Democracy in El Salvador
El Salvador: Democracy was 1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Democracy in El Salvador, 1838–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in El Salvador is 1, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in El Salvador peaked at 2 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1838.
That places El Salvador 87th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.8 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1850s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.3 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.7 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.6 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.7 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.9 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.9 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5556 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.1 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.17 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
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More reference data data for El Salvador
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.9422 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.37 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2746 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.03 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.22 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 129.31 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy in El Salvador?
- Democracy in El Salvador was 1 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1999.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1838.
- How does El Salvador rank for democracy?
- El Salvador ranks 87th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.