Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in El Salvador
El Salvador: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP was 45.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in El Salvador, 1965–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 45.7% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2024.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in El Salvador peaked at 54.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 1970.
El Salvador ranks 58th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 20.1% | — |
| 1966 | 21.0% | +4.4% |
| 1967 | 20.1% | -4.2% |
| 1968 | 18.5% | -8.0% |
| 1969 | 17.8% | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 16.8% | -5.4% |
| 1971 | 18.6% | +10.6% |
| 1972 | 19.7% | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 23.1% | +17.4% |
| 1974 | 30.0% | +29.9% |
| 1975 | 28.7% | -4.3% |
| 1976 | 28.5% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 29.7% | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 30.9% | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 28.1% | -8.8% |
| 1980 | 26.1% | -7.1% |
| 1981 | 25.0% | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 23.6% | -5.4% |
| 1983 | 23.8% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 25.0% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 23.7% | -5.3% |
| 1986 | 21.4% | -9.8% |
| 1987 | 22.6% | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 21.8% | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 24.0% | +10.0% |
| 1990 | 25.3% | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 25.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 28.4% | +12.5% |
| 1993 | 28.3% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 31.1% | +10.0% |
| 1995 | 28.3% | -9.1% |
| 1996 | 27.5% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 28.1% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 27.9% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 27.2% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 40.7% | +49.5% |
| 2001 | 39.8% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 40.2% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 43.4% | +8.2% |
| 2004 | 46.1% | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 46.3% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 48.5% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 51.8% | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 54.6% | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 41.6% | -23.8% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 48.8% | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 47.4% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 48.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 46.1% | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 43.6% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 40.5% | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 42.3% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 44.0% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 43.1% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 39.6% | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 50.3% | +26.9% |
| 2022 | 53.6% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 46.6% | -13.2% |
| 2024 | 45.7% | -1.8% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 45.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 37.6%, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 45.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 29.6%, 1.5× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +49.5% | 27.2% | 40.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.5% | 17.8% | 21.0% | 5 |
| 1970s | 25.4% | 16.8% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.7% | 21.4% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.7% | 25.3% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.3% | 39.8% | 54.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.9% | 40.5% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.2% | 39.6% | 53.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More economy & growth data for El Salvador
- 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 318.29 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0087 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 50 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 763.72 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -27.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0208 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 119.98 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 30 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in El Salvador?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in El Salvador was 45.7% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 54.6% in 2008.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 1970.
- How does El Salvador rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- El Salvador ranks 58th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).