Nayib Bukele Approval Rating. A Score of 8.58 out of 10 in the Latest Survey!

President Nayib Bukele’s approval rating is consistently over 75%; his approval is the highest any Salvadoran president has ever maintained while in office. Bukele is regarded as one of the world leaders with high domestic support; he has maintained an approval rating of over 75 percent since taking office on June 1, 2019.

The latest survey by University Francisco Gavidia (UFG), released on June 6, 2023, gives President Bukele a score of 8.58 out of 10 regarding his job as president after four years in office. Improved security is the principal driver of Bukele’s high approval.

How popular is Nayib Bukele? Despite negative perceptions and condemnations from outside El Salvador, Nayib Bukele is one of the most popular presidents in Salvadoran history; domestically, his approval ratings generally stay at over 75 percent.

Why is Nayib Bukele so popular?

President Nayib Bukele is popular in El Salvador due to the improved security the country has achieved since he took office; President Bukele has turned a country known for high levels of violence into one of the safest in Latin America.

Despite being called an authoritarian president by human rights organizations and the opposition, you can not argue against the fact that El Salvador’s security has drastically improved under the Bukele administration.

A clear example of this improved security is the country’s homicide rate. When Bukele took office in June 2019, El Salvador’s homicide stats were 6.6 murders per day and 36 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

By 2021, the country’s homicide rate had been lowered to 3.1 daily murders and 17.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants; recent stats show that the country’s homicide rate will drop even more in 2022.

Even though the US Government and El Faro online newspaper claim that the reduction in homicides is due to a secret negotiation between the Bukele administration and gangs, Bukele’s popularity remains high.

A September 2022 survey by the Francisco Gavidia University asked: Do you think the current government has negotiated with gangs? 49.40% responded no, and only 13.20% said yes. 32.80% said they were unsure, and 4.60% did not respond. Only a few Salvadorans believe the Bukele administration has negotiated with gangs.

Over the last 30 years, Salvadorans have known that violence was a part of the country’s daily life. However, under Bukele, that perception has changed; therefore, the president’s popularity remains.

Can Bukele continue to maintain this high approval rating?

Yes, President Bukele can continue to maintain his high approval ratings; an awful political opposition, the population’s resentment towards traditional political parties, and an excellent marketing machine by Nayib Bukele are some reasons why it could happen.

To begin with, Nayib Bukele does not have a political opposition. Bukele destroyed 30 years of two-party dominance by the traditional political parties FMLN and ARENA. The opposition has not been able to find a charismatic leader that can compete with President Bukele’s popularity.

Then there is the resentment Salvadorans feel towards the traditional political parties and the administrations that, for over 20 years, couldn’t control the country’s violence and stole millions of dollars from public funds.

Lastly, there is the Bukele marketing machine. The president has an excellent marketing system that controls the narrative that continues to make his administration look good to Salvadorans.

If we add the low credibility that the traditional media outlets have with most Salvadorans to an awful opposition resented by most Salvadorans. So why wouldn’t President Nayib Bukele continue with high approval ratings?

Nayib Bukele Approval Rating

What interests Salvadorans is to feel safe and to have security. This is something Nayib Bukele has delivered, so for the time being, they will continue to support Nayib Bukele and give it a high approval rating.