Transport services in El Salvador
El Salvador: Transport services was 31.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Transport services in El Salvador, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of service imports, BoP.
Analysis
In 2025, transport services in El Salvador stood at 31.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in El Salvador peaked at 56.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 28.3%, in 1982.
That places El Salvador 94th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Transport services in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of service imports, BoP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 38.6% | — |
| 1977 | 39.7% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 36.0% | -9.4% |
| 1979 | 33.5% | -6.8% |
| 1980 | 29.3% | -12.6% |
| 1981 | 40.2% | +37.3% |
| 1982 | 28.3% | -29.7% |
| 1983 | 30.8% | +8.8% |
| 1984 | 33.7% | +9.5% |
| 1985 | 28.7% | -14.7% |
| 1986 | 33.6% | +17.0% |
| 1987 | 36.3% | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 30.5% | -15.9% |
| 1989 | 29.7% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 43.2% | +45.6% |
| 1991 | 48.0% | +11.0% |
| 1992 | 50.9% | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 51.2% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 50.3% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 52.7% | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 56.6% | +7.4% |
| 1997 | 40.4% | -28.7% |
| 1998 | 42.6% | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 39.2% | -7.8% |
| 2000 | 42.3% | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 37.6% | -11.2% |
| 2002 | 43.6% | +16.1% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 48.6% | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 46.7% | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 45.9% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 46.1% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 50.2% | +8.7% |
| 2009 | 45.8% | -8.8% |
| 2010 | 42.4% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 44.1% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 41.3% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 41.7% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 39.9% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 40.8% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 36.0% | -11.9% |
| 2017 | 35.6% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 36.9% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 35.8% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 38.2% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 41.4% | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 41.9% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 33.4% | -20.4% |
| 2024 | 29.9% | -10.3% |
| 2025 | 31.5% | +5.3% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 31.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 31.5%, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 31.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28.2%, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.0% | 33.5% | 39.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 32.1% | 28.3% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.5% | 39.2% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.1% | 37.6% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.5% | 35.6% | 44.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 29.9% | 41.9% | 6 |
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 transport services in El Salvador?
- Transport services in El Salvador was 31.5% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 56.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.3% in 1982.
- How does El Salvador rank for transport services?
- El Salvador ranks 94th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is transport services rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of service imports, BoP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Transport services covers the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are services provided by non-residents to residents.