The Human Truth Foundation

El Salvador (Republic of El Salvador)

https://www.humantruth.info/el_salvador.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#el_salvador

El Salvador
Republic of El Salvador
Flag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index109th best
CapitalSan Salvador
Land Area 20 720km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas, Central America
Population6.4m2
Life Expectancy70.75yrs (2017)3
GNI$8 296 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesSV, SLV, 2225
Internet Domain.sv6
CurrencyDollar (USD)7
Telephone+5038

1. Overview

#spain

El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverSurf´s up in El Salvador, a tiny Central American nation finally emerging as a hot travel destination after a not-so-distant civil war and internal hardships kept it off the tourist radar. El Salvador is Central America´s smallest, most densely populated country, with the region´s largest economy and its fewest foreign tourists. Once only a trickle of headstrong surfers and foreign correspondents passed through its rigorous border posts, but now a new breed of traveler is pushing through in search of an authentic experience in an undervisited land.

El Salvador is a perennial tease. Glimpses of tropical paradise, lush tracts of pre-industrial national park lands, colonial splendor astride pristine volcanic lakes, searing colors and a fierce creative vision sit quietly in the shadows of an indomitable local pride. Here you´ll find a glorious coastline, a buzzing culture-clad capital, hard-core war tourism and small-town charm by the plaza-load.

Salvadorans themselves are increasingly content to return home from prolonged stints abroad, the once enviable rite of passage now cut short by global economics and a growing sentiment that home might just be where the fresh start is.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. El Salvador National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
122Tajikistan0.685
123=Belize0.683
123=Morocco0.683
125El Salvador0.675
126Nicaragua0.667
127Bhutan0.666
128Cape Verde0.662
129Bangladesh0.661
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
115Jamaica$8 834
116Guatemala$8 723
117Namibia$8 634
118El Salvador$8 296
119Bolivia$8 111
120Uzbekistan$7 917
121Cuba$7 879
122Vietnam$7 867
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Denmark24.9
2Norway25.3
3Sweden27.7
...
106Azerbaijan91.6
107Belize91.8
108Jordan92.2
109El Salvador92.6
110Bolivia92.6
111Brunei94.5
112Uzbekistan96.2
113Bhutan96.3
The Americas Avg81.5
World Avg89.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. El Salvador's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

El Salvador's population is predicted to rise to 7.093 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.13

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
107Lebanon6.9m
108Libya6.7m
109Nicaragua6.5m
110El Salvador6.4m
111Kyrgyzstan6.3m
112Turkmenistan5.9m
113Singapore5.8m
114Denmark5.8m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
105Tonga71.0
106Mongolia71.0
107Uzbekistan70.9
108El Salvador70.7
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
33El Salvador1.79
34Qatar1.78
35Bulgaria1.78
36St Vincent & Grenadines1.78
37Brunei1.76
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
105Suriname16.2
106=Grenada16.2
106=Brunei16.2
108El Salvador17.3
109Panama17.7
110N. Korea17.8
111Turkey18.0
112Vietnam18.3
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
161Tanzania0.9%
162Mozambique0.8%
163Jamaica0.8%
164El Salvador0.7%
165Laos0.7%
166Nicaragua0.7%
167Nigeria0.6%
168Algeria0.6%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
27Fiji21.3%
28Portugal20.8%
29Lesotho20.5%
30El Salvador20.5%
31Micronesia19.7%
32Belarus18.4%
33Eritrea18.0%
34Croatia17.1%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. El Salvador's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#el_salvador #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2025)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Canada14.7
2Costa Rica31.8
3Uruguay35.5
...
22Belize73.4
23Dominican Rep.78.0
24St Kitts & Nevis79.1
25El Salvador79.5
26Paraguay80.8
27Honduras81.1
28Suriname81.5
29Guatemala81.5
30Grenada86.1
The Americas Avg71.8
q=36.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden6.1
2Denmark8.6
3Norway9.0
...
82Micronesia78.2
83Armenia78.5
84St Kitts & Nevis79.1
85El Salvador79.5
86Philippines79.6
87Moldova80.6
88Palau80.7
89Paraguay80.8
World Avg86.6
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway19. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan19.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe19, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia19.

