Downtown San Salvador.
It is 2024, and the spotlight has been and will continue to be on President Bukele’s second consecutive presidential term and the democratic direction of the country; however, this political landscape is not a primary concern for most Salvadorans.
In 2024, El Salvador’s challenges and concerns are associated with the economy; problems such as the high cost of living and poverty are what Salvadorans are concerned with the most. Security and democracy erosion are also a concern but rank lower.
According to a June 2024 survey by the Iudop-UCA, 73.7% of Salvadorans remarked that the economy was the main problem facing El Salvador.
Main Problems Facing El Salvador
In the survey, 40.4% of respondents were generally concerned about the economy, 15.9% about unemployment, 10.1% about the high cost of living, 5.4% about poverty, and 1.95% about the increase in prices of essential food items.
Before 2020, security was the principal concern for Salvadorans, and the economy was always second; however, things have changed under the current administration.
The latest Iudop-UCA survey results indicated that only 3.7% of respondents were concerned about security issues. Within this group, 2.1% were troubled by crime, insecurity, and violence, and only 1.6% expressed worry about gangs.
The Economy: El Salvador’s Principal Concern
The economy is definitely the primary concern for Salvadorans in 2024. This worry includes issues such as the soaring cost of living and poverty.
Due to inflation, everything is more expensive in El Salvador, and with the highest minimum wage being $365.00, this cost increase is a massive economic burden for many families.
It is worse for those who work informally or live in rural areas, as salaries tend to be lower.
An example of the high cost of living affecting families’ economies is the cost of the essential food basket per family, which in urban areas reached $262.17 by the end of June 2024, an increment of 29.55% from June 2019 ($202.37), when Nayib Bukele was sworn in as president.
At the end of June 2024, the essential food basket cost per family accounted for 71.8% of the highest Salvadoran minimum wage. No wonder the economy is the principal challenge for Salvadoran families.
These economic challenges are hitting the Salvadoran population hard; evidence of this hardship is that the country’s current poverty rate of 27.2% is at its highest point in over five years.
SEE ALSO: Analyzing Poverty in El Salvador: An Insight Into El Salvador’s Poverty Rate!
The cost of living has increased to the point that many families have already stopped buying certain foods because of the high prices, and some have obtained new debts to survive.
Unless the current administration does something to alleviate the economic problems, it will continue to be the primary concern and the most challenging issue Salvadorans will have to deal with this year.
Today’s economic challenges Salvadorans face are nothing new; they have been around for years. However, they are more in the spotlight now due to the country’s improved security.
El Salvador’s Improved Security
Before 2020, security was the primary concern for most Salvadorans; for years, El Salvador was listed as one of the most violent countries in the world, and for good reasons.
The rate of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants was consistently over 20. However, that rate has declined drastically under the Bukele administration, and now security is a secondary concern for Salvadorans.
Security is still a concern, but not as much as before; this issue, which cost the lives of over 100,000 people since 1992, is not easy to ignore.
However, by 2024, the country’s delinquency is down, and the criminal gangs that used to terrorize communities for years are not visible anymore.
How the country has achieved this level of security is up for debate. Some argue that it is because of the Government security measures and the controversial state of exception. Yet others articulate that it is because of a secret pact between the Government and criminal groups.
Both arguments have solid points, but no one can deny that El Salvador’s security has improved since Bukele became president. The country’s security stats demonstrate this incredible security improvement!
| Year | Total Homicides | Daily Homicide Rate | Homicides per 100,000 Inhabitants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 *Jan 1 to Sep 30 |
95 | 0.35 | 2.0 *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 |
El Salvador’s Democracy Erosion Concern
El Salvador’s democratic decline worries some Salvadorans. Those concerned perceive Nayib Bukele as an autocratic leader seeking to consolidate power even more during his second consecutive presidential term.
Their argument is that due to the actions of President Bukele and those allied with him, El Salvador is undergoing a democracy deterioration.
According to them, this deterioration is evident in the country’s judicial independence, constraints on press freedom, and upcoming constitutional changes, among other issues.
The principal concern about El Salvador’s democratic decline in 2024 is the upcoming changes to the constitution. These changes will be done by one political party alone as they have 90% of the votes; they only need 75% to make changes.
On the final day of their term (2021-2024), the Salvadoran legislature passed an amendment to an article of the constitution, streamlining the process for the incoming legislative assembly (2024-2027) to enact constitutional changes.
Once ratified by the new Salvadoran Congress (2024–2027), which is controlled by President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party, the changes made by the previous legislature will allow them to pass constitutional reforms without waiting for the next Congress. Critics argue this is anti-democratic!
Previously, constitutional reforms had to be proposed and approved in one legislature, then ratified in the following legislative assembly. Now, constitution reforms can be done with just the vote of three-quarters of legislators.
Another concern is judicial independence. The issue began in May 2021, when the legislature, once again under New Ideas’ control, ousted the attorney general and magistrates of the constitutional judicial court. That same night, they appointed a new attorney general and new judges.
Those concerned with democracy deterioration argue that the judicial system in the country is not independent anymore and is under the control of President Bukele.
Finally, there is concern regarding press freedom under the Bukele administration. According to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) index, El Salvador’s ranking has dropped from 81 in 2019, when Bukele began his first presidential term, to 133 in 2024.
Despite widespread concerns about the erosion of democracy in El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele, he retains consistently high approval ratings.
El Salvador’s Challenges and Concerns
Since the 1980s, El Salvador has consistently faced security and economic challenges. The positive news for Salvadorans is that by 2024, the security issue has mostly diminished. However, the country’s economic challenges have intensified.
Despite the Challenges and Concerns the country has this year, El Salvador has become safer, and it is an excellent place to move to. Also, with its tourist and cultural locations getting upgraded, the country is a top tourist destination.
