El Salvador Central Bank

El Salvador Economy Grows 3.9% in 2025, Reaches US$36.7 Billion GDP

The Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador reported that the Salvadoran economy grew 3.9% in 2025, reaching a GDP of US$36,708.1 million, an increase of US$1,828.4 million over 2024. Quarterly variations were 2.6% (Q1), 4.0% (Q2), 5.2% (Q3), and 3.8% (Q4). Construction led growth at 24.4%, followed by Mining at 8.7% and Transport at 6.1%. Investment grew 22.6% to US$9,977.1 million (27.2% of GDP), exports rose 3.7%, and private consumption increased 2.8%.

El Salvador Net Foreign Direct Investment $474.8M in 2025

El Salvador's Central Bank (BCR) reported net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of US$474.8 million in 2025, driven by IED entries of US$10,617.9 million against US$10,143.1 million in exits. Foreign companies recorded record profits of US$1,642.8 million, a 16.8% increase from 2024, with a 13.2% return on investment rate. The sectors receiving the most FDI were Services (US$267.9 million), Financial Services (US$180.6 million), and Manufacturing (US$139.7 million).

El Salvador Economy Growth 3.0-3.5% in 2026 Driven by Domestic Factors

El Salvador's Central Bank (BCR) projects GDP growth of 3.0-3.5% for 2026, exceeding historical averages of 2.5% (1991-2019), 2.0% (dollarization era 2001-2019), and 2.3% (2014-2018). The forecast is driven by private investment exceeding US$9,000 million, robust domestic demand supported by remittances up 8.4% year-on-year to US$1,524.8 million through February 2026, and tourism projected at 4.2 million visitors.