The VNR 2022 identified a positive trend in the evolution of this goal. However, it is recognized that there is a need to make further progress for closing gaps in territorial inequalities, particularly in terms of access to basic water services and improved sanitation between urban and rural areas. The most recent national data allows us to establish that rural exclusion, when compared to urban areas, was more than triple in terms of access to domestic drinking water and more than double in terms of improved sanitation services.

The lack of access to drinking water and sanitation has been a key vulnerability condition used to identify populations that are being left behind. Access to drinking water has particularly affected young people, including boys, girls and adolescents. People in conditions of monetary poverty and those  engaged in agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry have faced challenges in accessing sanitation services.

Up until 2020, El Salvador had successfully reduced the percentage of its population experiencing food insecurity. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in supply chains and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have resulted in a series of shocks that are impacting the prices of essential food products. These shocks have exacerbated the conditions of food insecurity, especially given the country's heavy reliance on food imports.

Additionally, malnutrition could be further exacerbated by the occurrence of El Niño and subsequent droughts, which might align with critical planting and harvesting periods for essential crops. Data from the National Food Security Survey at the end of 2022 had already highlighted concerning levels of meagre reserves for staple grains. Furthermore, the survey revealed that 12.9% of the population, amounting to 806,117 individuals, were grappling with either food security challenges or severe food insecurity conditions.

El Salvador must address the unfavourable trend in eradicating various forms of malnutrition right from the early stages of life, particularly focusing on the prevalence of malnutrition linked to both overweight and low weight-for-height among children under the age of five. Between 2015 and 2021, the incidence of malnutrition related to overweight in this age group increased from 6.4% to 8.3%, while malnutrition due to underweight rose from 2.1% to 2.9%. Malnutrition stemming from overweight is slightly more prominent among girls and in urban areas, whereas malnutrition linked to underweight is more prevalent among boys and in rural areas.

Furthermore, food insecurity poses a significant challenge to the strategy of leaving no one behind, particularly affecting those living in monetary poverty and engaged in activities such as agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry.

In the realm of women's economic autonomy, El Salvador must confront the challenge of diminishing the impact of the unpaid domestic-reproductive burden, which acts as a hindrance to women's economic participation and their ability to access adequate income throughout their lives.

The most recent data available from time use surveys dates to 2017, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals that, on average, women dedicated a minimum of five hours daily to unpaid domestic-reproductive tasks, whereas men allocated less than 2.5 hours daily for the same. However, this situation may have worsened during the pandemic as the crisis escalated caregiving responsibilities, disproportionately impacting women due to heightened care demands within households.

These same statistics indicate that discrepancies in daily hours allocated to domestic-reproductive labour commence in childhood (ages 10 to 14), intensify during early productive years (ages 15 to 24), increase further during prime productive years (ages 25 to 64) and endure into old age. Tackling this burden requires a shift toward social arrangements that foster greater co-responsibility.

In comparison to other regions, El Salvador continues to face substantial challenges in the efficient utilization of water resources. This is evident from the indicator that tracks the added value in US dollars per volume of water used in cubic metres for a specific economic activity over time, which reports values below US$10 per cubic metre.

At the national indicator level, a significant concern is the increase in the "percentage of unaccounted for water." This percentage has risen from 49.10% in 2015 to 65.30% in 2021, highlighting the need for attention and action in water resource management.

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous economic analyses and diagnoses consistently underscored the necessity of enhancing economic growth rates to foster wealth, job opportunities and capacity- building.

Over the course of three decades, spanning 1990 to 2019, GDP grew at an average rate of 2.6%. The most robust average was recorded between 1990 and 1999 standing at 3.7%. During 2000-2009, the average annual growth rate decreased to 1.5% due to the impact of the dollarization in 2001 and the implementation of restrictive macroeconomic policies. Subsequently, from 2010 to 2019, growth demonstrated a slight improvement, attaining an average of 2.5%.

The pandemic had a substantial impact on economic growth, and for 2020 the GDP growth rate contracted by -8.2% in comparison to the preceding year. However, in 2021, economic growth rebounded, with a notable expansion of 10.3%. Nonetheless, by 2022, the growth rate reverted to its historical average, registering at 2.8%. Projections indicate that, by the conclusion of 2023, growth is anticipated to reach 2.3%.

In El Salvador, the labour market exhibits distinct characteristics, including a notable lack of female participation, elevated levels of underemployment and informality and relatively low wages. Data predating the pandemic highlights several key points:

1. Approximately 62.2% of the working-age population are actively engaged in the labour market (comprising 80.5% of men and 46.8% of women).
2. Within the active population, around 6.3% were unemployed (consisting of 7.0% of men and 5.4% of women).
3. A substantial 37.4% of those employed experienced underemployment (with 34.8% being men and 40.5% women).
4. A significant 55.9% of the employed individuals operated within the informal sector (split between 57.6% men and 52.7% women).
5. Notably, 57.3% of full-time salaried workers earned wages equal to or below the minimum wage (comprising 51.5% men and 64.9% women).
6. A mere 2 out of 10 employed individuals held decent jobs, illustrating the challenge of securing quality employment opportunities.