Invest in La Libertad, El Salvador
At a glance
| La Libertad | |
|---|---|
| Capital (cabecera) | Santa Tecla |
| Population, 2024 | 765,879 |
| Rank by population | 2 of 14 |
| Urban population | 612,301 (79.9%) |
| Land area | 1,653 km² |
| People per km² | 463 |
| Municipalities | 6 |
| Districts | 22 |
Source: BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish); UNDP: socio-economic map, guide to the 44 new municipalities of El Salvador, October 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)1,3
Land area is the sum of the municipal areas published by UNDP; density is an InvestSalvador.com calculation from that area and the census.
Map of La Libertad
Municipalities and districts
Decree 762 merged the 262 old municipalities into 44 from 1 May 2024. The old municipalities became districts. La Libertad has 6 municipalities:4
| Municipality | Population 2024 | Urban | Area, km² | People per km² | Average labour income, 2023 | Employment rate, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Libertad Oeste | 182,512 | 90.8% | 277.0 | 659 | $391.38 | 62.7% |
| La Libertad Centro | 162,760 | 82.3% | 305.7 | 532 | $350.12 | 64.1% |
| La Libertad Sur | 138,237 | 84.1% | 187.2 | 738 | $431.90 | 62.2% |
| La Libertad Este | 108,097 | 92.2% | 134.6 | 803 | $551.08 | 65.3% |
| La Libertad Norte | 88,356 | 68.0% | 307.4 | 287 | $339.88 | 61.2% |
| La Libertad Costa | 85,917 | 42.6% | 441.0 | 195 | $393.05 | 62.4% |
Source: BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish); UNDP: socio-economic map, guide to the 44 new municipalities of El Salvador, October 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)1,3
- La Libertad Oeste (5 districts): Colón, Jayaque, Sacacoyo, Tepecoyo, Talnique
- La Libertad Centro (2 districts): San Juan Opico, Ciudad Arce
- La Libertad Sur (2 districts): Comasagua, Santa Tecla
- La Libertad Este (5 districts): Antiguo Cuscatlán, Huizúcar, Nuevo Cuscatlán, San José Villanueva, Zaragoza
- La Libertad Norte (3 districts): Quezaltepeque, San Matías, San Pablo Tacachico
- La Libertad Costa (5 districts): Chiltiupán, Jicalapa, La Libertad, Tamanique, Teotepeque
Source: Legislative Assembly: Decree 762, the Special Law for the Territorial Restructuring of El Salvador4
Population and urban share: 2024 census. Area, labour income (average per worker, a month) and employment rate: UNDP, from the 2023 household survey (EHPM).
Largest districts
Source: BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish)1
Economy and investment
- Surf City: the Ministry of Tourism programme covers beaches such as El Tunco and the port of La Libertad.
- New CIFCO: the new convention and fair centre is being built at El Espino, in Antiguo Cuscatlán.
- Los Chorros: the 2026 budget policy includes a viaduct and a wider CA-1 highway at Los Chorros, west of San Salvador.
Source: Ministry of Tourism: Surf City programme; El Salvador.com: construction of the new CIFCO at El Espino; Ministry of Finance: Budget Policy 2026 (PDF, in Spanish)7,8,9
Free zones
- ExportSalva, free zone, Colón (La Libertad Oeste)
- Pipil (Hydroexpo), free zone, San Juan Opico (La Libertad Centro)
- Sam-Li, free zone, San Juan Opico (La Libertad Centro)
- American Park, free zone
- Santa Tecla, free zone, Santa Tecla (La Libertad Sur)
- San José, free zone, Zaragoza (La Libertad Este)
- Altius Tech Park, service park
Source: CAMTEX: free zones and industrial parks; CAMTEX: Altius Tech Park5,6
The free zones map shows every zone in the country, including the new zones authorised or under construction.
Sources
- BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish)
- BCR: results of the VII Population Census and VI Housing Census, 31 October 2024 (in Spanish)
- UNDP: socio-economic map, guide to the 44 new municipalities of El Salvador, October 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Legislative Assembly: Decree 762, the Special Law for the Territorial Restructuring of El Salvador (in Spanish)
- CAMTEX: free zones and industrial parks (in Spanish)
- CAMTEX: Altius Tech Park
- Ministry of Tourism: Surf City programme (in Spanish)
- El Salvador.com: construction of the new CIFCO at El Espino (in Spanish)
- Ministry of Finance: Budget Policy 2026 (PDF, in Spanish)
Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. Figures come from the sources listed.