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Not that long ago, you’d probably laugh at the prospect of gang-dominated El Salvador, where corruption is supposedly endemic corruption and violent crime is rampant, ever featuring on a mainstream list of the world’s safest countries.

We probably would ourselves at one point, too, but as unlikely as it sounds, especially if you’ve grown used to the damning headlines coming out of the infamous Latin American state, the impossible happened:

According to Gallup’s latest Global Security Report, one of the most reputable sources for assessing safety and living standards, El Salvador is now the 8th safest country globally.

So what changed?

How Did El Salvador Even Get Here?

The Global Security Report is based primarily on locals’ perceptions of safety in their place of residence: Do they need to maintain a higher level of situational awareness when leaving the house?

Do they feel on edge walking alone at night?

Is falling victim to violence a pressing concern?

Only 8 years ago, 30% of El Salvadorians answered those in a positive manner, and that was hardly surprising, considering the country’s strategic location for the Central American drug trade, widespread gun violence, and its status as a human trafficking hug––or should we say former?

Love him or hate him, since he came into power, President Nayib Bukele has adopted a tougher stance on crime than his predecessors ever did, introducing a ‘State of Exception’ in March 2022 that allowed for the mass incarcerations of gang members.

Despite a temporary outcry over Human Rights abuses and arbitrary arrests, its effectiveness in drastically curbing crime cannot be so easily understated: from a homicide rate of 105 per 100,000 people in 2015, the country now boasts an updated rate of just 2.4 per 100,000.

In other words, the number of heinous acts has plunged.

As a result, over 88% of El Salvadorians now feel their country is safe, leading the country to chart at number 8 on the Global Security Report, surprisingly ahead of the ultra-safe European countries like Iceland and Switzerland.

Based on this report, it is also the safest country in the entire Western Hemisphere, ahead of Canada, but to which extent is the data reliable?

So How Safe Is El Salvador?

As we stated previously, the Gallup report is one of the most trusted sources for assessing safety levels worldwide, as it’s based on feedback from ordinary citizens, but there are still some nuances to be observed.

El Salvadorians may feel safer walking alone at night than their Swiss or Icelandic counterparts, yet at the same time, we must remember safety perceptions in Europe as a whole have decreased significantly in recent years.

In Switzerland, for instance, serious violent offenses have increased ‘by around one third’ over the previous decade, as noted by SwissInfo, though it remains very much under acceptable levels compared to the global average.

Picture living in a country where, up until a couple of years back, you wouldn’t leave home without anxiously looking back over your shoulder, sharing your live location with friends, or even carrying a cheaper, spare phone to surrender instead of your actual phone in case you get mugged.

Suddenly, your city feels a lot safer, a majority of gangs have been wiped off the streets, leaving behind your usual backstreet, petty criminals easily dealt with, and life isn’t exactly perfect, but at least it’s not as terrible as it once was.

Your safety perception is likely to shoot up considerably.

Now, imagine living in a mountain town in the Swiss Alps, where the passing of a certain 92-year-old Mrs Heffelfinger––or whatever the knitting cat lady living up the street is called––would typically be considered a traumatizing collective experience.

Suddenly, a truckload of irregular migrants from North Africa are dropped at the front of your local parish, the social cohesion is broken, and all sorts of problems start arising from their apparent ineptitude to integrate or fully participate in society.

That’s not a right-wing talking point, it’s a verifiable figure:

As Swiss police and public prosecutors confirm, there’s been a ‘significant’ increase in the number of crimes attributed to undocumented migrants.

Add to that the wider European border crisis, and you’ll start to understand why the Swiss feel less safe in their neck of the woods, even though Switzerland continues to be considered extremely safe by any existing standards.

El Salvador Is Low-Risk By Latin American Standards

So is El Salvador truly safe?

Well, we wouldn’t be the first ones to test how it goes walking unaccompanied in a deserted, poorly lit street with our newly acquired iPhones in hand, dripping in jewelry and shiny Nike shoes, especially in a suburban zone with a reputation, but sure, El Salvador has gotten safer.

Again, safe-rrr.

What we’re trying to say is, locals feel their place of residence is less dangerous than it once was, and they are likely to respond to a survey on safety positively following the drastic changes of recent years.

At the same time, we suspect a non-experienced Swiss or Icelandic person wouldn’t share their perception if they were suddenly dropped in the middle of San Salvador, the bustling Salvadorian capital, and left to fend for themselves.

In short, El Salvador is now a lower-risk destination by Latin American standards.

Does The U.S. State Department Agree El Salvador Is Safe?

Washington continues to list the up-and-coming Latin hub as a Level 3 country, meaning Americans should ‘reconsider’ visiting due to the higher crime levels in certain states and municipalities, and the ongoing State of Exception.

At the same time, they note there has been a reduction in gang-related activity.

Judging by the excellent outcomes on the security front, it might not be long until El Salvador is upgraded to a near-perfect Level 2, or even a perfect Level 1:

Last august, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz, Chair of the Congressional El Salvador Caucus, addressed a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinker requesting El Salvador’s safety warning is downgrade do Level 1.

Gaetz argues that the incarceration of over 75,000 violent gangsters, and the steady homicide decline from 2015 to 2024 are sufficient to prove Americans should not be discouraged from visiting El Salvador, now a thriving destination, famous for its volcanic nature, Mayan ruins and unspoiled beaches.

In his letter, the Congressman adds the homicide rate in El Salvador is now ‘less than that of nearly every major city in the United States’.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.