6.2 %2003: 6.9 %2004: 6.8 %2005: 7 %2006: 6.5 %2007: 6.4 %2008: 5.9 %2009: 7.3 %2010: 4.9 %2011: 4.3 %2012: 3.8 %2013: 3.7 %2014: 4.2 %2015: 4 %2016: 4.4 %2017: 4.4 %2018: 4 %2019: 4.2 %2020: 5 %2021: 4.3 %2022: 3 %2023: 3 %2024: 2.7 %

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 150 South Korea 2.8% compare
  2. 151 Kiribati 2.8% compare
  3. 152 Bolivia 2.7% compare
  4. 154 Papua New Guinea 2.7% compare
  5. 155 Isle of Man 2.7% compare
  6. 156 Seychelles 2.6% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

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.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.