Share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 49.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador stood at 49.2%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador peaked at 49.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 1971.
El Salvador ranks 103rd of 135 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 7.9% | — |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +106.6% |
| 2000 | 31.4% | +92.2% |
| 2001 | 32.5% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 33.8% | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 35.3% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 34.8% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 35.4% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 34.0% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 34.5% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 36.6% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 37.5% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 41.7% | +11.3% |
| 2011 | 38.6% | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 39.8% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 41.0% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 42.1% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 42.6% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 43.2% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 42.8% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 45.3% | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 46.5% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 46.6% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 47.2% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 48.8% | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 49.2% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 16.3% | 16.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 34.6% | 31.4% | 37.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.4% | 38.6% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.9% | 46.6% | 49.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 100 India 52.7% compare
- 101 Costa Rica 52.4% compare
- 102 Belize 52.2% compare
- 104 Bangladesh 48.6% compare
- 105 Saint Lucia 46.8% compare
- 106 Zambia 44.1% compare
More education data for El Salvador
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 100,758 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 417,193 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 594,860 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0939 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 594,860 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in El Salvador was 49.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 49.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 1971.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- El Salvador ranks 103rd out of 135 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.