El Salvador is marking a historic turning point in its socio-economic landscape as new official data reveals a substantial reduction in poverty levels across the nation. According to the 2025 Multiple Purpose Household Survey (EHPM) released by the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), 262,405 Salvadorans successfully climbed out of poverty over the last year. This shift brings the national poverty rate down to 22.5%, representing the lowest figure recorded in the country in at least a decade.

The scale of this improvement is particularly evident when compared to the previous year’s statistics. In 2024, the EHPM reported approximately 1.8 million people living in poverty, a number that has now fallen to 1,546,801 individuals. This represents a 14.5% decrease in the impoverished population within a single year. This survey is the closest photograph of how Salvadorans live that is taken every year, the BCR noted, emphasizing that the data reflects the current reality of households despite ongoing technical updates following the 2024 Census.

From a domestic perspective, the progress is felt within the family unit. The report highlights that 58,781 households exited poverty in 2025, a 11.3% reduction in the number of vulnerable families compared to 2024. These figures are calculated using a monetary methodology that weighs total household income against the current cost of the Basic Food Basket, suggesting that more families are now earning enough to cover their primary nutritional and living requirements.

When viewed through a long-term lens, the transformation of El Salvador’s economy appears even more drastic. In 2015, the number of people living in poverty exceeded 2.62 million, meaning that in just ten years, the country has managed to reduce its impoverished population by over one million people. This decade-long downward trend signals a significant stabilization of the middle class and a departure from the high levels of economic fragility that characterized the previous era.

While the BCR clarifies that the survey is currently being reconciled with the updated sampling framework from the 2024 Population and Housing Census, the 2025 results provide a clear indicator of growth. For the international community and the Salvadoran diaspora, these metrics offer a data-driven look at a country undergoing a profound structural change. The consistent decline in poverty suggests that the economic shifts currently taking place are reaching the most vulnerable sectors of Salvadoran society.