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Honduras vs. El Salvador

Demographics

HondurasEl Salvador
Population9,346,277 (July 2021 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
6,528,135 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 30.2% (male 1,411,537/female 1,377,319)

15-24 years: 21.03% (male 969,302/female 972,843)

25-54 years: 37.79% (male 1,657,260/female 1,832,780)

55-64 years: 5.58% (male 233,735/female 281,525)

65 years and over: 5.4% (male 221,779/female 277,260) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 25.83% (male 857,003/female 817,336)

15-24 years: 18.82% (male 619,368/female 600,501)

25-54 years: 40.51% (male 1,221,545/female 1,404,163)

55-64 years: 7.23% (male 198,029/female 270,461)

65 years and over: 7.6% (male 214,717/female 277,979) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 24.4 years

male: 23.5 years

female: 25.2 years (2020 est.)
total: 27.7 years

male: 26.2 years

female: 29.3 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate1.22% (2021 est.)0.67% (2021 est.)
Birth rate18.19 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)18.22 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate4.67 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)5.91 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-5.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.73 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 15.39 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 17.52 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 12.38 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 14.03 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 74.9 years

male: 71.34 years

female: 78.58 years (2021 est.)
total population: 75.11 years

male: 71.6 years

female: 78.79 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate2.05 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.07 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.2% (2020 est.)0.5% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Honduran(s)

adjective: Honduran
noun: Salvadoran(s)

adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic groupsMestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, African descent 2%, White 1%Mestizo 86.3%, White 12.7%, Amerindian 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), Black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS22,000 (2020 est.)25,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsRoman Catholic 46%, Protestant 41%, atheist 1%, other 2%, none 9% (2014 est.)Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<1000 (2020 est.)<1000 (2020 est.)
LanguagesSpanish (official), Amerindian dialects

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Spanish (official), Nawat (among some Amerindians)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 87.2%

male: 87.1%

female: 87.3% (2016)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 88.5%

male: 90.6%

female: 86.7% (2017)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 10 years

male: 10 years

female: 11 years (2017)
total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 12 years (2018)
Education expenditures6.1% of GDP (2018)3.6% of GDP (2018)
Urbanizationurban population: 59% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 2.48% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 74.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 88.9% of population

total: 94.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 11.1% of population

total: 5.2% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 92.2% of population

total: 97.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 7.8% of population

total: 2.6% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 95.4% of population

rural: 83.5% of population

total: 90.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 4.6% of population

rural: 16.5% of population

total: 9.8% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 94.7% of population

total: 98.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 5.3% of population

total: 1.7% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population1.485 million TEGUCIGALPA (capital), 929,000 San Pedro Sula (2021)1.107 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality rate65 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight7.1% (2011/12)5% (2014)
Health expenditures7.1% (2018)7.1% (2018)
Physicians density0.31 physicians/1,000 population (2017)1.57 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density0.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)1.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate21.4% (2016)24.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth20.3 years (2011/12 est.)

note: median age a first birth among women 25-49
20.8 years (2008 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Demographic profile

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has one of the world's highest murder rates. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north and central areas where most of Honduras' industries and infrastructure are concentrated. The increased productivity needed to break Honduras' persistent high poverty rate depends, in part, on further improvements in educational attainment. Although primary-school enrollment is near 100%, educational quality is poor, the drop-out rate and grade repetition remain high, and teacher and school accountability is low.

Honduras' population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s and is now 1.2% annually with a birth rate that averages 2.1 children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Honduras' young adult population - ages 15 to 29 - is projected to continue growing rapidly for the next three decades and then stabilize or slowly shrink. Population growth and limited job prospects outside of agriculture will continue to drive emigration. Remittances represent about a fifth of GDP.

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is well into its demographic transition, experiencing slower population growth, a decline in its number of youths, and the gradual aging of its population. The increased use of family planning has substantially lowered El Salvador's fertility rate, from approximately 6 children per woman in the 1970s to replacement level today. A 2008 national family planning survey showed that female sterilization remained the most common contraception method in El Salvador - its sterilization rate is among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean - but that the use of injectable contraceptives is growing. Fertility differences between rich and poor and urban and rural women are narrowing.

Salvadorans fled during the 1979 to 1992 civil war mainly to the United States but also to Canada and to neighboring Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Emigration to the United States increased again in the 1990s and 2000s as a result of deteriorating economic conditions, natural disasters (Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001), and family reunification. At least 20% of El Salvador's population lives abroad. The remittances they send home account for close to 20% of GDP, are the second largest source of external income after exports, and have helped reduce poverty.

Contraceptive prevalence rate73.2% (2011/12)71.9% (2014)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 55.2

youth dependency ratio: 47.5

elderly dependency ratio: 7.7

potential support ratio: 13 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 54.4

youth dependency ratio: 41.1

elderly dependency ratio: 13.4

potential support ratio: 7.5 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook