El Salvador Facts

Hola That’s “hello” in Spanish, the official language spoken in El Salvador. This country in Central America is known for its amazing sunsets and towering volcanoes. Learn more El Salvador facts here.

five Facts About El Salvador

Here are five fun facts about El Salvador:

  1. El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. Around 6.4 million people call the country home!
  2. El Salvador is known as the “Land of Volcanoes” due to the number of volcanoes making up its geography.
  3. The country adopted the U.S. dollar as their official currency in 2001.
  4. The pupusa, a filled Salvadoran flatbread, is the national dish of El Salvador.
  5. El Salvador has a rich Mayan heritage and features several archaeological sites, such as Cihuatán.

Where is El Salvador?

El Salvador is located in Central America and borders the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala and Honduras.

Key Challenges in El Salvador & Our Response

These El Salvador facts show that the country has a rich culture and unique landscape to explore. However, El Salvador is also home to children and families living in devastating poverty, unable to access necessities like food and education.

Lack of Focus on Education

In rural areas of El Salvador, where the poverty level can be higher than 40%, children may have no choice but to leave school and work to support their families.

Unfortunately, when children lack education, they’ll have fewer options for work as adults. Many must work dangerous jobs for minimal wages, making it next to impossible for them to leave poverty behind.

Our Response: Providing Education to Children & Youths of All Ages

Through the Compassion program, every child receives an education. Plus, children receive additional support such as nutrition assistance and medical care, reducing costs for their families and helping them stay in school.

Older children and youths receive vocational training to help them achieve their dreams. With an education, children grow into self-sufficient adults who can provide for their families.

Increased Violence, Abuse & Exploitation

Children living in poverty are highly vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation. Many children may be left alone while parents have no choice but to leave for work. Others may be recruited by dangerous drug cartels or forced to work even at a young age.

Our Response: Protecting Children Through Training & Intervention

At Compassion, we take child protection seriously. We provide age-appropriate training to each child we serve, teaching them to use their voice to stand up for themselves. We also train our staff and volunteers on what to do when they see signs of abuse, violence or exploitation.

A girl sits on a swing at the playground

A girl sits on a swing at the playground.

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A group of children play soccer at their child development center

A group of children play soccer at their child development center.

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Teen boys playing baseball

Teenage boys play baseball together.

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Young adults learn income-generating skills, like baking, at their child development center

Young adults learn income-generating skills, like baking, at their child development center.

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A teenager reads the Bible in his neighborhood

A teenager reads the Bible in his neighborhood.

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A group of kids in yellow uniforms run out of their center

A group of children run out of their child development center together.

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A teen girl working on a computer

A teenage girl uses a computer at her child development center.

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A girl holds a rooster

A young girl holds a rooster in her arms.

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A young boy smiles as he holds a favorite traditional meal

A young boy smiles as he holds a favorite traditional meal.

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A girl holds a planning book outside of her child development center

A girl holds a planning book outside of her child development center.

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Our Impact in El Salvador

Compassion is proud to partner with hundreds of local churches throughout El Salvador to reach children in need through our child sponsorship program.

70,788

children served (and counting).

270

churches served.

46

years serving.

Empowering Women to Dream of Brighter Futures

Young women in El Salvador often lack a clear future. But this isn’t the case for Daniela, a young teen building a baking career through the support of Compassion. Read Daniela’s story and the inspiring stories of other girls chasing their dreams.

See Story
An Upcoming El Salvadoran Soccer Star Triumphs Over Poverty

Living in an impoverished community, Karla knows the challenges of poverty. But with Compassion’s help, Karla found her passion for soccer and dreams of a brighter future outside of poverty. Now, she’s working to become an international soccer player.

See Story

How You Can Help Vulnerable Children in El Salvador

You can join Compassion’s fight against child poverty in El Salvador in three key ways:

  • Pray: Jeremiah 33:3 tells us that if we call on God, he will answer us. When we lift children living in poverty up in prayer, God hears us, and we can trust he's working on their behalf. Join us in praying daily for children living in poverty by becoming a prayer partner.
  • Donate: Children living in poverty face many challenges, from a lack of medical care to dangerous living conditions. You can provide immediate support by donating to fulfill a right-now need.
  • Sponsor a Child: By sponsoring a child, you empower a local church to meet the critical needs of a child's body, mind and spirit as they journey out of poverty. Through sponsorship, you'll help deliver medical care, hygiene training, education, malnutrition monitoring and so much more to a child in need. But most importantly, you'll help introduce them to the hope of the gospel, which changes everything.
Sponsor a Child in El Salvador