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El Salvador's population numbers about 6.9 million; almost 90% is of mixed Amerindian and Spanish extraction.[1]

9% of the Salvadoran population are White including Spanish, French, Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Swiss, German, and Italian descendents. About 1% is of indigenous origin (Pipil). Very few Indians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant mestizo/spanish culture. [2]

The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by La Matanza in 1932 which saw (estimates of) up to 30,000 peasants killed in a short period of time (nowadays this would be considered a genocide by the army's methods to exterminate a certain racial group). They were not necessarily killed because they were indigenous, one of the identifying features of the peasants was their indigenous dress. Many authors note that since La Matanza the indigenous in El Salvador have been very reluctant to describe themselves as such (in census declarations for example) or to wear indigenous dress or be seen to be taking part in any cultural activities or customs that might be understood as indigenous.[3]

There is a significant population of Palestinian Christian and Chinese immigrants. There is also a very small community of Jews and Muslims.

The country's people are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, while small Protestant Christian sects are gaining an allegiance, and Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants. The capital city of San Salvador has about 1.3 million people; an estimated 42% of El Salvador's population live in rural areas. El Salvador is ranked as one of the ten poorest countries in the western hemisphere, and nearly 80% of the country's people live less than a US dollar per day. The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the US; in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Europe and Australia since the migration trend began in the early 1970's.

Population: 6,122,515 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 1,186,328; female 1,141,245)
15-64 years: 57% (male 1,652,083; female 1,833,998)
65 years and over: 5% (male 139,919; female 168,942) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.87% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 29.02 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.27 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.74 years
male: 66.14 years
female: 73.52 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.38 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:

• Mestizo 90%,
• White 9%,
• Amerindian 1%,

Religions: Roman Catholic 96%

Languages: Spanish, Nahuatl (among some Amerindians)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.5%
male: 78.7%
female: 75.3% (1995 est.)

• El Salvador