dinero_admin 
The Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) has launched the 2026 Economic Mapping, a nationwide operation that will deploy over 1,400 personnel and 300 vehicles over the next two months to locate and register businesses that contribute to El Salvador’s economic activity. The initiative will cover all 14 departments, 44 municipalities, and 262 districts across the country, serving as a preparatory step for the 8th Economic Census.
The objective of this process is to update geographic data on economic establishments and identify the locations where commercial and productive activities take place. This territorial framework will enable the BCR to organize the upcoming census and improve the identification of businesses operating within salvadoran territory.
The 2026 Economic Mapping will encompass establishments located within shared structures, such as those in shopping centers and office buildings, as well as economic activities conducted in public spaces. By capturing these various operational models, the registry aims to provide a more comprehensive representation of the nation’s economic activity.
To collect this data, staff will use electronic devices to record the geographic location of each site and organize the information digitally. This technology will facilitate the updating of the territorial framework, which will be used to plan the execution of the 8th Economic Census.
The BCR has stated that all collected information is protected by law and will be used exclusively for statistical purposes. The institution intends for the gathered data to generate reliable statistics on economic activity, ensuring that the information is not used for any purposes other than those established for this specific process.
This operation is part of the census cycle launched by the BCR in 2023 with the Cartographic Update, followed by the Censo de Población y Vivienda 2024 and Censo Agropecuario y de Pesca 2025. The 2026 Economic Mapping initiative represents the territorial preparation phase for the upcoming census focused on the country’s businesses.
Through this nationwide rollout, the BCR aims to identify and locate economic establishments prior to conducting the census itself. This effort will facilitate the organization of data collection routes and help improve the coverage of the registry of commercial and productive activities.
The resulting information will serve as a tool to strengthen El Salvador’s economic statistics and support public decision-making. Having up-to-date data on business locations will provide a more solid foundation for analyzing the country’s economic structure and designing public policies based on reliable information.
You may also read:
