Total reserves (% of total external debt) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Total reserves (% of total external debt) was 14.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Total reserves in El Salvador, 1971–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total external debt.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 14.8% for total reserves in 2024.
That represents a change of up 10.2% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total reserves in El Salvador peaked at 52.8% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2022.
That places El Salvador 94th out of 112 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Total reserves (% of total external debt) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of total external debt | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 29.3% | — |
| 1972 | 34.3% | +17.0% |
| 1973 | 33.9% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 40.1% | +18.4% |
| 1975 | 35.6% | -11.1% |
| 1976 | 44.2% | +24.0% |
| 1977 | 36.1% | -18.3% |
| 1978 | 38.2% | +5.8% |
| 1979 | 41.4% | +8.3% |
| 1980 | 38.3% | -7.4% |
| 1981 | 22.7% | -40.7% |
| 1982 | 22.4% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 18.4% | -17.8% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | -12.6% |
| 1985 | 17.1% | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 18.1% | +5.6% |
| 1987 | 19.9% | +10.4% |
| 1988 | 16.9% | -15.3% |
| 1989 | 20.9% | +23.9% |
| 1990 | 26.7% | +27.6% |
| 1991 | 19.9% | -25.3% |
| 1992 | 24.6% | +23.6% |
| 1993 | 36.1% | +46.5% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 36.6% | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 38.6% | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 45.1% | +16.6% |
| 1998 | 52.8% | +17.1% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 41.9% | -19.3% |
| 2001 | 32.2% | -23.1% |
| 2002 | 26.7% | -17.1% |
| 2003 | 23.1% | -13.7% |
| 2004 | 21.2% | -8.2% |
| 2005 | 19.2% | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 19.7% | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 23.3% | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 24.7% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 30.0% | +21.2% |
| 2010 | 25.1% | -16.4% |
| 2011 | 19.6% | -21.9% |
| 2012 | 23.4% | +19.7% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -17.1% |
| 2014 | 17.7% | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 17.9% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 19.5% | +9.4% |
| 2017 | 20.7% | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 25.6% | +19.7% |
| 2020 | 16.7% | -34.8% |
| 2021 | 16.8% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | -24.5% |
| 2023 | 13.5% | +5.9% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | +10.2% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 14.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38.0%, 39% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 14.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 33.6%, 44% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.0% | 29.3% | 44.2% | 9 |
| 1980s | 21.1% | 16.1% | 38.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.1% | 19.9% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.2% | 19.2% | 41.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.0% | 17.7% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.9% | 12.7% | 16.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More financial sector data for El Salvador
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1980)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1980)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1980)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1980)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total reserves in El Salvador?
- Total reserves in El Salvador was 14.8% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total reserves recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 52.8% in 1998.
- What is the lowest total reserves recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2022.
- How does El Salvador rank for total reserves?
- El Salvador ranks 94th out of 112 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total reserves rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total reserves (% of total external debt). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of total external debt which are all liabilities that require payment(s) of interest and/or principal by the debtor at some point(s) in the future and that are owed to non-residents by residents of an economy.