For more, see:

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom
Higher is better
20
Pos.202520
1Norway92.31
2Estonia89.46
3Netherlands88.64
...
131Lebanon42.62
132Congo, DR42.31
133Oman42.29
134El Salvador41.19
135Somalia40.49
136Libya40.42
137Guatemala40.32
138Sri Lanka39.93
The Americas Avg55.99
World Avg54.65
q=179.
Slavery
Lower is better
21
Pos.2018
% Victims21
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
...
45Ecuador0.24
46=Italy0.24
46=Morocco0.24
48El Salvador0.25
49=Portugal0.25
50Peru0.26
51=Guyana0.26
51=Jamaica0.26
The Americas Avg0.25
World Avg0.65
q=167.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
22
Pos.2014
Rank22
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
55=Armenia55
55=Macedonia55
55=Suriname55
58El Salvador58
59Ghana59
60Jamaica60
61=Haiti61
61=Fiji61
The Americas Avg72.4
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Freedom in the World
Lower is better
Pos.2024
Score
1=Norway1.0
1=Canada1.0
1=Cape Verde1.0
...
120Madagascar4.0
121=Malaysia4.0
121=Ukraine4.0
123El Salvador4.5
124=Comoros4.5
124=Nigeria4.5
124=Togo4.5
124=Bangladesh4.5
The Americas Avg2.7
World Avg3.7
q=205.
Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
23
Pos.2009
Treaties23
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
71Malta18
72=Tunisia18
72=Niger18
72=El Salvador18
75Mongolia17
76=Timor-Leste (E. Timor)17
76=Estonia17
76=Turkmenistan17
The Americas Avg16.5
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
24
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
39UK6.62
40Portugal6.69
41Bolivia6.70
42El Salvador6.80
43Rwanda6.83
44Sri Lanka6.91
45Syria7.02
46Uganda7.03
The Americas Avg8.45
World Avg10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in El Salvador stated:

Authorities declared a state of emergency resulting in massive human rights violations, weakening of the rule of law, as well as a continuous and serious deterioration in access to public information. Attacks against human rights defenders and journalists remained entrenched. Authorities failed to pass a law guaranteeing the rights of victims of crimes under international law committed during the armed conflict (1980-1992). The absolute prohibition of abortion remained in force.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)25

Gender Equality:

El Salvador has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
26
Pos.202226
1Denmark0.01
2Norway0.01
3Switzerland0.02
...
82Kyrgyzstan0.35
83Jamaica0.35
84Mexico0.36
85El Salvador0.37
86Mauritius0.37
87Peru0.37
88Ecuador0.37
89Sri Lanka0.37
The Americas Avg0.36
World Avg0.34
q=166.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
125=Tonga1960
125=Cyprus1960
125=Gambia1960
128El Salvador1961
129=Rwanda1961
129=Mauritania1961
129=Burundi1961
129=Malawi1961
The Americas Avg1947
World Avg1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
27
Pos.2017
Score27
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
52=Bosnia & Herzegovina35
52=Georgia35
52=Nicaragua35
52=El Salvador35
52=Kosovo35
57Thailand34
58Bulgaria33
59Fiji32
The Americas Avg26.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
28
Pos.202128
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
93Australia3.0
94=Lesotho3.0
94=Switzerland3.0
94=El Salvador3.0
94=Serbia3.0
94=Cyprus3.0
94=Ivory Coast3.0
94=Spain3.0
The Americas Avg2.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. El Salvador's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #el_salvador #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2025)29
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank29
1Greenland34.3
2Curaço49.7
3Aruba49.9
...
29Panama95.6
30St Lucia96.0
31Mexico98.0
32El Salvador101.3
33Peru101.8
34Guyana106.7
35Suriname108.1
36Venezuela108.1
37Belize111.0
The Americas Avg92.7
q=44.
Health (2025)29
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank29
1Monaco14.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Isle of Man32.1
...
122Guam99.3
123Kyrgyzstan100.5
124Algeria100.7
125El Salvador101.3
126Palau101.7
127Peru101.8
128Turkmenistan102.7
129Palestine104.6
World Avg96.7
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man30. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria30.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans30, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia30.

