El Salvador recorded only 114 homicides in 2024, a record low, prompting the president to call it “the safest country in the Western Hemisphere.” The new figures — lower per capita than the US, despite a major drop there too — mark a remarkable turnaround for the country that once had the world’s highest murder rate.

El Salvador’s president is touting the nation as the safest in the Western Hemisphere, previously called the "murder capital of the world."

President Bukele says the country saw only homicides per 100,000 people, which would put it below what any Latin American country had reported in 2023.

El Salvador closed 2024 with just 114 homicides, marking a record low largely attributed to President Nayib Bukele's continued state of emergency. This extraordinary measure grants the government substantial powers while limiting certain rights.