El Salvador - Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)

Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) in El Salvador was 43.90 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 55 years was 53.93 in 2008, while its lowest value was 22.29 in 1988.

Definition: Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.

Source: World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.

See also:

Year Value
1965 28.81
1966 29.78
1967 28.66
1968 27.10
1969 25.79
1970 24.55
1971 26.61
1972 28.13
1973 32.98
1974 40.83
1975 38.22
1976 36.82
1977 37.47
1978 39.53
1979 37.14
1980 33.24
1981 33.59
1982 28.47
1983 29.91
1984 28.54
1985 29.89
1986 29.05
1987 26.10
1988 22.29
1989 23.69
1990 31.12
1991 30.53
1992 32.54
1993 34.15
1994 35.23
1995 37.81
1996 34.14
1997 37.54
1998 36.49
1999 36.59
2000 41.88
2001 40.88
2002 40.41
2003 42.31
2004 43.88
2005 44.45
2006 47.52
2007 52.05
2008 53.93
2009 42.12
2010 46.59
2011 50.29
2012 49.08
2013 50.73
2014 48.55
2015 47.07
2016 44.36
2017 45.27
2018 46.70
2019 46.30
2020 43.90

Limitations and Exceptions: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data. Although the data from the payments side provide reasonably reliable records of cross-border transactions, they may not adhere strictly to the appropriate definitions of valuation and timing used in the balance of payments or corresponds to the change-of ownership criterion. This issue has assumed greater significance with the increasing globalization of international business. Neither customs nor balance of payments data usually capture the illegal transactions that occur in many countries. Goods carried by travelers across borders in legal but unreported shuttle trade may further distort trade statistics.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Gross domestic product (GDP) from the expenditure side is made up of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, gross capital formation (private and public investment in fixed assets, changes in inventories, and net acquisitions of valuables), and net exports (exports minus imports) of goods and services. Such expenditures are recorded in purchaser prices and include net taxes on products.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Economic Policy & Debt Indicators

Sub-Topic: National accounts