For more, see:

Health:

El Salvador does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. El Salvador does better than average when it comes to its fertility rate14, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance31, its smoking rate32 and in its alcohol consumption rate33 (amongst the best in The Americas). But, there's bad news too. El Salvador does worse than average for its suicide rate34, its immunizations take-up35, its average life expectancy11 and in its adolescent birth rate36. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in El Salvador improved by +10yrs in the 30 years from 1990, better than the global average of +7.9yrs. El Salvador is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.69 in 1963.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
105Tonga71.0
106Mongolia71.0
107Uzbekistan70.9
108El Salvador70.7
109Micronesia70.7
110Venezuela70.6
111Jamaica70.5
112Belize70.5
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
33
Pos.2016
Per Capita33
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
61Kenya3.4
62Mauritius3.6
63Malawi3.7
64=El Salvador3.8
64=Gambia3.8
64=Israel3.8
64=UAE3.8
68N. Korea3.9
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
33El Salvador1.79
34Qatar1.78
35Bulgaria1.78
36St Vincent & Grenadines1.78
37Brunei1.76
The Americas Avg1.80
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
32
Pos.201432
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
53Togo 250
54Kenya 257
55Mauritius 261
56El Salvador 280
57Comoros 289
58Congo, (Brazzaville) 294
59Bolivia 299
60Bahamas 301
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate34
Pos.2013
Per 100k34
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
42Argentina15.6
43Thailand15.8
44Australia16.4
45El Salvador16.5
46Kyrgyzstan17.7
47Netherlands18.6
48Luxembourg19.3
49Portugal19.6
The Americas Avg13.57
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
39Portugal39
40Brazil40
41Iceland41
42El Salvador42
43Russia43
44Turkey44
45Mexico45
46Malaysia46
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
37
Pos.2016
%37
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
137=Belgium59.5
138Lithuania59.6
139=Croatia59.6
140El Salvador59.9
141Dominica60.3
142Morocco60.4
143Ireland60.6
144Dominican Rep.61.2
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
36
Pos.2022
Per 100036
1Hong Kong1.6
2Denmark1.8
3S. Korea2.1
...
127Mexico53.7
128Cape Verde54.0
129Papua New Guinea54.3
130El Salvador54.5
131Suriname55.2
132Comoros56.1
133Peru56.1
134Belize56.6
The Americas Avg48.1
World Avg43.8
q=195.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
35
Pos.2015
Avg %35
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
99Latvia92.8
100Romania92.7
101France92.6
102=El Salvador92.4
102=Swaziland92.4
104Palau92.4
105Vietnam92.3
106Denmark92.3
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

El Salvador was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19) but from then to the 2000s, it was amongst the 10 countries that made the greatest improvements.

6. El Salvador's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #food #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Uruguay46.1
2Cuba52.0
3Costa Rica54.8
...
17Bahamas102.0
18Paraguay104.0
19Belize107.3
20El Salvador107.4
21USA108.3
22Guatemala109.1
23Trinidad & Tobago109.6
24St Lucia110.2
25Honduras111.1
The Americas Avg80.1
q=35.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Uruguay46.1
2Cuba52.0
3Fiji53.7
...
132Togo107.1
133Hong Kong107.3
134Belize107.3
135El Salvador107.4
136USA108.3
137Tanzania108.9
138Sierra Leone109.0
139Guatemala109.1
World Avg94.3
q=190.
In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, El Salvador ranks 135th in the world. This rank is derived from 6 data sets. El Salvador comes in the best 20 in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population39. It does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency40, reducing annual meat consumption per person41 and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. El Salvador still has work to do. El Salvador does worse than average for its environmental performance42 and in its forested percent change 2000-202043.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
43
Pos.Total43
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
202Congo, DR-12.7%
203Belize-12.9%
204Nigeria-13.6%
205El Salvador-13.8%
206Botswana-13.9%
207Sierra Leone-14.0%
208Burkina Faso-14.4%
209Antigua & Barbuda-14.6%
The Americas Avg-2.1%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.

From 2010 to 2020, El Salvador destroyed 7% of its forest cover, falling from 629 thousand hectares to 584.

