Data
El Salvador remittances
Monthly and annual remittance inflows to El Salvador, compiled from Banco Central de Reserva figures. Around a quarter of GDP arrives this way.
Remittances received, 2025
$8.5bn
Measured in USD millions. Updated monthly.
Last checked · updated monthly
| Year | Total USD bn | Share of GDP | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5.65 | 20.7% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 5.93 | 24.1% | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 7.52 | 26.2% | +26.8% |
| 2022 | 7.74 | 23.8% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 8.18 | 23.6% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 8.47 | 23.2% | +3.6% |
| 2025 | 8.52 | 22.8% | +0.6% |
Remittances are the single largest source of foreign currency in El Salvador, worth roughly a quarter of GDP — one of the highest ratios anywhere in the world.
Who sends them
Around two million Salvadorans live in the United States, the majority in California, Texas, Maryland and Virginia. Their transfers fund household consumption rather than investment, which is why the series tracks US employment more closely than it tracks anything happening domestically.
Why the 2021 spike
Pandemic stimulus in the United States, plus fear of tightening immigration enforcement, pushed a 27% jump in a single year. The series has grown in low single digits since.
The bitcoin question
The stated rationale for the 2021 Bitcoin Law was cutting remittance fees. Crypto rails have stayed in the low single digits as a share of the total. See bitcoin in El Salvador and, for the cheapest current route, sending money.
Source: Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador. Official page. Compiled by AH El Salvador and last checked September 1, 2026. Free to reproduce with a link.