San Salvador El Salvador Capital City.
According to a public opinion survey by the University Institute of Public Opinion (IUDOP) at José Simeón Cañas Central American University, most Salvadorans continue to identify public security as El Salvador’s greatest strength while viewing economic conditions as the country’s most pressing challenge.
The UCA survey found that security remains President Nayib Bukele’s most recognized achievement during his seventh year in office.
Researchers said respondents overwhelmingly credited government anti-gang policies while expressing growing concern over economic hardships affecting households nationwide.
According to the IUDOP survey, 77.4% of Salvadorans identified security, peace, and freedom of movement as the country’s most significant positive gain.
At the other extreme, 70.7% identified economic conditions as El Salvador’s primary national problem.
Participants most frequently cited the economy, rising living costs, inflation, unemployment, and poverty as their principal concerns. Far fewer respondents identified crime (2.2%) or shortcomings in healthcare (2.3%) as their greatest worries.
Security policies and the government’s campaign against criminal gangs remained Bukele’s most recognized accomplishment. Overall, 64.3% of those surveyed identified anti-gang efforts as the administration’s leading success during its seventh year in office.
The controversial state of exception, which entered its fourth year in March 2026, is one of El Salvador’s main security policies. During that period, Salvadoran authorities reported that about 92,300 people had been arrested as part of the government’s anti-gang campaign.
Public backing for the state of exception security measure also remained strong. Seven out of every 10 respondents favored extending the state of emergency. At the same time, roughly three in 10 believed authorities should adopt alternative security strategies.
Approval ratings for the Bukele administration remained largely unchanged compared with previous surveys. Respondents awarded the administration an average score of 7.92 out of 10, while Bukele personally received an 87.8% approval rating.
