Is El Salvador Safe? Homicide Rate, Travel Advisory & the State of Exception (2026)

The short answer, from the official sources, for the question Chapters 2 and 32 answer in full. Checked November 2026.

The answer (as of November 2026)

• Homicides: 82 in 2025, a rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people (government count). In 2015, the rate was about 108 per 100,000 (UN figures).
• US travel advisory: Level 1, "Exercise normal precautions," the lowest of four levels, since April 8, 2025. It was reissued at Level 1 on June 25, 2026.
• State of exception: declared March 27, 2022, and renewed every 30 days. It had been renewed 56 times by October 2026. It applies to everyone in El Salvador, foreigners included.
• What it suspends: some constitutional guarantees for people arrested on suspicion of gang ties. The US government reports that people can be held up to 15 days before seeing a judge, instead of the usual 72 hours.
• The concerns: human rights groups cite arbitrary arrests and deaths in custody. The government stands by its results.

In the book: Chapters 2 and 32

Chapter 2 tells how El Salvador got here:

• What life under the gangs was like, and how they took hold
• The turning point in March 2022, and the year-by-year numbers since
• The criticism, and how Salvadorans themselves see the state of exception
• What the change means for a family moving now

Chapter 32 covers living safely day to day:

• The rules under the state of exception every newcomer should know, and what to carry
• Everyday habits, the laws that surprise Americans, and the scams to watch for
• What to do if something happens, and how to build your community

Official sources

• US Department of State: El Salvador Travel Advisory
• Diario El Mundo: government confirms 82 homicides in 2025 (in Spanish)
• World Bank: intentional homicides per 100,000 people (UN data)
• Decree declaring the state of exception, March 27, 2022 (in Spanish)
• Diario El Mundo: 56th renewal of the state of exception, October 2026 (in Spanish)