Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Crime in Central America – statistics & facts
Central America is infamous for high crime rates and for being one of the most violent regions in the world. Violence affects the social life of inhabitants as well as the economy of the countries, violence costs Central America more than 55 billion USD annually. A figure close to the combined value of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Belize. The countries with the highest costs as a share of their GDP are El Salvador and Honduras, both losing more than 10 percent to violence and crime.
Nonetheless, public opinion seems to back the government, with 87.5 percent of Salvadorians declaring that they feel safe with the current State of Exception. The share of people that believed crime was El Salvador's main problem also dropped significantly during the last few years. Added to that, the homicide rate in 2024 decreased to less than two cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest figure in the last decades and the lowest among Latin American nations.
By doing these and dismantling violent gangs dedicated to extortion, cartels, and drug routes, the number of murders began to fall. By 2023, only around 6.5 percent of cases were related to maras or criminal organizations, but Honduras still has a long way ahead to being considered a peaceful country. In December 2022, the elected president, Xiomara Castro, declared the State of Exception to stop the spread of violence and fight against gangs to reduce extortion and crime in the country.
Being also a part of the Central American Northern Triangle with El Salvador and Honduras, Guatemala experiences some of the same main problems of being part of the principal drug routes from South America to the United States. Which comes with extortion and murder, both ranking in the top five most common crimes in Guatemala. The gangs also contribute to the elevated number of extortions registered during 2023. In the case of homicides, the rate fell considerably from 2014 to 2024, going from 31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 16.1.
In summary, there’s still a long way to go to achieve relative peacefulness in Central America, nonetheless, the region has started a transformation from one of the most dangerous and bloodiest regions of the world to a safer place.
El Salvador and the State of Exception
In late March 2022, El Salvador lived through three days with the highest violence due to gang activity. The groups of MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) and 18th Street (Mara Calle 18) were blamed by the government for around 88 homicides in three days in retaliation against measures to retake two bus routes commonly used by gangs for extortion. On the 28th of March, the government declared the State of Exception and the Gang Crackdown. These measures came with international concerns about human rights and police abuse, with over 60,000 arrests, and overcrowding of prisons, among others.Nonetheless, public opinion seems to back the government, with 87.5 percent of Salvadorians declaring that they feel safe with the current State of Exception. The share of people that believed crime was El Salvador's main problem also dropped significantly during the last few years. Added to that, the homicide rate in 2024 decreased to less than two cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest figure in the last decades and the lowest among Latin American nations.
Falling homicide rates in Honduras and Guatemala
Even though Honduras ranks as one of the Latin American countries with the highest homicide rate, the Central American nation has achieved something unusual for the region. That is a shrinking homicide rate from 86.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to less than 26 cases in 2024. During the two year period between 2011 and 2012, Honduras became one of the crime capitals of the world, mainly due to the high presence of gangs and cartels. During the next few years, the government started a series of reforms to the justice system and institutions, including a security budget increase, the opening of two maximum security prisons, and the closing of the controversial San Pedro Sula prison.By doing these and dismantling violent gangs dedicated to extortion, cartels, and drug routes, the number of murders began to fall. By 2023, only around 6.5 percent of cases were related to maras or criminal organizations, but Honduras still has a long way ahead to being considered a peaceful country. In December 2022, the elected president, Xiomara Castro, declared the State of Exception to stop the spread of violence and fight against gangs to reduce extortion and crime in the country.
Being also a part of the Central American Northern Triangle with El Salvador and Honduras, Guatemala experiences some of the same main problems of being part of the principal drug routes from South America to the United States. Which comes with extortion and murder, both ranking in the top five most common crimes in Guatemala. The gangs also contribute to the elevated number of extortions registered during 2023. In the case of homicides, the rate fell considerably from 2014 to 2024, going from 31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 16.1.
In summary, there’s still a long way to go to achieve relative peacefulness in Central America, nonetheless, the region has started a transformation from one of the most dangerous and bloodiest regions of the world to a safer place.
