Current account and capital flows · El Salvador

El Salvador Current Account

The El Salvador Current Account measures money flowing between El Salvador and the rest of the world: trade, income and transfers (current account), or investment in and out of the country.

Importance
Low
Released
Quarterly
Next release

Latest figures

The latest release for Q2, published on 1 October 2026, came in at $-118.11M.

ReleasedForActualConsensusPrevious
1 Oct 2026Q2$-118.11M–$-592.06M ®
30 Jun 2026Q1$-610.4M–$-902.65M
27 Mar 2026Q4$-902.65M–$-97.78M
23 Dec 2025Q3$-97.78M–$94.14M ®
30 Sep 2025Q2$218.94M–$-388.74M
27 Jun 2025Q1$-388.74M–$-415.27M
28 Mar 2025Q4$-415.27M–$-79.11M

See it in the economic calendar →

Why it matters

A current-account deficit must be financed by foreign capital, which makes a currency vulnerable when investors turn cautious; a surplus country lends to the world. Capital-flow data show whether foreigners are buying the country's bonds and shares. Tourism and remittances are large sources of foreign currency for some economies.

How it is calculated

The balance of payments records every transaction with non-residents: goods, services, income, transfers (current account) and investment (financial account); the two mirror each other.

Current account = trade balance + primary income + secondary income
Current account + capital account + financial account ≈ 0

What changes mean

  • A deficit above about 4–5% of GDP is often seen as a risk for emerging-market currencies.
  • Large foreign purchases of local bonds support the currency.

Higher than expected: A larger surplus or stronger inflows than expected tend to support the the local currency.

Lower than expected: A larger deficit or weaker inflows than expected tend to weigh on the the local currency.

A short history

Balance-of-payments accounting was standardised by the International Monetary Fund after 1945; current-account crises shaped events from the 1990s emerging-market crises to the euro debt crisis.

Questions

What is the El Salvador Current Account?

The El Salvador Current Account measures money flowing between El Salvador and the rest of the world: trade, income and transfers (current account), or investment in and out of the country.

What was the latest El Salvador Current Account?

$-118.11M for Q2, published on 1 October 2026.

When is the next El Salvador Current Account?

On Wednesday 23 December 2026 at 17:00 UTC.

Educational content only, not investment advice. Figures are the published results as recorded by our calendar; market reactions described are typical, not guaranteed.