The conditions of economic and social inequality that defined the basic cleavages within Salvadoran society also generated strong political and ideological dynamics within and among groups pressing either for change or for maintenance of the status quo. Further insights into the nature of Salvadoran life, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, may be obtained by considering the following within that broader societal context: the impact of governmental agrarian reform programs the reaction of portions of the general populace, particularly popular organizations and guerrilla groups, to the political and economic climate and the positions and actions taken by the Roman Catholic Church and by Protestant missionaries in these matters.

Data as of November 1988