In 2024, there were approximately 1.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in El Salvador. Since 2015, when it stood at 103, the murder rate has been dropping annually in this Central American country. Crime current state The region has witnessed a substantial reduction in the number of homicides since 2015, resulting in the most common crimes becoming increasingly more centered on non-lethal offenses and material-related transgressions, which now pose the most prevalent threats. This shift is equally apparent across both genders, with the rate of femicides steadily declining, paralleling a consistent decrease in overall victimization rates. Consequently, El Salvador achieved the ranking of the third safest country within the Latin American homicide rate context. Notwithstanding these notable improvements, a lingering sense of caution endures among the populace, as nearly half of them remain apprehensive about the prospect of falling victim to criminal activities. Main economic problems Following an extended phase marked by elevated inflation, the region continues to grapple with challenges in its efforts to recover. The impact has been most pronounced on the prices of essential food items, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for a population where approximately 20 percent live under poverty conditions. Furthermore, the unemployment rate persists, with one out of every two individuals still seeking employment opportunities. A significant proportion, approximately 60 percent, remain apprehensive about job loss, recognizing the subsequent loss of their primary income source. In response, the government is envisaging an enhancement in both the employment rate and the GDP, albeit with a gradual recovery trajectory following the substantial downturn experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, there were a total of *** homicides in El Salvador. 2020 experienced the largest decrease, when compared with the previous year. Just a few years before, in 2016, more than ***** people were victims of murder in this Central American country.

Between June 2023 and May 2024, the most frequent crimes in El Salvador were thefts, with almost 7,000 cases. In total, the public prosecutors of El Salvador reported 15,620 high impact crimes, a considerable decrease when compared to the previous year. The number of offenses in some of the main categories of property crimes is significantly lower than in other years, for example, the number of thefts or robberies of vehicles transporting goods decreased by almost 60 percent in 2020 when compared with 2019. With these numbers, it is no surprise that the approval rate of the current government is over 85 percent. The falling homicide rate In 2015, the homicide rate in El Salvador was over 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest figures in the world. Nonetheless, during the past years, the rate dropped to less than 20 homicides. El Salvador lived through two of the highest days of violence, with over 74 homicides on March 25th and 26th, 2022. Two days after, El Salvador's government declared a state of emergency to counter gang activity and try to end the wave of violence. Once more, the population seems to back up the government, with over 75 percent of Salvadorans declaring that they feel safe with the current emergency state. The economic cost of violence Violence and crime are two of the main problems society faces in El Salvador and the Central American region. In addition to the lack of security, it also generates economic losses, the cost of violence accounted for over 8,849 million USD in 2022, which is over 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, almost double the global average. This figure represents the expenditure of a country to deal with the outcome of violence, contain it, and prevent it from spreading and continuing.

Historical dataset showing El Salvador murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 1994 to 2021.

This statistic presents the number of homicides registered in El Salvador in 2018, sorted by department. According to the source, there were a total of ***** homicides in the Central American country in 2018, of which almost one thousand were committed in the department of San Salvador, which comprises the Salvadorian capital city and its metropolitan area.

The average for 2017 based on 97 countries was 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in El Salvador: 61.8 homicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Japan: 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2017. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Historical dataset showing El Salvador crime rate per 100K population by year from 1994 to 2021.

El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 108.600 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.200 Ratio for 2014. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 64.200 Ratio from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 139.132 Ratio in 1995 and a record low of 37.200 Ratio in 2003. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; Weighted average;

El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 15.691 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.201 Ratio for 2015. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 13.372 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.234 Ratio in 2011 and a record low of 6.569 Ratio in 2013. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Actual value and historical data chart for El Salvador Intentional Homicides Per 100 000 People

El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 158.417 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 204.751 Ratio for 2015. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 120.800 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 204.751 Ratio in 2015 and a record low of 77.353 Ratio in 2012. El Salvador SV: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s El Salvador – Table SV.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, male are estimates of unlawful male homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Turks and Caicos Islands saw a murder rate of ***** per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2024. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 29 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Colima in Mexico was the most dangerous city for murders. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in Afghanistan or Syria. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly in some countries. Causes of death Also, noteworthy is that murders are usually not random events. In the United States, the circumstances of murders are most commonly arguments, followed by narcotics incidents and robberies. Additionally, murders are not a leading cause of death. Heart diseases, strokes and cancer pose a greater threat to life than violent crime.

In 2023, the victimization rate in El Salvador was slightly higher among men than women, with over ** percent of the population declaring being victims of a crime. For more insights about the victimization rate consider different countries: In 2018, in comparison to El Salvador, the rate in Guatemala was higher and in Chile it was considerably higher.

The number of burglaries registered in El Salvador increased significantly from 2010 to 2018, growing over five times. During 2022, the number of crimes was around 2,331 cases.

From May 2013 to March 2024, there has been an overall decrease in the share of people in El Salvador that perceives crime as the main problem of the country. The highest was during November and December from 2015 with an **** percent of people thinking it was the main issue. While during March 2024, only *** percent of people mentioned crime as the principal difficulty the country faces.

S4_File_Observed and expected homicides, 2002–2021.

The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) is an academic institution hosted by Vanderbilt University that began with the study of democratic values in Costa Rica, but today carries out surveys in much of Latin America, Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. In 2004, LAPOP established the AmericasBarometer as multi-country, regularly conducted survey of democratic values and behaviors in the Americas, and the first round included voting-age respondents from 11 countries. LAPOP collected opinions on major problems facing the country and community, threats to security, attitudes towards the country's political system, and trust in government institutions. Also measured were respondents' participation in community organizations, attitudes towards government critics, voting behavior, confidence in local government, and the prevalence of crime. Demographic information collected includes nationality, ethnicity, native language, age, gender, education level, occupation, religion, and whether the respondent lives in an urban or rural area.

In 2022, 53 cases of femicide were reported in El Salvador. Cold weapons, such as knives and bladed objects, were the most commonly used weapons for this type of crime, with a total of 22 cases. Firearms followed with 18 reported cases of femicide this same year.

In 2022, the feminicide rate per 100,000 women in El Salvador was estimated at approximately 1.60. Between 2014 and 2022, the figure dropped by around 2.10, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

La moyenne pour 2017 était de 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people. La valeur la plus élevée était au El Salvador: 61.8 homicides per 100,000 people et la valeur la plus basse était au Japon: 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people. Vous trouverez ci-dessous un graphique pour tous les pays où les données sont disponibles.