Environmental Performance
Higher is better
42
Pos.201842
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
103Suriname54.2
104Sao Tome & Principe54.0
105Paraguay53.9
106El Salvador53.9
107Fiji53.1
108Turkey53.0
109Ukraine52.9
110Guatemala52.3
The Americas Avg58.8
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better40
Pos.201440
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
27=Botswana12.35
28Ecuador11.90
29=Egypt11.76
29=El Salvador11.76
31Romania11.49
32=Austria11.24
32=Germany11.24
32=Greece11.24
The Americas Avg10.78
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.Total
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
83Ghana1994 Nov 27
84Djibouti1994 Nov 30
85Kazakhstan1994 Dec 05
86El Salvador1994 Dec 07
87Chile1994 Dec 08
88Iceland1994 Dec 11
89Venezuela1994 Dec 12
90Comoros1994 Dec 28
The Americas Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better39
Pos.2011
%39
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
12Paraguay68.9%
13Mexico67.0%
14Nicaragua67.0%
15El Salvador66.8%
16Indonesia66.5%
17Japan64.7%
18Panama64.6%
19Peru63.9%
The Americas Avg58.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
41
Pos.2021
kg41
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
78Uzbekistan42.3
79Turkey43.0
80Vanuatu43.4
81El Salvador43.9
82Fiji44.4
83Congo, (Brazzaville)46.0
84Bosnia & Herzegovina46.8
85Chad47.1
The Americas Avg70.3
World Avg52.5
q=185.

