Military spending in El Salvador

El Salvador: Military spending was 509.92 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
509.92 million constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 11.1%
World rank
111th
of 172 countries
All-time high
524.82 million constant 2022 US$
in 1985
All-time low
1.92 million constant 2022 US$
in 1924
Years of data
149
1875–2023

Military spending in El Salvador, 1875–2023

0200.0M400.0M600.0M187519492023

Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.

Analysis

In 2023, military spending in El Salvador stood at 509.92 million constant 2022 US$.

That represents a change of up 11.1% on the previous year and up 169.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in El Salvador peaked at 524.82 million constant 2022 US$ in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.92 million constant 2022 US$, in 1924.

El Salvador ranks 111th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1870s 23.54 million constant 2022 US$ 17.79 million constant 2022 US$ 39.35 million constant 2022 US$ 5
1880s 16.24 million constant 2022 US$ 14.58 million constant 2022 US$ 19.76 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1890s 33.18 million constant 2022 US$ 25.81 million constant 2022 US$ 38.83 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1900s 23.78 million constant 2022 US$ 20.03 million constant 2022 US$ 30.00 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1910s 29.07 million constant 2022 US$ 19.17 million constant 2022 US$ 34.72 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1920s 3.64 million constant 2022 US$ 1.92 million constant 2022 US$ 14.70 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1930s 14.67 million constant 2022 US$ 2.23 million constant 2022 US$ 24.76 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1940s 23.63 million constant 2022 US$ 20.54 million constant 2022 US$ 30.77 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1950s 52.22 million constant 2022 US$ 36.47 million constant 2022 US$ 65.01 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1960s 61.89 million constant 2022 US$ 45.11 million constant 2022 US$ 99.80 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1970s 109.40 million constant 2022 US$ 65.51 million constant 2022 US$ 213.46 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1980s 377.48 million constant 2022 US$ 211.96 million constant 2022 US$ 524.82 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1990s 243.42 million constant 2022 US$ 216.06 million constant 2022 US$ 327.35 million constant 2022 US$ 10
2000s 175.37 million constant 2022 US$ 152.01 million constant 2022 US$ 225.86 million constant 2022 US$ 10
2010s 204.74 million constant 2022 US$ 174.79 million constant 2022 US$ 268.14 million constant 2022 US$ 10
2020s 427.96 million constant 2022 US$ 335.29 million constant 2022 US$ 509.92 million constant 2022 US$ 4

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 108 Cameroon 545.00 million constant 2022 US$ compare
  2. 109 Nepal 530.13 million constant 2022 US$ compare
  3. 110 Senegal 527.57 million constant 2022 US$ compare
  4. 112 Guinea 507.79 million constant 2022 US$ compare
  5. 113 Georgia 498.02 million constant 2022 US$ compare
  6. 114 Guatemala 494.92 million constant 2022 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More reference data data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in El Salvador?
Military spending in El Salvador was 509.92 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 524.82 million constant 2022 US$ in 1985.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 1.92 million constant 2022 US$ in 1924.
How does El Salvador rank for military spending?
El Salvador ranks 111th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
Is military spending rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is up 169.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?
The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 149 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending
Unit
constant 2022 US$
Source
Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
172 places, 15,402 data points, 1816–2023
Last refreshed

This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.