External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador

El Salvador: External debt as a share of gross national income was 75.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
75.4%
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
24th
of 121 countries
All-time high
78.5%
in 2020
All-time low
39.3%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 39.3 %2001: 44.5 %2002: 49.5 %2003: 67.2 %2004: 69 %2005: 67.7 %2006: 64.3 %2007: 59.6 %2008: 60.7 %2009: 61 %2010: 64.2 %2011: 64.7 %2012: 66 %2013: 67.3 %2014: 70.4 %2015: 69.8 %2016: 72.3 %2017: 72.9 %2018: 68 %2019: 68 %2020: 78.5 %2021: 74.4 %2022: 70.8 %2023: 72.1 %2024: 75.4 %

Source: World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, external debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador stood at 75.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador peaked at 78.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 39.3%, in 2000.

El Salvador ranks 24th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 39.3%
2001 44.5% +13.1%
2002 49.5% +11.4%
2003 67.2% +35.7%
2004 69.0% +2.6%
2005 67.7% -1.8%
2006 64.3% -5.1%
2007 59.6% -7.3%
2008 60.7% +1.9%
2009 61.0% +0.5%
2010 64.2% +5.1%
2011 64.7% +0.8%
2012 66.0% +2.0%
2013 67.3% +1.9%
2014 70.4% +4.6%
2015 69.8% -0.8%
2016 72.3% +3.5%
2017 72.9% +0.8%
2018 68.0% -6.7%
2019 68.0% +0.1%
2020 78.5% +15.4%
2021 74.4% -5.3%
2022 70.8% -4.8%
2023 72.1% +1.8%
2024 75.4% +4.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 58.3% 39.3% 69.0% 10
2010s 68.4% 64.2% 72.9% 10
2020s 74.2% 70.8% 78.5% 5

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 21 Tunisia 77.7% compare
  2. 22 Jamaica 76.1% compare
  3. 23 Maldives 75.6% compare
  4. 25 Fiji 71.4% compare
  5. 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 70.3% compare
  6. 27 Paraguay 69.7% compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More economy & growth data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is external debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador?
External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador was 75.4% in 2024, according to World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest external debt as a share of gross national income recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 78.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest external debt as a share of gross national income recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 39.3% in 2000.
How does El Salvador rank for external debt as a share of gross national income?
El Salvador ranks 24th out of 121 countries with data for 2024.
Is external debt as a share of gross national income rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?
The figures come from World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External debt as a share of gross national income. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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External debt as a share of gross national income in El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/external-debt-as-a-share-of-gni/el-salvador/

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About this data

Indicator
External debt as a share of gross national income
Unit
%
Source
World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,923 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

External debt stocks as a proportion of GNI (%).