A report of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed that the number of pregnant girls and adolescents in El Salvador was 10,352 in 2022, which represents a 16% reduction in early pregnancies compared to 2021.
Despite the drop in the number of adolescent pregnancies, El Salvador is among the top 50 countries, out of 236, with the highest number of pregnancies between 10 and 19 years of age.
Likewise, of the 14 departments that the Central American country has, in eight there were up to 20 or more pregnancies per 1,000 girls and adolescents. If you want to check the pregnancy rate by department, interact with the following map.
In western El Salvador, Sonsonate and Ahuachapán are the departments with the highest rates. In the east are Morazán and San Miguel.
“The data shows us that progress is uneven in the territory and among adolescents,” said Neus Bernabeu, a UNFPA representative, who highlighted the reduction in the number of pregnancies among girls and adolescents between 2015 and 2022, which dropped to 50.3%.
Among girls from 10 to 14 years old, the pregnancy rate fell by 59.6% between 2015 and 2022. While in adolescents from 15 to 19 years old, the rate has gone from 48.5% to 35.4%.
“The fight against all forms of violence against girls and adolescents, including sexual violence, is an essential path to reduce pregnancies at an early age,” the report states.
UNFPA recommended promoting greater empowerment of rights in girls and adolescents so that they know and exercise their rights. Likewise, seek supportive family and community environments, a strong protection system capable of restoring their rights, and a justice system capable of reducing impunity for these events.
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