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Less Crime, More Schooling: Evidence from El Salvador’s Gang Crackdown

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastián Bustos

    (Growth Lab, Harvard University)

  • Jose Balmori-de-la-Miyar

    (Escuela de Negocios, Universidad Anáhuac)

  • Miguel Angel Santos

    (Escuela de Gobierno y Transformación Pública, Tecnológico de Monterrey)

  • Adan Silverio-Murillo

    (Escuela de Gobierno y Transformación Pública, Tecnológico de Monterrey)

Abstract

The study examines the effect of El Salvador's 2022 state of exception on school attendance. Using household surveys from 2017-2024 and a difference-in-differences design, it compares teenage boys with younger boys. It estimates a four-percentage-point increase in attendance among teenagers, with larger gains in poor households. The results suggest that dismantling gang control reduced barriers to educational investment.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastián Bustos & Jose Balmori-de-la-Miyar & Miguel Angel Santos & Adan Silverio-Murillo, 2026. "Less Crime, More Schooling: Evidence from El Salvador’s Gang Crackdown," Working Paper Series of the School of Government and Public Transformation 42, School of Government and Public Transformation.
    • Handle: RePEc:gnt:wpaper:42
    as

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    File URL: https://egobiernoytp.tec.mx/sites/default/files/2026-09/less_crime_more_schooling_evidence_salvador.pdf
    File Function: Full text, September 2026
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