What are the biggest policy issues in Latin America?
Data from the Latinobarómetro 2024 survey reveals the region’s top concerns
Top 3 Issues Across Latin America
#1
Crime & public safety
19.1%
#2
Economy & finance
18.1%
#3
Unemployment
7.6%
What are the biggest policy issues in Latin America?
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| Issue | Total | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Dominican Rep. | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Mexico | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay | Venezuela |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime & public safety | 19.1% | 8.8% | 0.8% | 9.7% | 40.9% | 14.2% | 30.3% | 23.8% | 48.6% | 4.2% | 16.9% | 11.8% | 17.4% | 9.9% | 15.2% | 32.8% | 35.3% | 0.8% |
| Economy & finance | 18.1% | 31.9% | 39.5% | 6.7% | 9.6% | 11.7% | 10.1% | 22.3% | 12.3% | 40.6% | 15.7% | 15.1% | 13.0% | 12.4% | 10.5% | 13.3% | 10.2% | 33.7% |
| Unemployment | 7.6% | 10.8% | 3.7% | 8.2% | 5.8% | 12.3% | 6.5% | 1.5% | 9.6% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 10.0% | 4.1% | 14.8% | 18.3% | 4.9% | 3.8% | 6.0% |
| Politics & governance | 7.6% | 11.0% | 8.8% | 10.6% | 3.6% | 9.6% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 7.5% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 9.4% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 11.9% | 11.1% | 4.3% | 28.8% |
| Corruption | 7.2% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 4.4% | 5.5% | 19.2% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 7.5% | 0.5% | 13.6% | 6.6% | 3.5% | 10.7% | 9.4% | 14.4% | 0.8% | 4.1% |
| Healthcare | 4.0% | 0.4% | 1.7% | 21.4% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 2.4% | 0.7% | 3.8% | 0.7% | 5.1% | 10.4% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 4.0% |
| Poverty | 3.9% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 0.8% | 7.4% | 10.7% | 7.1% | 12.3% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 4.0% | 0.1% |
| Education | 3.4% | 5.0% | 1.1% | 9.7% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 3.1% | 1.3% | 3.5% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 8.1% | 1.6% |
| Job instability | 3.1% | — | 6.3% | — | 0.4% | 0.1% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 0.3% | 8.0% | 3.8% | 11.5% | 2.2% | 4.7% | — | 0.3% | 10.2% | 0.2% |
| Low wages | 1.9% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 1.9% | 1.3% | — | 4.1% | 2.4% | 0.6% | 6.7% | 2.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 4.6% |
| Inflation & rising prices | 1.6% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.4% | 1.8% | — | 0.7% | 2.7% | 0.6% | 3.4% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 2.5% |
| Income inequality & social injustice | 1.5% | 0.8% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 4.2% | 3.0% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 2.4% | 0.1% |
| High cost of living | 1.4% | 0.2% | 3.7% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 0.1% | 1.6% | 3.3% | — | 8.6% | 0.4% | — | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Food shortages | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 2.7% | — | 0.5% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 2.3% | 2.0% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Violence & gangs | 1.0% | — | 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 4.2% | 1.7% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.9% | — | 0.9% | 1.4% | 0.2% |
| Drug use | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.2% | — | 2.1% | 1.0% | 2.9% | 0.9% | 0.7% | — | 0.6% | 0.1% | 1.1% | — | 1.8% | 0.2% | 5.3% | — |
| Basic services (water, electricity) | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.9% | — | 0.2% | — | 1.2% | 2.7% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 2.8% | 0.3% | 0.5% | — | 2.2% |
| Drug trafficking | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 2.8% | 0.3% | 1.8% | — | — | 0.5% | 3.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% | — | 0.6% | — |
| Immigration | 0.6% | — | — | — | 5.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 3.7% | 0.3% | — | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | 0.2% | 0.1% | — |
| Environment | 0.4% | — | 1.8% | 0.5% | — | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 0.2% | — |
| State violence & repression | 0.4% | — | 0.3% | — | — | 1.8% | 0.6% | 0.4% | — | 0.1% | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.5% | — | — | — | 0.1% |
| Judicial system & justice | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.4% | — | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Gas & fuel shortages | 0.3% | — | 3.3% | — | — | — | — | 0.4% | — | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.3% | — | — | — | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Youth opportunities | 0.3% | — | 0.1% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% | — | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Pollution | 0.2% | — | 0.6% | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.8% | — | — |
| Human rights violations | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | — | 0.7% | 0.9% | — | 0.6% | 0.2% | — | — | 0.1% | — |
| Elderly care | 0.2% | 1.0% | — | 0.2% | 2.2% | — | 0.1% | — | — | 0.1% | — | — | 0.2% | — | — | — | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Transportation | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.3% | — | — | 0.9% | 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Energy | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.6% | 0.8% | — | — | — | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | — | — | 0.3% |
| Housing | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | — | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | — | 0.1% |
| Global warming | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.7% | — | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | — | — | — |
| Freedom of expression | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | 0.3% | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.4% | — | — |
| Terrorism | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | 0.2% | — | — | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | — | — | 0.3% | — | — |
| Guerrilla | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | 1.3% | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.1% | — |
| Domestic violence | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% | — | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — |
| Verbal violence | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | 1.9% | 0.1% |
| Racial discrimination | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.3% | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | 0.2% | — | — | 0.2% | 0.3% | — |
| Foreigners | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.9% | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cleanliness & sanitation | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.2% | — | 0.2% | 0.3% | — | — | 0.3% | — |
| Infrastructure | 0.1% | 0.2% | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | 0.5% | — | 0.2% | — | 0.5% | — | 0.5% | — | 0.3% | 0.3% | — | — |
| Border disputes | 0.0% | — | — | — | — | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Neighboring country relations | 0.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.1% | — | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Parks & recreation | 0.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.1% | — | 0.1% | — | — | 0.2% | — | — | — | — | — |
| The Pandemic (Covid-19) | 0.0% | — | — | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.2% | — | — | — | — | — |
Deep-dive analysis
Explore Latinometrics articles on the issues shaping the region:
Data Source
Data sourced from the Latinobarómetro 2024 study, a public opinion survey conducted across 18 Latin American countries. Values represent the percentage of citizens who identified each issue as a significant concern in their country.
Source: Corporación Latinobarómetro. Latinobarómetro 2024 Study . 2024 data, released May 1st, 2025. [Full report]
Note: Values are shown as percentages. A ‘—’ indicates data not available or zero value.