Ahuachapán
Geothermal power, coffee and tourism on the Ruta de las Flores.
348,880 Population, 2024 census
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Regions
The 14 Departments of El Salvador
The departments, municipalities and districts, the cities where investors set up, and the places worth knowing.
Map
Departments, Municipalities and Districts
Since 1 May 2024 El Salvador has 14 departments, 44 municipalities and 262 districts. The districts are the former municipalities; the new municipalities group them under one council.
2024 census
The 14 Departments in Figures
Population from the 2024 census, ranked from the largest department. Land area: the sum of the municipal areas published by UNDP.
| Department | Capital | Population 2024 | Share | Urban | Area, km² | People per km² | Municipalities | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Salvador | San Salvador | 1,563,371 | 26.4% | 96.5% | 886 | 1,764 | 5 | 19 |
| La Libertad | Santa Tecla | 765,879 | 12.9% | 79.9% | 1,653 | 463 | 6 | 22 |
| Santa Ana | Santa Ana | 552,938 | 9.3% | 68.8% | 2,023 | 273 | 4 | 13 |
| Sonsonate | Sonsonate | 470,455 | 7.9% | 72.6% | 1,226 | 384 | 4 | 16 |
| San Miguel | San Miguel | 447,634 | 7.6% | 62.4% | 2,077 | 216 | 3 | 20 |
| Ahuachapán | Ahuachapán | 348,880 | 5.9% | 66.8% | 1,239 | 282 | 3 | 12 |
| Usulután | Usulután | 325,494 | 5.5% | 50.7% | 2,130 | 153 | 3 | 23 |
| La Paz | Zacatecoluca | 318,374 | 5.4% | 62.3% | 1,224 | 260 | 3 | 22 |
| Cuscatlán | Cojutepeque | 244,901 | 4.1% | 77.2% | 756 | 324 | 2 | 16 |
| La Unión | La Unión | 224,375 | 3.8% | 22.3% | 2,074 | 108 | 2 | 18 |
| Chalatenango | Chalatenango | 185,930 | 3.1% | 25.7% | 2,017 | 92 | 3 | 33 |
| Morazán | San Francisco Gotera | 169,784 | 2.9% | 23.2% | 1,447 | 117 | 2 | 26 |
| San Vicente | San Vicente | 161,857 | 2.7% | 61.4% | 1,184 | 137 | 2 | 13 |
| Cabañas | Sensuntepeque | 143,049 | 2.4% | 36.6% | 1,104 | 130 | 2 | 9 |
Sources: BCR, VII Population Census 2024 (table of population by area); UNDP, guide to the 44 new municipalities (2024). The shares are of the 5,922,921 people the census assigns to a department; the census counted 6,029,976 people in all.
Regions
The 14 departments
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Santa Ana
Free zones, commerce and hydropower.
552,938 Population, 2024 census
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Sonsonate
Port of Acajutla, natural gas power and tourism.
470,455 Population, 2024 census
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Chalatenango
Hydropower and a rural economy.
185,930 Population, 2024 census
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La Libertad
Free zones, offices, surf tourism and logistics.
765,879 Population, 2024 census
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San Salvador
Government, finance, services, industry and free zones.
1,563,371 Population, 2024 census
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Cuscatlán
Services, farming and tourism in Suchitoto.
244,901 Population, 2024 census
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La Paz
International airport, free zones and the Costa del Sol.
318,374 Population, 2024 census
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Cabañas
Hydropower and farming.
143,049 Population, 2024 census
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San Vicente
Hydropower and farming.
161,857 Population, 2024 census
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Usulután
Geothermal power, coast and farming.
325,494 Population, 2024 census
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San Miguel
Commerce, services, geothermal power and hydropower.
447,634 Population, 2024 census
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Morazán
Farming and tourism.
169,784 Population, 2024 census
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La Unión
Port of La Unión, the Pacific Airport and the Gulf of Fonseca.
224,375 Population, 2024 census
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Invest in a city
The Cities
San Salvador
The capital: offices, government and the historic centre.
330,543 People in the district of San Salvador, 2024 census
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Santa Ana
The second city: commerce, free zones and lower property prices.
250,760 People in the district of Santa Ana, 2024 census
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San Miguel
The main city of the east: commerce and services.
232,887 People in the district of San Miguel, 2024 census
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Soyapango
The fourth-largest district, on the east side of the capital.
230,255 People in the district of Soyapango, 2024 census
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Santa Tecla
The capital of La Libertad, next to San Salvador.
125,532 People in the district of Santa Tecla, 2024 census
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Antiguo Cuscatlán
Offices, the new CIFCO and the highest labour income of the 44 municipalities.
37,451 People in the district of Antiguo Cuscatlán, 2024 census
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La Libertad (port)
The port town of Surf City, on the Pacific coast.
44,761 People in the district of La Libertad, 2024 census
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Sonsonate
Between the Ruta de las Flores and the port of Acajutla.
72,233 People in the district of Sonsonate, 2024 census
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Usulután
The capital of Usulután, near the Bay of Jiquilisco.
66,125 People in the district of Usulután, 2024 census
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La Unión
The port on the Gulf of Fonseca and the Pacific Airport.
40,129 People in the district of La Unión, 2024 census
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Ahuachapán
Geothermal power and the start of the Ruta de las Flores.
127,301 People in the district of Ahuachapán, 2024 census
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Chalatenango
The northern capital, near the Cerrón Grande dam.
30,679 People in the district of Chalatenango, 2024 census
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Cojutepeque
The capital of Cuscatlán, on the Pan-American Highway.
46,839 People in the district of Cojutepeque, 2024 census
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Zacatecoluca
The capital of La Paz, the department of the airport.
64,484 People in the district of Zacatecoluca, 2024 census
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Sensuntepeque
The capital of Cabañas and the 5 de Noviembre dam.
35,916 People in the district of Sensuntepeque, 2024 census
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San Vicente
A restored historic centre and a new geothermal field.
52,461 People in the district of San Vicente, 2024 census
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San Francisco Gotera
The capital of Morazán, with a new power line.
20,330 People in the district of San Francisco Gotera, 2024 census
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Regions
Explore
Municipalities and districts map
The 44 municipalities and 262 districts on one map.
14 Departments
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Surf City
The coastal programme, its phases and ten surf beaches.
5 Phases of the programme across the country
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Ruta de las Flores
Six mountain towns between Ahuachapán and Sonsonate.
6 Towns on the route
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Colonial towns
Suchitoto, Panchimalco, Izalco and the mountain towns.
1528 Suchitoto, site of the first capital
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Volcanoes and lakes
Santa Ana, Izalco, San Miguel, Ilopango and Coatepeque.
17 Holocene volcanoes
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National parks
Montecristo, El Imposible, Ramsar wetlands and biosphere reserves.
100+ Protected natural areas
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Archaeological sites
Joya de Cerén, Tazumal, San Andrés, Casa Blanca and Cihuatán.
1993 Joya de Cerén on the World Heritage List
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Beaches
The 307 km Pacific coast, from Barra de Santiago to the Gulf of Fonseca.
307 km Pacific coastline
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Ports and airports
Ports, airports, the main highways and the planned Pacific Train.
5.2 million Airport passengers in 2025
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Border crossings
Nine land crossings with Guatemala and Honduras.
9 Land border crossings
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Regional data maps
Poverty, jobs, income and remittances on one map.
22.5% Households in poverty, 2025
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Next step
Meet the Companies in Your Department
Lawyers, accountants, office landlords and recruiters, listed in the InvestSalvador.com directory by department and city.