El Salvador
El Salvador is an upper-middle-income economy in Latin America & Caribbean, with its capital at San Salvador. 98.7% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 98.7%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 95.6%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 1.51 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Consumption per person
- 1,208 kWh
- 2024, world 3,708 kWh
- Clean cooking
- 95.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 5,767
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
El Salvador2024
Latin America & Caribbean2024
World2024
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 6.0% | 0.0% | 25.1% | 26.0% | 0.0% | 66.9% | 2024 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 5.3% | 4.4% | 24.8% | 41.9% | 2.2% | 15.1% | 2024 |
| World | 2.3% | 34.5% | 21.9% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 2024 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with Latin America & Caribbean and the world.
- El Salvador
- World
- Latin America & Caribbean
0%
50%
100%
El SalvadorLatin America & CaribbeanWorld View data table
| Year | El Salvador | World | Latin America & Caribbean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 98.7% | 91.9% | 98.0% |
| 2023 | 98.3% | 91.6% | 98.4% |
| 2022 | 100.0% | 91.3% | 98.6% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | 91.3% | 98.3% |
| 2020 | 99.7% | 90.4% | 98.1% |
| 2019 | 97.4% | 90.1% | 98.0% |
| 2018 | 97.0% | 89.8% | 97.8% |
| 2017 | 96.8% | 88.9% | 97.7% |
| 2016 | 96.0% | 88.1% | 97.5% |
| 2015 | 95.4% | 86.9% | 97.3% |
| 2014 | 95.1% | 86.2% | 97.1% |
| 2013 | 95.0% | 85.7% | 96.9% |
| 2012 | 93.7% | 84.9% | 96.6% |
| 2011 | 92.6% | 84.5% | 96.2% |
| 2010 | 91.6% | 83.5% | 95.9% |
| 2009 | 91.1% | 82.9% | 95.4% |
| 2008 | 91.0% | 82.7% | 95.2% |
| 2007 | 91.1% | 82.0% | 94.5% |
| 2006 | 89.2% | 81.4% | 94.3% |
| 2005 | 87.5% | 80.7% | 93.5% |
| 2004 | 87.4% | 80.0% | 93.2% |
| 2003 | 87.0% | 80.0% | 92.7% |
| 2002 | 87.5% | 79.1% | 92.7% |
| 2001 | 87.1% | 78.7% | 92.3% |
| 2000 | 84.5% | 78.2% | 91.7% |
| 1999 | 79.1% | 74.5% | 91.3% |
| 1998 | 81.6% | 73.2% | 90.6% |
| 1997 | 80.0% | – | 90.0% |
| 1996 | 77.9% | – | 89.6% |
| 1995 | 77.0% | – | 88.6% |
Energy production and use
| Measure | Latest | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption | 60 thousand b/d | 2024 | 101 of 216 |
| Gas consumption | 0.5 bcm | 2024 | 102 of 126 |
| Electricity generation | 6.8 TWh | 2024 | 118 of 211 |
| Renewable generation | 6.1 TWh | 2024 | 87 of 206 |
| Primary energy consumption | 0.16 quad Btu | 2024 | 117 of 215 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics.
Power generation, 2025
El Salvador generated 6.6 TWh of electricity in 2025, 93% of it from low-carbon sources, at 98 grams of CO₂ per kWh.
Source: Ember, yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0).
