Prostitution in El Salvador is not prohibited by national law,[1] but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances.[2] Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services.[2] 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.[1] Brothel ownership, however, is legal.[1] 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%.[3]
Those municipalities that do not prohibit sex work often set up zones for sex workers away from schools and churches.[1] In the San Esteban area of San Salvador, 17 brothels were forcibly closed in August 1998 for being too close to schools and churches.[4]
Prostitution is common in the country,[1] especially around "Parque Infantil",[5] in the capital, San Salvador.[6] After the civil war, the demands of the increased military presence in San Salvador caused the number of prostitutes to double to 19,000.[7]
UNAIDS estimated that there were 20,385 sex workers in the country in 2016.[8]