Bukele Approval Hits 90% in El Salvador Online Poll
POLITICS · EL SALVADOR
Key Facts
- —The country El Salvador, mainland Central America’s smallest country, uses the US dollar. It elects its president, parliament and local councils on one day, Sunday 28 February 2027.
- —What happened The polling firm TResearch International put President Nayib Bukele’s approval at 90% in an online survey taken 28 September to 2 October 2026, published on 2 October.
- —The numbers Approval rose from 81.5% a year earlier, and disapproval fell from 16.8% to 8.9%. Security drew an 84.5% positive rating, TResearch reported on 2 October.
- —What it means for you Bukele enters the 2027 campaign with very high reported support. The economy is still the top problem for 48.7% of respondents in the same poll.
- —Still open The survey reaches only adults with internet access. No other pollster has yet published fieldwork from the same weeks to compare against.
Bukele approval in El Salvador reached 90% in a TResearch International online survey taken from 28 September to 2 October 2026. The result is 8.5 points above the same pollster’s reading a year earlier, when 81.5% approved.
Disapproval fell to 8.9% from 16.8% over the year, and 1.1% said they did not know. The Salvadoran newspaper La Página reported the findings on 2 October, and Infobae followed on 3 October.
A steady climb over twelve months
TResearch, a polling firm working across Latin America, publishes the figure as a running series. Approval stood at 84.6% six months ago and 87.6% three months ago, according to its report.
It then edged up to 88.5% two months ago and 88.8% last month before reaching 90%. Each step is small, and none of the readings the firm listed shows a fall.
The same survey found 88.9% believe Bukele “has the reins of the country”, against 6.9% who disagree. Some 85.9% said they believe him always or most of the time when he announces a measure.
Asked about direction, 84% said El Salvador is on the right track and 12.8% said it is on the wrong one. A further 79.5% said they hold a good opinion of the president.
Security leads, the economy still worries
Security drew the strongest rating of any policy area, with 84.5% calling the government’s performance good and 1.2% calling it bad. Tourism followed on 76%, then education on 72.6% and public works on 68.9%, Infobae reported.
The economy remains the main problem for 48.7% of respondents, far ahead of health on 12.3% and corruption on 8.1%. That share has eased from 51.1% two months ago, a drop of 2.4 points.
This gap is the main tension inside the poll. Respondents rate the government’s security record highly while naming the economy as the country’s biggest problem.
How the poll was done
TResearch ran the survey online through mobile devices, among adults living in El Salvador with internet access. It weighted results by population, sex, age and schooling, citing the codes of the main international polling associations (ESOMAR, AAPOR and WAPOR).
Neither the report text nor the press coverage gives a sample size or margin of error. Online panels can miss older and rural voters without internet access, so the exact level deserves some caution.
A different method has produced a similar result before. A Cid Gallup telephone poll of 1,200 people found 90% approval in December 2025, Diario El Mundo reported at the time.
What it means for the 2027 race
The numbers land as the campaign formally opens. On 30 September the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which runs elections, called the vote.
The call is covered in El Salvador Electoral Court Calls 28 February 2027 Vote, Opening Candidate Registration. Bukele seeks a third straight term against Mayteé Iraheta of the right-wing ARENA and Rafael Aguirre of the left-wing FMLN.
Registration runs from 1 October to 19 November. The rival tickets are set out in El Salvador Election: Bukele and His Rivals Can Register From 1 October.
High Bukele approval gives his Nuevas Ideas party a strong starting position. It also keeps the focus on the economy, the issue respondents rank as the country’s biggest problem.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is not clear how the 90% would hold among Salvadorans without internet access, whom the online method does not reach. No second pollster has published fieldwork from the same weeks for comparison.
How presidential approval carries over to Nuevas Ideas candidates for parliament and local councils is also open. Those contests share the ballot on 28 February 2027.
What is Bukele approval in the latest poll?
TResearch International put it at 90% in an online survey taken from 28 September to 2 October 2026. Disapproval was 8.9% and 1.1% said they did not know.
What worries Salvadorans most?
The economy, named as the main problem by 48.7% of respondents. Health followed on 12.3% and corruption on 8.1%.
When does El Salvador vote?
On Sunday 28 February 2027, for president, parliament and local councils in a single round. Candidates register from 1 October to 19 November 2026.
Sources: TResearch International, “La aprobación de Nayib Bukele: Encuesta Nacional”, 2 October 2026; Diario La Página, 2 October 2026; Infobae, 3 October 2026; Diario El Mundo, Cid Gallup poll, 10 December 2025.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief