Standard

SV

El Salvador

Summary

Official Name
Population
6,569,000
Principal Languages
Spanish
Literacy Rate
89% (2018 UNESCO)
International Conventions
CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
General References
Campbell 1997
Deaf Population
88,400 (2015 CONAIPD)
Language Counts
The number of established languages listed for El Salvador is 7. Of these, 6 are living and 1 is extinct. Of the living languages, 2 are indigenous and 4 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 1 is in trouble, and 2 are dying. Also listed are 3 unestablished languages.

Languages

American Sign Language ase
Scattered, mostly in and around San Salvador. Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: ASL Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc
Users: 1,300 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Cacaopera ccr
Morazan department. Users: No known L1 speakers. Last fluent speakers survived into the early 20th century. Status: 10 (Extinct). Classification: Misumalpan, Sumu-Cacaopera-Matagalpa, Cacaopera-Matagalpa
Chinese, Yue yue
Users: 1,500 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
Costa Rican Sign Language csr
Eastern region, particularly San Miguel (Ciupek-Reed 2012). Users: No known L1 users in El Salvador (2022). Status: 9 (Dormant). Alternate Names: LESCO, Lengua de Señas Costaricenses Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
English eng
Users: 9,400 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
German, Standard deu
Users: 6,600 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
Nahuat ppl
Ahuachapan, Chalatenango, La Libertad, La Paz, San Salvador, Santa Ana, and Sonsonate departments. West, interior highlands. Users: 1,300, all users. L1 users: 500 (2015 J. Stuart), increasing. L2 users: 800 (2015 J. Stuart). Ethnic population: 11,100 (2005 census). Status: 8a (Moribund). Recognized language (1993, Law to protect the national patrimony, Decree 513). Alternate Names: Nawat, Nicarao, “Pipil” (pej.) Autonym: Nahuat Classification: Uto-Aztecan, Southern Uto-Aztecan, Corachol-Aztecan, Core Nahua
Salvadoran Sign Language esn
Scattered. Users: 26,000 (2020 H. Harm). Estimated 26,000, or approximately 0.4% of the overall population (2020 H. Harm). Other estimates: 50%–75% of the total deaf signers use LESSA (Ciupek-Reed 2012). Status: 4 (Educational). Recognized language (2005, Acuerdo Nº 16-0132, August 12, 2005; Ley General de Educación, Art. 15-A (as amended 2014)). Alternate Names: El Salvadoran Sign Language, LESA, LESSA, Lengua de señas salvadoreñas Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Spanish spa
Widespread. Users: 6,479,200 in El Salvador, all users. L1 users: 6,460,000 in El Salvador (2019). L2 users: 19,200 (Instituto Cervantes 2019). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1983, Constitution, Article 62). Alternate Names: Castellano, Español Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Languages by Status

    Spanish
    [spa] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1983, Constitution, Article 62). 6,479,200 in El Salvador, all users. L1 users: 6,460,000 in El Salvador (2019). L2 users: 19,200 (Instituto Cervantes 2019).
    English
    [eng] 4 (Educational). 9,400 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
    Salvadoran Sign Language
    [esn] 4 (Educational). Recognized language (2005, Acuerdo Nº 16-0132, August 12, 2005; Ley General de Educación, Art. 15-A (as amended 2014)). 26,000 (2020 H. Harm). Estimated 26,000, or approximately 0.4% of the overall population (2020 H. Harm). Other estimates: 50%–75% of the total deaf signers use LESSA (Ciupek-Reed 2012).
    American Sign Language
    [ase] 6b* (Threatened).
    Nahuat
    [ppl] 8a (Moribund). Recognized language (1993, Law to protect the national patrimony, Decree 513). 1,300, all users. L1 users: 500 (2015 J. Stuart), increasing. L2 users: 800 (2015 J. Stuart). Ethnic population: 11,100 (2005 census).
    Costa Rican Sign Language
    [csr] 9 (Dormant). No known L1 users in El Salvador (2022).
    Cacaopera
    [ccr] 10 (Extinct). No known L1 speakers. Last fluent speakers survived into the early 20th century.
    Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
    [apc] Unestablished. 1,300 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
    Chinese, Yue
    [yue] Unestablished. 1,500 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
    German, Standard
    [deu] Unestablished. 6,600 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.

Maps

  • El Salvador and Honduras

Graphs

  • Language Vitality Profile

  • Language Status Profile

Resources

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    Digest of the languages of El Salvador ($149.95, 20 page PDF)