El Salvador is on track to deliver an exceptional economic performance in 2026, driven by a surge in industrial activity and public-private collaboration. Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Regional Energy Congress (Coren), Jorge Arriaza, president of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI), announced that strong short-term indicators point toward a 4.5% GDP growth by the end of the year—a milestone figure not seen in the country for decades.

This projected growth rate would place El Salvador at the forefront of Central American economic development, outperforming regional peers such as Guatemala (estimated at 4%) and other neighboring economies projected between 3% and 4%. The optimistic forecast builds on a solid 4.8% expansion recorded in the first quarter by the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), prompting international bodies like the IMF and ECLAC to revise their annual projections upward to 3.3% and 3.9%, respectively.

Addressing local and foreign analysts who doubt the country’s trajectory, leadership emphasized that active coordination between the government and the private sector is unlocking new productive sectors. Arriaza highlighted key strategic support from President Nayib Bukele for initiatives like El Salvador Produce for the World, remarking that critics “are the ones without a clear direction, while we have a growing country advancing into new areas of production.”

Matching this confidence, the National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) confirmed positive market perspectives across key industries. Business leaders are focusing on workforce development and technical training to seamlessly integrate local talent into global value chains and capitalize on ongoing technological convergence across the region.