The newspaper La Prensa Gráfica published an online survey containing a single question: How would you rate El Salvador’s economic situation? The survey received a discouraging response from participants. Only six percent rated it as good, 15 percent as average, and 80 percent as bad.

Although these surveys are not very reliable, there are factors that concern economists and residents. For example, El Salvador faces serious food security challenges in 2025, with the threat of shortages for more than 800,000 people, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Although a slight increase in exports was observed in the first two months of the year, problems persist in the movement of products at the country’s two main ports, Acajutla and La Unión, which are hindering trade.

Furthermore, there are serious concerns about the impact that the announced mass deportations from the United States could have on domestic consumption due to the decline in remittances and the crisis that the arrival of thousands of people could cause, challenging the labor market.

An analysis by Bancolombia, the parent company of Banco Agrícola, one of the country’s largest banks, estimated that El Salvador’s exports could decline if private consumption, through remittances, is lower than that of the rest of the region. The analysis considers a scenario in which, if the promised deportations are carried out at 50 percent, this could affect Central American countries, including El Salvador, in different ways.

Although family assistance increased by 14.2 percent in the first two months of 2025, according to the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), this may be due to relatives in the United States fearing deportation and sending more money than usual.

The possibility of a direct and indirect impact on the local economy from migrant expulsions is frightening for residents and authorities.

jrr/llp/npg/lb