EL SALVADOR

El Salvador's population numbers about 6.0 million; almost 90% is of mixed Indian and Spanish extraction. About 1% is indigenous; very few Indians have retained their customs and traditions. The country's people are largely Roman Catholic -- though Protestant groups are growing -- and Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants. The capital city of San Salvador has about 1.4 million people; an estimated 48% of El Salvador's population lives in rural areas.

POPULATION GRAPH

Population:
6,822,378 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.3% (male 1,265,080/female 1,212,216)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,900,372/female 2,092,251)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 156,292/female 196,167) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 20.7 years
female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.72% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
26.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.49 years
male: 67.88 years
female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.12 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador
Languages:
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.)