Public opinion entering 2025 on crime and the economy

Recent year-end polling by the Public Opinion Institute at the University of Central America reveals that the economy is now viewed by the overwhelming majority of Salvadorans as the principal problem confronting their country.  The poll was conducted from December 5-17, 2024 involving more than 1200 persons from every department in the country.

According to the poll results released by IUDOP,  76% of Salvadorans now believe the economy is the biggest problem the government must tackle, up from 70% a year ago, and 63% at the end of 2022.   As is true in many places, Salvadorans are focused on inflation, with 54% believing prices have gone up "mucho."

How much do you perceive that the cost of living
 has increased in El Salvador?

In contrast to years before 2020, when crime and insecurity was seen by persons polled as the leading crisis or a major problem in the country, today less than 2% of Salvadorans believe that crime is the principal challenge facing the country.  That low number reflects the reduction in crime which coincides with the government's hard line approach, embodied by the State of Exception and the militarization of public security.

The Salvadoran public appears unconcerned by the criticism by human rights groups of abuses in prisons, arbitrary arrests, and lack of due process under the State of Exception.  Less than 1% of those polled viewed the State of Exception as a major problem, and the National Civilian Police and the Armed Forces were the two institutions rated most highly in the country.

Despite their economic concerns, at the moment Salvadorans feel like their country is on the right path, with 69% saying the overall situation in the country improved in the past year, with 77% pointing to measures to lower crime and increase security as the reason.

President Nayib Bukele appears to have taken note of public opinion about the high cost of living.  He announced in mid-January that the government would pay up to $30 of every Salvadoran family's January residential water bill from the national water authority ANDA and would pay up to $80 of the family electricity bills this month.  The government has not announced how much this one month subsidy gimmick is going to cost it.

Meanwhile, the Bukele administration has not acted to make a change to the minimum wage in the country.  The minimum wage was last increased in 2021, and by law is supposed to be adjusted  every three years. 2024 ended without the required increase, despite the significant rise in prices in El Salvador over the last three years.