Overview: The agricultural sector accounts for 24% of GDP, employs about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports. Coffee is the major commercial crop, accounting for 45% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage processing, accounts for 19% of GDP and 15% of employment. In 1992-93 the government made substantial progress toward privatization and deregulation of the economy. Growth in national output in 1990-93 exceeded growth in population for the first time since 1987, and inflation in 1993 of 12% was down from 17% in 1992

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $14.2 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 5% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $2,500 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.7% (1993)

Budget:
revenues: $846 million
expenditures: $890 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exports: $730 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee, sugarcane, shrimp
partners: US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Germany

Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods
partners: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany

External debt: $2.6 billion (December 1992)

Industrial production: growth rate 7.6% (1993)

Electricity:
capacity: 713,800 kW
production: 2.19 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 390 kWh (1992)

Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, nonmetallic products, tobacco, chemicals, textiles, furniture

Agriculture: accounts for 24% of GDP and 40% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop; other products - sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95 billion (plus $250 million for 1992-96); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $525 million

Currency: 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 - 8.720 (January 1994), 8.670 (1993), 8.4500 (1992), 8.080 (1991), 8.0300 (1990), fixed rate of 5.000 (1986-1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding El Salvador on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of El Salvador Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about El Salvador Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.