President Nayib Bukele’s Approval Rating: Why Does His Popularity Remain High?

Since taking office in 2019, President Nayib Bukele has maintained an approval rating above 75%, the highest sustained by any Salvadoran president during their Presidential term.

Nayib Bukele’s popularity continues in 2025. His unique leadership style, focus on enhancing security, and innovative governance approach have struck a chord with Salvadorans, earning him widespread admiration both domestically and internationally.

Despite accusations of authoritarianism and human rights violations, President Nayib Bukele has maintained this remarkable approval rating during his entire presidency.

In the most recent CID Gallup survey conducted in January 2025, President Nayib Bukele received an 83% approval rate regarding his Job performance as president.

According to the latest CID Gallup survey, Nayib Bukele leads in presidential approval in Latin America, with an 83% job approval. Bukele is followed by Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves with 65% and the Dominican Republic’s Luis Abinader with 59%.

How popular is Nayib Bukele? Nayib Bukele remains one of the most popular presidents in Salvadoran history, despite criticism and negative perceptions from many human rights organizations. Domestically, his approval rating has consistently stayed above 75% throughout his presidential terms.

Why is Nayib Bukele so popular?

President Nayib Bukele’s popularity in El Salvador stems from the significant security improvements the country has achieved under his administration. Bukele has transformed a country known for high levels of violence into one of the safest in Latin America.

Human rights organizations and the opposition call Nayib Bukele an authoritarian president who is destroying democracy in El Salvador. Nevertheless, they can’t argue against the fact that El Salvador’s security has drastically improved under his administration.

A clear example of this improved security is the decline in the country’s homicide rate. When Bukele took office in June 2019, El Salvador’s homicide rate was 6.57 murders per day or 35.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

By the end of 2024, the country’s homicide rate had dropped to 0.31 per day, or 1.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. With these statistics, 2024 is regarded as the safest year in Salvadoran history.

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

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.

Without a doubt, El Salvador’s president’s approval rating and popularity remain at high levels because he has improved the country’s security.

Can Bukele continue to maintain this high approval rating?

Yes, President Bukele can 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.

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 hasn’t recovered, and they do not have a charismatic leader who can compete against President Bukele.

SEE ALSO: Can Salvadoran political parties ARENA and FMLN recover political ground

Then there is the resentment Salvadorans feel towards the traditional political parties and their administrations that, for over 20 years, were not able to control the country’s violence. Furthermore, members of the traditional political parties 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 and 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 resented by most Salvadorans, President Nayib Bukele can easily continue with high approval ratings!

Nayib Bukele’s 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.

In conclusion, Nayib Bukele’s consistently high approval ratings reflect his ability to connect with the people of El Salvador. While opinions may vary, his leadership style and policies have resonated with a significant portion of the population, making him the prominent figure in Salvadoran politics.

All of Nayib Bukele Surveys