Life Expectancy in El Salvador (2024): Men 67.8, Women 76.5

Life expectancy in El Salvador since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in El Salvador has risen by 24.0 years, from 48.3 to 72.3. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.8 years (from 71.7 in 2019 to 69.9 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 8.7 years longer than men (76.5 vs 67.8).

Expected age at death in El Salvador by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	67.8	69.0	70.1	73.6	83.6
Women	76.5	77.8	78.6	80.6	87.1

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to El Salvador’s figures (method).

How people die in El Salvador

Chronic diseases: 67.6%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 9.4%
Injuries: 23%

In 2019, 68% of deaths in El Salvador were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A El Salvador man has a 15% chance and a woman 11% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 20.9 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in El Salvador, about 10.0 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

El Salvador compared with its region

El Salvador is in the World Bank’s Latin America & Caribbean region, where the average life expectancy is 75.5 years. It ranks #35 of 42 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
31	Honduras	73.0	70.5	75.7
32	Saint Lucia	72.8	69.5	76.5
33	Guatemala	72.7	70.4	75.0
34	Venezuela	72.7	68.9	76.7
35	El Salvador	72.3	67.8	76.5
36	Saint Kitts and Nevis	72.3	68.7	76.2
37	Jamaica	71.6	69.1	74.1
38	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	71.4	68.8	74.5
39	Dominica	71.3	68.4	74.7

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in El Salvador?

72.3 years in 2024: 67.8 for men and 76.5 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in El Salvador?

Yes. Women in El Salvador live about 8.7 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does El Salvador rank for life expectancy?

El Salvador ranks #135 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 1.2 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in El Salvador?

Life expectancy at birth (72.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in El Salvador can expect to live to about 70.1, and a 40-year-old woman to about 78.6.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.