7. El Salvador's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)44
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank44
1=Canada21.8
2USA26.4
3Argentina38.2
...
27Jamaica94.6
28Paraguay103.1
29Suriname106.6
30El Salvador109.2
31Nicaragua121.4
32Guatemala121.5
33Guyana122.5
34Honduras132.2
35=Haiti155.6
The Americas Avg81.3
q=35.
Modernity & Learning (2020)44
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank44
1Finland7.1
2Belgium12.9
3Denmark13.6
...
120Paraguay103.1
121Suriname106.6
122Gabon108.2
123El Salvador109.2
124Uganda109.8
125Ghana110.3
126Nigeria111.1
127Marshall Islands111.1
World Avg86.3
q=190.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2945
2Israel4.1145
3Japan3.5845
...
119=Honduras0.0446
119=Guatemala0.0447
119=Bahrain0.0448
119=Colombia0.0448
123Iraq0.0349
124=El Salvador0.0347
124=China0.0348
126Lesotho0.0149
The Americas Avg0.47
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
50
Pos.201850
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
120St Lucia46.0%
121Thailand44.8%
122Zambia44.3%
123El Salvador42.8%
124Namibia41.1%
125Syria41.0%
126Sao Tome & Principe40.8%
127Togo40.5%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
51
Pos.2021
Years51
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
118Libya12.9
119Venezuela12.8
120Malawi12.7
121El Salvador12.7
122Nicaragua12.6
123Qatar12.6
124Maldives12.6
125Timor-Leste (E. Timor)12.6
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
118Rwanda118
119Guatemala119
120Niger120
121El Salvador121
122Dominican Rep.122
123Oman123
124Chad124
125Brunei125
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Religiosity
Lower is better
52
Pos.2018
%52
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
74=Bangladesh80
74=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
79Palestine86
80=Uganda86
80=Chad86
The Americas Avg65.4
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better53
Pos.200653
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
97=Egypt81
97=Honduras81
97=Nicaragua81
100El Salvador80
101=Guatemala79
101=Sri Lanka79
103Nepal78
104Mauritania76
The Americas Avg85.3
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
54
Pos.201654
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
121Peru41%
122Guyana40%
123Grenada39%
124El Salvador38%
125Bhutan37%
126Mongolia36%
127India35%
128Kyrgyzstan34%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
55
Pos.2017
Ratio55
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
87=US Virgin Islands0.0
87=Mauritius0.0
89Botswana0.0
90=El Salvador0.0
90=Kenya0.0
90=Cameroon0.0
90=Kyrgyzstan0.0
94Cambodia0.0
The Americas Avg3.36
World Avg3.82
q=176.
Digital Quality of Life
Higher is better
56
Pos.202456
1Germany77.9%
2Finland76.9%
3France73.9%
...
105Nepal30.3%
106Venezuela30.1%
107Zambia30.1%
108El Salvador30.0%
109Cambodia29.4%
110Honduras28.5%
111Burkina Faso27.0%
112Tanzania26.9%
The Americas Avg44.7%
World Avg48.4%
q=121.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index
Higher is better
57
Pos.2022
%57
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
84=Mauritius37.0
84=Lithuania37.0
86Panama36.0
87=El Salvador36.0
87=Saudi Arabia36.0
89S. Africa35.0
90=Ivory Coast35.0
90=Congo, (Brazzaville)35.0
The Americas Avg43.7
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
58
Pos.2022
Points58
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
115Nepal34.0
116Ukraine33.0
117=Mongolia33.0
117=El Salvador33.0
117=Zambia33.0
117=Algeria33.0
117=Angola33.0
117=Philippines33.0
The Americas Avg42.97
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
59
Pos.2024
Score59
1Finland7.7
2Denmark7.5
3Iceland7.5
...
34Singapore6.6
35Romania6.6
36Brazil6.5
37El Salvador6.5
38Spain6.5
39Estonia6.4
40Italy6.4
41Panama6.4
The Americas Avg6.31
World Avg5.58
q=147.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
96Mongolia96
97Madagascar97
98Bolivia98
99El Salvador99
100Nicaragua100
101Russia101
102Vietnam102
103Armenia103
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
55Swaziland55
56Luxembourg56
57Mali57
58El Salvador58
59Senegal59
60Kyrgyzstan60
61Qatar61
62USA62
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
60
Pos.2023
Score60
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
119Saudi Arabia2.26
120Honduras2.27
121Egypt2.27
122El Salvador2.28
123Nicaragua2.29
124=Uganda2.30
124=Zimbabwe2.30
126India2.31
The Americas Avg2.13
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
131Syria131
132Belarus132
133Portugal133
134El Salvador134
135Macedonia135
136Armenia136
137Dominica137
138Cape Verde138
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
31
Pos.2017
Rank31
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
144Rwanda144
145Chad145
146Central African Rep.146
147El Salvador147
148Bahamas148
149Marshall Islands149
150Burundi150
151Zimbabwe151
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
61
Pos.2019
Score61
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
10Slovenia0.00
11Costa Rica0.00
12Romania0.00
13El Salvador0.00
14Bhutan0.01
15=Trinidad & Tobago0.02
15=Uzbekistan0.02
17Qatar0.03
The Americas Avg2.16
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better62
Pos.201962
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
96Palestine12.00
97Solomon Islands12.10
98Cape Verde12.20
99El Salvador12.50
100Suriname12.80
101Vietnam12.90
102=Syria13.00
102=Morocco13.00
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
63
Pos.2023
%63
1Slovakia24.1%64
2Slovenia24.3%64
3Belarus24.4%65
...
108Malawi38.5%66
109=Samoa38.7%67
109=Kenya38.7%64
111El Salvador38.8%68
112=Gambia38.8%65
112=Laos38.8%69
114Bulgaria39.0%64
115Tuvalu39.1%70
The Americas Avg44.0%
World Avg36.5%
q=167.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better
71
Pos.2018
Severity71
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
36Indonesia.028
37Syria.029
38Tajikistan.029
39El Salvador.032
40Iraq.033
41Suriname.041
42Mongolia.042
43Peru.053
The Americas Avg.045
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)52
Pos.Lower is better
%52
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
74=Bangladesh80
74=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
79Palestine86
80=Uganda86
80=Chad86
80=Niger86
83Kenya87
84=Mozambique87
85Congo, DR88
86=Nigeria88
86=Nicaragua88
88Djibouti89
89=Ghana89
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)72
Pos.Higher is better
%72
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
82=Venezuela1
82=Peru1
82=Guatemala1
82=El Salvador1
82=Panama1
87Somalia0
88=Sri Lanka0
88=Burundi0
88=Burkina Faso0
88=Brunei0
88=Botswana0
88=Syria0
88=Sierra Leone0
88=Thailand0
88=Togo0
88=Benin0
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below73:

Christian88.2%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.5%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated11%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)74.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)75, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for El Salvador states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief; however, Article 296 of the penal code imposes criminal sentences of six months to two years on those who publicly offend or insult the religious beliefs of others, or damage or destroy religious objects. If such acts are carried out with and for the purpose of publicity, sentences increase to one to three years in prison. Repeat offenders face prison sentences of three to eight years.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)76

Links: