Prostitution in El Salvador

Prostitution in El Salvador is not prohibited by national law, but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances. Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services. Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal. The prostitution of children (those under 18) is also illegal. Brothel ownership, however, is legal. There are no specific laws against human trafficking, but any criminal offence that includes ‘commerce in women or children’ requires sentencing to be increased by 30%.

Those municipalities that do not prohibit sex work often set up zones for sex workers away from schools and churches. In the San Esteban area of San Salvador, 17 brothels were forcibly closed in August 1998 for being too close to schools and churches.

Prostitution is common in the country, especially around "Parque Infantil", in the capital, San Salvador. After the civil war, the demands of the increased military presence in San Salvador caused the number of prostitutes to double to 19,000.

UNAIDS estimated that there were 20,385 sex workers in the country in 2016.