Mining by country

Mining in El Salvador

Mining in El Salvador: the public figures we hold so far. The World Bank puts mineral rents close to zero (2021) and ores and metals at 1.4% of merchandise exports (2025). No world production share, mine or listed company project is recorded here yet.

Mineral rents0%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 0% of countries.
Ores and metals1.4%of merchandise exports, 2025.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law-0.71above 28% of countries
  • Political stability+0.11above 48% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-0.14above 48% of countries
  • Control of corruption-0.55above 34% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in El Salvador at a glance

Defining moment
Metal mining ban reversed, 23 December 2024. The 2017 ban was repealed after about seven years. Source: Voice of America
Mining law
Law 544 of 1995. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in El Salvador is law No. 544/1995 (USGS). Source: USGS
Nationalisations
State sole authority over metal mining (law of December 2024). The law makes the State the only authority able to mine metals. No takeover of an operating mine is recorded. Source: Voice of America

Mining employment from the ILO usually counts all of mining and quarrying, often with oil and gas; national shares of GDP and exports are as each source defines them.

History of mining in El Salvador

What the ground holds. cement, limestone, raw steel and geothermal power. Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in North America

United StatesCanadaMexicoGreenlandJamaicaDominican RepublicGuatemalaNicaraguaCubaHonduras

World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: The Big Hole by Rudolph Botha, CC BY-SA 3.0.