El Salvador Electricity Mix
El Salvador generated 86.5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2025, above the world average of 33.8%. Each kilowatt-hour produced emitted about 139 grams of CO₂.
Data year 2025 · Source: Ember and Energy Institute via Our World in Data
How much electricity in El Salvador comes from renewables?
Renewable sources produced 86.5% of the electricity generated in El Salvador in 2025. The world average was 33.8% in 2025. That is up from 55.9% in 2000. That ranks El Salvador 27th of 210 countries and territories by renewable share.
Electricity mix by source
Hydro is the largest source of electricity in El Salvador, at 30.3% of generation, followed by other renewables at 20.7% and solar at 20.3%. Fossil fuels together supplied 13.5%.
Carbon intensity of electricity
Generating one kilowatt-hour of electricity in El Salvador emitted about 139 grams of CO₂ in 2025, 70% below the world average of 458 g. At that rate, a business using 10,000 kWh a year would be responsible for roughly 1,393 kg of CO₂ from electricity.
This is an estimate based on the generation mix. For a formal carbon report, use the grid factor published by the national energy or environment agency. Our guide to emission factors explains the difference.
How El Salvador compares
Countries closest to El Salvador when ranked by renewable share of electricity. See the full ranking, or the CO₂ emissions of El Salvador.
| # | Country | Renewables | Low-carbon | g CO₂/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Afghanistan | 86.9% | 86.9% | 131 |
| 26 | Brazil | 86.6% | 88.7% | 110 |
| 27 | El Salvador | 86.5% | 86.5% | 139 |
| 28 | Kyrgyzstan | 84.7% | 84.7% | 153 |
| 29 | Austria | 83.6% | 83.6% | 117 |
Frequently asked questions
What share of electricity in El Salvador is renewable?
86.5% in 2025. That is up from 55.9% in 2000. Counting nuclear as well, 86.5% of electricity came from low-carbon sources.
What is the main source of electricity in El Salvador?
Hydro is the largest source of electricity in El Salvador, at 30.3% of generation, followed by other renewables at 20.7% and solar at 20.3%.
How clean is electricity in El Salvador?
Generating one kilowatt-hour emitted about 139 grams of CO₂ in 2025, 70% below the world average of 458 g.
Is renewable electricity growing in El Salvador?
The renewable share has risen by 30.6 percentage points, from 55.9% in 2000 to 86.5% in 2025.
About the data. Shares are percentages of the electricity generated inside the country in a year. Renewables are hydro, wind, solar, bioenergy and other renewable sources. Low-carbon adds nuclear. The latest year differs between countries and is shown on each page. Carbon intensity is an estimate of the CO₂ emitted per kilowatt-hour generated, including emissions over the life of each power source.
Source: Ember and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy, processed by Our World in Data and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence.
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