San Salvador. Image by Thus far in 2024, there have been 150 days without homicides in El Salvador; also, the country has achieved over 625 in total under the Bukele administrations.
It is an impressive achievement, considering that before the Nayib Bukele Presidency, El Salvador had experienced less than five days without homicides in 15 years.
To put it in context, the previous three administrations of ex-presidents Tony Saca (2005 to 2009), Mauricio Funes (2009 to 1014), and Salvador Sanchez Ceren (2014 to 2019) achieved less than five days day with zero homicides in 15 years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 24 |
| February | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 24 |
| March | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 22 |
| April | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 24 | 19 |
| May | 0 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 21 |
| June | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 21 | 24 |
| July | 1 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 23 | 16 |
| August | 0 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 20 | |
| September | 2 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 20 | |
| October | 2 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 15 | |
| November | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 23 | |
| December | 1 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 19 | |
| Total | 6 | 26 | 32 | 166 | 246 | 150 |
The stats of days with zero murders for 2022, 2023, and 2024 do not include the deaths of alleged gang members who died in confrontations with Salvadoran security forces; 120 in 2022, 38 in 2023, and three thus far in 2024.
Improved Security in El Salvador
In 2024, the Bukele administration will complete five years in office, and during this time, El Salvador achieved an impressive homicide reduction. The government attributes this reduction to its territorial control Plan and the State of Exception.
The territorial control plan started in June 2019, when Nayib Bukele took office as president. The security measure has seven phases, of which six are already being implemented. The last phase is unknown as the government hasn’t made it public.
The State of Exception began in late March 2022 as a petition of the Salvadoran Security Cabinet and was approved quickly by the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly. This security measure that restricts some constitutional guarantees has been extended over 25 times since its implementation.
Undoubtedly, the days without homicides in El Salvador have drastically increased since the State of Exception began. A popular explanation for the achievement of these numbers is the arrest of over 78,000 alleged gang members or gang contributors.
| Year | Total Homicides | Daily Homicide Rate | Homicides per 100,000 Inhabitants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 *Jan 1 to Jul 21 |
65 | 0.32 | 1.8 *Estimated |
| 2023 | 154 | 0.42 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 496 | 1.36 | 7.8 |
| 2021 | 1147 | 3.14 | 18.1 |
| 2020 | 1341 | 3.67 | 21.2 |
| 2019 | 2398 | 6.57 | 35.8 |
| 2018 | 3346 | 9.17 | 50.4 |
| 2017 | 3962 | 10.85 | 60.2 |
| 2016 | 5280 | 14.47 | 81.0 |
| 2015 | 6656 | 18.24 | 103.0 |
| 2014 | 3921 | 10.74 | 61.3 |
| 2013 | 2513 | 6.88 | 40.6 |
| 2012 | 2594 | 7.11 | 42.1 |
| 2011 | 4371 | 11.98 | 71.2 |
| 2010 | 3987 | 10.92 | 65.2 |
Days Without Homicides in El Salvador
It is hard to believe that entering 2024, the days without homicides in El Salvador occur often. In 2018, the year before Nayib Bukele became president, the average daily murder rate was 9.17, and there were no days with zero homicides during that year. Salvadoran culture is changing as violence is decreasing!
