Crime in El Salvador

Crime in El Salvador was historically high due to the presence of various gangs. In 2011, there were an estimated 25,000 gang members at large in El Salvador; with another 43,500 in prison. The best-known gangs, called maras in colloquial Salvadoran Spanish, are Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and their rivals 18th Street; maras are hunted by death squads, including Sombra Negra. Newer rivals include the rising mara, The Rebels 13.

The homicide rate in El Salvador has plummeted drastically since 2015. The Salvadoran gang crackdown, beginning in March 2022, has resulted in a sharp drop in crime and made El Salvador the safest country in Central America. The crackdown has also resulted in El Salvador having the highest incarceration rate in the world, at 1,086 people per 100,000 in 2023. In 2023, an estimated 1.6% of El Salvador's population was incarcerated.

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