El Salvador, which was previously considered one of the most violent countries in the world, has so far recorded a homicide rate of only 0.97 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2026, compared to a rate of approximately 1.43 in France in 2025.
The dramatic change comes under President Naib Bukala, whose government launched an unprecedented crackdown on the notorious MS-13 and Barrio gangs on March 18, 2022.
In 2015, El Salvador recorded about 103 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, almost 100 times France's rate at the same time. By 2024, the Salvadoran government's reported rate had dropped to 1.9, followed by just 1.3 in 2025.
As of October 10, 2026, authorities have recorded only 48 homicides nationwide, with 236 days without a homicide being reported.
Bokla celebrated the latest data and announced:
"Even with crime rates already at razor-thin levels, we're still bringing them down even further. On the way to becoming the safest country in the world."
More than 90,000 people were arrested under the state of emergency in the country, which dramatically weakened the gangs.