External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in El Salvador
El Salvador: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -24.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in El Salvador, 1965–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in El Salvador is -24.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.2% on the previous year and down 36.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in El Salvador peaked at 1.0% in 1972 and was at its lowest, -27.2%, in 2008.
That places El Salvador 162nd out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | -2.4% | — |
| 1966 | -5.1% | +111.0% |
| 1967 | -3.0% | -41.0% |
| 1968 | -1.8% | -41.9% |
| 1969 | -2.6% | +48.6% |
| 1970 | 0.3% | -111.0% |
| 1971 | -2.0% | -793.4% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | -148.8% |
| 1973 | -3.0% | -412.1% |
| 1974 | -8.4% | +178.3% |
| 1975 | -5.2% | -38.6% |
| 1976 | -1.3% | -75.4% |
| 1977 | 0.7% | -154.4% |
| 1978 | -9.3% | -1438.4% |
| 1979 | -0.2% | -98.2% |
| 1980 | 0.9% | -639.9% |
| 1981 | -6.9% | -853.8% |
| 1982 | -5.7% | -17.6% |
| 1983 | -5.4% | -4.8% |
| 1984 | -6.8% | +25.1% |
| 1985 | -7.6% | +11.5% |
| 1986 | -4.4% | -42.1% |
| 1987 | -7.1% | +62.4% |
| 1988 | -6.5% | -8.9% |
| 1989 | -10.5% | +61.4% |
| 1990 | -12.6% | +20.8% |
| 1991 | -13.3% | +5.4% |
| 1992 | -16.4% | +23.4% |
| 1993 | -14.8% | -9.9% |
| 1994 | -15.3% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | -16.3% | +6.2% |
| 1996 | -13.0% | -20.0% |
| 1997 | -11.5% | -11.4% |
| 1998 | -12.1% | +5.1% |
| 1999 | -12.2% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | -15.1% | +23.4% |
| 2001 | -15.9% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | -14.9% | -6.2% |
| 2003 | -16.4% | +10.1% |
| 2004 | -18.0% | +9.6% |
| 2005 | -19.2% | +6.7% |
| 2006 | -21.6% | +12.5% |
| 2007 | -26.5% | +22.8% |
| 2008 | -27.2% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | -18.2% | -33.2% |
| 2010 | -19.6% | +8.1% |
| 2011 | -21.3% | +8.5% |
| 2012 | -20.5% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | -21.0% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | -19.0% | -9.5% |
| 2015 | -17.6% | -7.4% |
| 2016 | -15.9% | -9.6% |
| 2017 | -16.2% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | -17.8% | +9.4% |
| 2019 | -16.1% | -9.2% |
| 2020 | -17.4% | +7.9% |
| 2021 | -24.3% | +39.5% |
| 2022 | -23.8% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | -22.2% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | -20.4% | -8.4% |
| 2025 | -24.1% | +18.2% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's -24.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -4.0%, 5.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's -24.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -2.1%, 11.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in El Salvador changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | -1438.4% | 0.7% | -9.3% |
| 1981 | -853.8% | 0.9% | -6.9% |
| 1971 | -793.4% | 0.3% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | +639.9% | -0.2% | 0.9% |
| 1973 | -412.1% | 1.0% | -3.0% |
| 1974 | -178.3% | -3.0% | -8.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -3.0% | -5.1% | -1.8% | 5 |
| 1970s | -2.7% | -9.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -6.0% | -10.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -13.7% | -16.4% | -11.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | -19.3% | -27.2% | -14.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | -18.5% | -21.3% | -15.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | -22.0% | -24.3% | -17.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More economy & growth data for El Salvador
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -26.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0058 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 33.72 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0043 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 24.62 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 34.42 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in El Salvador?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in El Salvador was -24.1% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1972.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was -27.2% in 2008.
- How does El Salvador rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- El Salvador ranks 162nd out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.