El Salvador in world rankings
- Oil consumption#100 of 203
- Natural gas consumption#101 of 125
- Electricity generation#116 of 202
- Renewable generation#86 of 200
- Primary energy consumption#116 of 203
- Clean electricity share#23 of 190
- Grid carbon intensity#25 of 190
- Solar share of electricity#9 of 169
- Wind share of electricity#66 of 103
- Hydro share of electricity#56 of 140
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- El Salvador
- World
- Latin America & Caribbean
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldLatin America & CaribbeanEl Salvador View data table
| Year | El Salvador | World | Latin America & Caribbean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1.51 t | 4.69 t | 2.68 t |
| 2023 | 1.46 t | 4.68 t | 2.66 t |
| 2022 | 1.35 t | 4.67 t | 2.64 t |
| 2021 | 1.20 t | 4.68 t | 2.64 t |
| 2020 | 1.07 t | 4.47 t | 2.45 t |
| 2019 | 1.30 t | 4.70 t | 2.76 t |
| 2018 | 1.14 t | 4.73 t | 2.78 t |
| 2017 | 1.07 t | 4.67 t | 2.88 t |
| 2016 | 1.18 t | 4.65 t | 2.92 t |
| 2015 | 1.17 t | 4.70 t | 3.01 t |
| 2014 | 1.11 t | 4.78 t | 3.06 t |
| 2013 | 1.08 t | 4.81 t | 3.08 t |
| 2012 | 1.14 t | 4.77 t | 3.05 t |
| 2011 | 1.15 t | 4.76 t | 2.94 t |
| 2010 | 1.11 t | 4.67 t | 2.88 t |
| 2009 | 1.14 t | 4.45 t | 2.71 t |
| 2008 | 1.18 t | 4.56 t | 2.83 t |
| 2007 | 1.29 t | 4.59 t | 2.79 t |
| 2006 | 1.23 t | 4.48 t | 2.73 t |
| 2005 | 1.17 t | 4.39 t | 2.70 t |
| 2004 | 1.14 t | 4.28 t | 2.64 t |
| 2003 | 1.10 t | 4.15 t | 2.56 t |
| 2002 | 1.01 t | 4.02 t | 2.53 t |
| 2001 | 1.01 t | 4.01 t | 2.56 t |
| 2000 | 0.98 t | 4.01 t | 2.60 t |
| 1999 | 0.99 t | 3.95 t | 2.56 t |
| 1998 | 1.00 t | 3.98 t | 2.61 t |
| 1997 | 0.96 t | 4.02 t | 2.55 t |
| 1996 | 0.79 t | 4.01 t | 2.46 t |
| 1995 | 0.89 t | 3.99 t | 2.34 t |
Currency
1.0000 USD
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 USD = ₦1,331.28
Sunshine in San Salvador
5.2 kWh/m² today
- We5.2 kWh per square metre
- Th4.5 kWh per square metre
- Fr5.4 kWh per square metre
- Sa5.4 kWh per square metre
- Su5.3 kWh per square metre
- Mo5.1 kWh per square metre
- Tu5.3 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
16 plants, 1,419 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Oil475 MW
- Hydro469 MW
- Solar270 MW
- Geothermal204 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acajutla Thermal Power Plant El Salvador | Oil | 324 | – |
| 15 de Septiembre Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 180 | – |
| Cerron Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 170 | – |
| Nejapa IC Power Plant El Salvador | Oil | 151 | – |
| Berlin Geothermal Power Plant El Salvador | Geothermal | 109 | – |
| Providencia | Solar | 101 | – |
| Cinco de Noviembre Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 99 | – |
| Ahuachapan Geothermal Power Plant El Salvador | Geothermal | 95 | – |
| Antares | Solar | 76 | – |
| Spica | Solar | 25 | – |
| Los Remedios | Solar | 20 | – |
| Guajoyo Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 20 | – |
All indicators
El Salvador in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | El Salvador | Year | Latin America & Caribbean | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 98.7% | 2024 | 98.0% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 96.6% | 2024 | 91.0% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 99.4% | 2024 | 99.7% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 95.0% | 2024 | 90.5% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | El Salvador | Year | Latin America & Caribbean | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 4.4% | 34.5% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 25.1% | 2024 | 24.8% | 21.9% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 6.0% | 2024 | 5.3% | 2.3% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 2.2% | 9.8% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 26.0% | 2024 | 41.9% | 14.6% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | 9.3% | 2024 | 13.6% | 6.9% |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | 1,208 kWh | 2024 | 2,436 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | El Salvador | Year | Latin America & Caribbean | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 66.9% | 2021 | 15.1% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 95.6% | 2021 | 56.7% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 21.9% | 2021 | 34.2% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 1.51 t | 2024 | 2.68 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 9.5 Mt | 2024 | 1,771.5 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 3.26 MJ/$ | 2021 | 3.27 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | El Salvador | Year | Latin America & Caribbean | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 4.8% | 2025 | 8.8% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 1.93% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.15% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 5,767 | 2025 | 11,095 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 6.4M | 2025 | 666.6M | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.
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