MigrantoSalvadoran Diaspora
1.8M Salvadorans live abroad — 29% of the population of El Salvador
Salvadoran diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 91% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 1569946 |
| Mexico | 55410 |
| Canada | 49004 |
| Spain | 42228 |
| Italy | 24538 |
| Guatemala | 22750 |
| Costa Rica | 20131 |
| Belize | 11092 |
| Australia | 10898 |
| Honduras | 9234 |
| Panama | 6326 |
| Belgium | 2981 |
| Nicaragua | 2653 |
| Chile | 1289 |
| Venezuela | 912 |
| Argentina | 901 |
| Colombia | 898 |
| Libya | 797 |
| Peru | 615 |
| Ecuador | 433 |
| Dominican Republic | 300 |
| Norway | 250 |
| Bolivia | 156 |
| Jamaica | 135 |
| Denmark | 125 |
| Puerto Rico | 117 |
| Portugal | 108 |
| Finland | 87 |
| Bahamas | 81 |
| Brazil | 71 |
| Luxembourg | 54 |
| Greece | 52 |
| Iceland | 41 |
| Hungary | 25 |
| Bulgaria | 15 |
| Cyprus | 8 |
| Estonia | 4 |
| Guinea | 2 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Slovenia | 1 |
| Liechtenstein | 1 |
By region
88% of the diaspora lives in North America
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Key facts
The Salvadoran diaspora in numbers
The community in Mexico is growing fastest
The number of Salvadorans living in Mexico has grown 294% since 2015, from 14K to 55.4K.
Most Salvadorans abroad live in the USA
86% of the diaspora lives in the USA, while the next country accounts for just 3%.
The diaspora is more concentrated than in 1990
The largest country's share rose from 50% to 86%, and today that country is USA.
The share of the diaspora living in Latin America has declined since 1990
46% of the diaspora lived in Latin America in 1990, compared with 7.3% today.
1 in 3 people born in El Salvador lives abroad
1.8M people born in El Salvador now live in other countries — 28.9% of a population of 6.3M.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Argentina, Colombia, Peru. Argentina climbed from outside the top 20 to #16.
Salvadoran diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 955569 |
| 1995 | 1005420 |
| 2000 | 906731 |
| 2005 | 1108043 |
| 2010 | 1359464 |
| 2015 | 1541873 |
| 2020 | 1679667 |
| 2024 | 1834670 |
Largest communities over time
Salvadorans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | USA | Mexico | Canada | Spain | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 474241 | 7223 | 27442 | 1223 | 1494 |
| 1995 | 725057 | 7179 | 32088 | 1765 | 2357 |
| 2000 | 802250 | 7592 | 37461 | 2507 | 3600 |
| 2005 | 992393 | 8433 | 42348 | 4191 | 6014 |
| 2010 | 1223863 | 8433 | 44461 | 7426 | 8795 |
| 2015 | 1379162 | 14048 | 48522 | 13781 | 12473 |
| 2020 | 1463484 | 38533 | 49409 | 26018 | 18402 |
| 2024 | 1569946 | 55410 | 49004 | 42228 | 24538 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Salvadorans in each country has changed since the selected year
Salvadorans among immigrants in other countries
Where Salvadorans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Salvadorans live outside El Salvador?
Around 1.8M Salvadorans live abroad, the world's #45 largest diaspora.
Where do most Salvadorans abroad live?
Most Salvadorans live in USA, Mexico and Canada — these three countries account for about 91% of all Salvadorans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Salvadoran population outside El Salvador?
USA is home to the largest Salvadoran community abroad — 1.6M people, about 86% of all Salvadorans living abroad.
What share of the population of El Salvador lives abroad?
About 29% of the population of El Salvador lives abroad — that's 1.8M out of a total population of 6.3M.
Is the Salvadoran diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Salvadorans living abroad has grown from 1.5M to 1.8M, about 19%.
Where does the data on the Salvadoran diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in El Salvador who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you
Living in El Salvador
See the full country overview