SAN SALVADOR — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele ended 2025 with an approval rating that exceeds those of most major world leaders, according to a new survey released this week by opposition-linked pollster LPG Datos.
The poll, published by La Prensa Gráfica, found that 91.9% of Salvadorans approve of Bukele’s performance after six and a half years in office. Only 5.9% disapproved, while 2.2% expressed no opinion.
Según el principal medio de oposición de El Salvador, tras 6 años y 8 meses en el poder, el presidente @nayibbukele tiene una aprobación del 91.9 % pic.twitter.com/9PxXAdULi4
— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) February 6, 2026
The survey was conducted by telephone between Jan. 19 and Jan. 25 among 1,200 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
Opposition figures acknowledged that the result places Bukele at the top of global approval rankings for heads of government, despite their criticism of his policies.
“There is no sitting president or prime minister in the world with numbers like these,” said an opposition legislator, citing international polling comparisons.
By contrast, recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show U.S. President Donald Trump with approval in the low 40s. French President Emmanuel Macron polls around 35%, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz under 30%, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer near 40%, according to national polling agencies and international research firms.
Even leaders who retain strong domestic support, such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, typically poll between 65% and 75%.
Bukele’s popularity is driven primarily by perceptions of improved public security. About 70.3% of respondents cited crime reduction as his main achievement, while another 19.1% pointed specifically to the government’s crackdown on gangs.
New pictures reveal savage mega-prison in El Salvador that was built to hold 40k inmates https://t.co/1o9XhiGCKQ pic.twitter.com/H04LE7l94f
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2024
El Salvador’s homicide rate has fallen sharply since Bukele introduced a state of emergency in 2022, suspending certain constitutional protections and enabling mass arrests of suspected gang members. More than 75,000 people have been detained under the policy.
Human rights groups have accused the government of arbitrary arrests and due process violations. Bukele’s administration has rejected those accusations, saying the measures were necessary to dismantle criminal networks.
Economic concerns remain the main source of dissatisfaction. About 10% of respondents said Bukele had failed to improve the economy, while others cited rising living costs, unemployment and concerns over corruption and transparency.
Compared with previous Salvadoran presidents at a similar point in their terms, Bukele’s approval rating is substantially higher. Former President Antonio Saca stood at 72% after a comparable period in office, Mauricio Funes at 69.3%, and Salvador Sánchez Cerén at 38.1%, according to historical data from the same polling firm.
The survey also found that 92.5% of respondents believe Bukele is helping resolve the country’s security problems, while 48.9% said he is helping address economic issues, with another 34.9% saying he is doing so partially.
Bukele, 44, was re-elected last year after the country’s top court cleared him to seek another term, a ruling that opponents said violated constitutional limits.
His government says the poll reflects broad public backing for its security strategy and governance.
“The people are the ultimate judges,” Bukele has said previously, defending his policies as necessary to restore order.
