Consular Offices - El Salvador
1090 Suffolk Ave.
Brentwood NY 11717.
Phone: (888) 301-1130
1400 16th Street, Suite 100, NW D.C. 20036
Washington, United States
Email: correo@elsalvador.org
Phone: +1-202-595-7500
Fax: +1-202-232-3763
Final Boulevard Santa Elena
Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad
Phone: (503) 2501-2999
Fax: (503) 2501-2150
An estimated 2.3 million Hispanics of Salvadoran origin resided in the United States in 2017, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Salvadorans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Salvadoran origin; this includes immigrants from El Salvador and those who trace their family ancestry to El Salvador.
Salvadorans are the third-largest population (tied with Cubans) of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for 4% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2017. Since 2000, the Salvadoran-origin population has increased 225%, growing from 711,000 to 2.3 million over the period. At the same time, the Salvadoran foreign-born population living in the U.S. grew by 142%, from 539,000 in 2000 to 1.3 million in 2017. By comparison, Mexicans, the nation’s largest Hispanic origin group, constituted 36.6 million, or 62%, of the Hispanic population in 2017.
Immigration status
- Among Hispanics in the U.S., about 33% are foreign-born, compared with 57% of U.S. Salvadorans.
- About 44% of foreign-born Salvadorans have been in the U.S. for over 20 years, and 33% of foreign-born Salvadorans are U.S. citizens.
Educational attainment
- About 16% of U.S. Hispanics ages 25 and older have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 10% of Salvadorans.
- Among Salvadorans ages 25 and older, the U.S.-born are more likely than the foreign-born to have a bachelor’s degree or higher (24% vs. 8%).
Income
- Among U.S. Hispanics and Salvadorans, the median annual personal earnings for those ages 16 and older was $25,000.
- Looking at full-time, year-round workers, U.S. Hispanics earned more than Salvadorans ($34,000 vs. $30,000).
Poverty status
- The share of U.S. Hispanics who live in poverty (19%) is greater than the share among Salvadorans (17%).
- About 18% of U.S.-born Salvadorans live in poverty, as do 15% of foreign-born Salvadorans.
Homeownership
- The rate of homeownership among U.S. Hispanics is 47%, compared with 43% of Salvadorans.
- Among Salvadorans in the U.S., rates of homeownership are lower for the U.S.-born than the foreign-born (39% vs. 44%).
Top states of residence
- The Salvadoran population is concentrated in California (32%), Texas (15%), and New York (9%).
Age
- The median age of U.S. Hispanics (29) is similar to that of Salvadorans (30) and lower than the U.S. population (38).
Marital status
- S. Hispanics ages 18 and older about as likely to be married (46%) as Salvadorans (47%).
- Among Salvadorans ages 18 and older, those who are foreign-born are more likely to be married than the U.S.-born (54% vs. 26%).
Fertility
- Some 7% of U.S. Hispanic women ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months before the July 2017 American Community Survey. For Salvadoran women, the rate was 6%.
Language
- About 70% of U.S. Hispanics ages 5 and older speak only English at home or speak English at least “very well,” compared with 53% of Salvadorans.
- Similarly, 64% of Hispanic adults are English proficient, as are 44% of Salvadoran adults.
“Facts on Hispanics of Salvadoran origin in the United States, 2017.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2019).