El Salvador, a country that spent years branded the murder capital of the world, has posted another year of record-low violence. By 10 October 2026, the national homicide count stood at just 48 — roughly 0.17 deaths per day, or 0.97 per 100,000 people — and the country had logged 236 murder-free days along the way.
The trajectory is striking. In 2015, El Salvador recorded 6,656 homicides, an unthinkable 106.3 per 100,000 residents. Each year since President Nayib Bukele took office in June 2019 has broken the previous record low: 82 homicides in 2025 (down 28.1% from 114 in 2024), making it the safest year in more than five decades. Even peak months that once saw 300+ killings a month now count single digits. By late 2021, the country had dropped out of the global top 20 most violent nations entirely.
The government credits two policies: the Territorial Control Plan, launched in June 2019 to dismantle gang territory, and the State of Exception introduced in March 2022, which expanded arrest powers and security operations nationwide. Not everyone accepts that explanation. Opposition figures and the U.S. government have alleged a secret arrangement with gangs — the U.S. Treasury sanctioned two cabinet members in December 2021 over alleged negotiations, claims the accused have not publicly answered. There's also a statistical caveat: figures from 2019 onward exclude alleged gang members killed in confrontations with security forces.
For travellers, the shift is tangible. Surf towns like El Tunco, the black-sand beaches of the Costa del Sol, the Ruta de las Flores, and Santa Ana's volcano and colonial centre are seeing a steady return of visitors who would have dismissed the country a decade ago. Tourism is now a pillar of the government's pitch, and the safety statistics — however contested in origin — are the headline of that pitch.
That said, low homicide numbers don't tell the whole story for a visitor. Petty theft and scams still happen, the State of Exception has led to wrongful detentions of some foreigners, and human rights groups continue to raise concerns about due process. Practical sense applies as anywhere: keep valuables low-key, use official transport, and stay aware of your surroundings.
Who's it for? Adventurous travellers who like getting somewhere before the crowds do — El Salvador offers world-class surf, volcano hikes and coffee-country scenery at Central American prices, in a country far safer than its old reputation suggests. Just go in with eyes open about the controversy behind the numbers.
