List of countries by intentional homicide rate explained

The list of countries by UNODC homicide rate is typically expressed in units of deaths per 100,000 individuals per year. A homicide rate of 30 (out of 100,000) corresponds to 0.03% of the population dying by homicide.[1] [2] [3] The reliability of underlying national murder rate data may vary.[4] Only UNODC-vetted data is used in the main table below.[1] In some cases, it may not be as up to date as other sources. See further down as to why its data is used over other sources.

Homicide rates may be under-reported for political reasons.[5] [6]

A study undertaken by the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development estimated that there were approximately 490,000 intentional homicides in 2004. The study estimated that the global rate was 7.6 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants for 2004.[7] UNODC calculated a rate of 6.9 in 2010.[8] UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) reported a global average intentional homicide rate of 6.2 per 100,000 population for 2012 (in their report titled "Global Study on Homicide 2013").[9] In the 2019 edition, the global rate was estimated at 6.1 per 100,000 for 2017. [10]

Definition

Intentional homicide is defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its Global Study on Homicide report thus:Though some discrepancies exist in how specific categories of intentional killings are classified, the definitions used by countries to record data are generally close to the UNODC definition, making the homicide rates highly comparable at the international level. UNODC uses the homicide rate as a proxy for overall violence, as this type of crime is one of the most accurately reported and internationally comparable indicators.[10]

Figures from the Global Study on Homicide are based on the UNODC Homicide Statistics dataset, which is derived from the criminal justice or public health systems of a variety of countries and territories.[10] The homicide rates derived from criminal justice data (typically recorded by police authorities) and the public health system data (recorded when the cause of death is established) may diverge substantially for some countries. The two sources usually match in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, but there are large discrepancies for the three African countries reporting both sources. For the 70 countries in which neither source was made available, figures were derived from WHO statistical models.

Deaths resulting from an armed conflict between states are never included in the count. Killings caused by a non-international armed conflict may or may not be included, depending on the intensity of hostilities and whether it is classified as 'civil unrest' or a clash between organized armed groups.

UNODC's global study

All data in this section comes from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) website.[1] [2] [3] [10]

By region

UNODC 2021 murder rates per 100,000[11]
RegionHomicides
Americas154,000
Africa176,000
World458,000
Oceania1,000
Asia109,000
Europe17,000

Rates vary widely within regions. See info on secondary sorting within regions and subregions below.

By country, region, or dependent territory

The regions and subregions in the table are based on the United Nations geoscheme since the table sources are United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports. The U.N. recognizes that variability in the quality and integrity of data provided by certain countries may minimize country murder rates.[2] Go to the more detailed country info in the references, and the country links in the table for more info.

Table has a total yearly count of homicides for each country. Rates are calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. Rates are to the 3rd decimal place in order to separate countries with low homicide rates.

Intentional homicide counts, and victims per 100,000 inhabitants. From UNODC.
LocationYearRegionSubregion
4.022 1,613 2021 Southern Asia
1.654 47 2022 Southern Europe
1.770 795 2022 Northern Africa
0 0 2019 Polynesia
2.574 2 2020 Southern Europe
4.102 1,196 2016 Sub-Saharan Africa
28.328 4 2014 Latin America and the Caribbean
10.665 10 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.309 1,961 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
2.186 61 2021 Western Asia
1.931 2 2014 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.833 218 2022 Australia and New Zealand
0.884 79 2022 Western Europe
2.365 245 2022 Western Asia
31.221 128 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.204 3 2022 Western Asia
2.340 3,830 2018 Southern Asia
15.268 43 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
2.326 225 2019 Eastern Europe
1.077 125 2021 Western Europe
27.882 113 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
6.243 4 2023 Northern America
2.460 19 2020 Southern Asia
4.318 535 2023 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.082 35 2022 Southern Europe
10.547 273 2021 Sub-Saharan Africa
20.606 44,367 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
8.223 2 2006 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.486 2 2013 South-eastern Asia
1.121 76 2022 Eastern Europe
5.824 635 2016 Sub-Saharan Africa
6.179 36 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
1.839 268 2011 South-eastern Asia
4.537 1,202 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
2.273 874 2022 Northern America
4.457 3 2020 Latin America and the Caribbean
6.744 1,322 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.502 7,157 2020 Eastern Asia
25.269 13,108 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
3.490 1 2012 Polynesia
17.382 906 2023 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.769 31 2022 Southern Europe
4.418 500 2019 Latin America and the Caribbean
17.092 26 2007 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.873 11 2023 Western Asia
0.839 88 2022 Eastern Europe
0.986 58 2022 Northern Europe
26.121 19 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
12.370 1,389 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.064 49 2015 South-eastern Asia
26.993 4,859 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.336 1,360 2017 Northern Africa
7.828 496 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
14.573 474 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
1.508 20 2022 Northern Europe
12.665 151 2021 Sub-Saharan Africa
8.632 8,153 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
2.173 20 2020 Melanesia
1.245 69 2022 Northern Europe
1.560 1,010 2023 Western Europe
13.300 39 2020 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.354 1 2009 Polynesia
2.042 77 2019 Western Asia
0.823 686 2022 Western Europe
1.813 607 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
3.199 1 2010 Southern Europe
1.127 117 2022 Southern Europe
5.365 3 2016 Northern America
6.378 8 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
5.781 23 2016 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.151 7 2019 Micronesia
19.990 3,520 2021 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.117 21 2017 Sub-Saharan Africa
16.198 131 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
40.845 4,789 2023 Latin America and the Caribbean
0 0 2022 Southern Europe
35.072 3,659 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.401 30 2022 Eastern Asia
0.973 97 2022 Eastern Europe
1.073 4 2022 Northern Europe
2.832 40,130 2022 Southern Asia
0.307 847 2022 South-eastern Asia
2.421 1,936 2014 Southern Asia
9.410 3,339 2013 Western Asia
(Central Iraq) 15.397 5,459 2021 Western Asia
(Kurdistan Region) 2.246 111 2013 Western Asia
0.876 44 2022 Northern Europe
0 0 2016 Northern Europe
1.626 147 2022 Western Asia
0.545 322 2022 Southern Europe
53.336 1,508 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.233 289 2022 Eastern Asia
0.997 113 2023 Western Asia
2.634 511 2022 Central Asia
4.892 2,643 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
7.167 8 2012 Micronesia
1.986 33 2021 Southern Europe
0.252 11 2020 Western Asia
3.620 67 2022 Northern Europe
2.260 128 2020 Western Asia
37.694 752 2008 Sub-Saharan Africa
3.117 135 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
5.123 2 2021 Western Europe
2.436 67 2022 Northern Europe
1.544 10 2022 Western Europe
0.568 4 2023 Eastern Asia
1.791 279 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
0.724 243 2021 South-eastern Asia
0.595 3 2019 Southern Asia
0.561 3 2023 Southern Europe
4.013 2 1994 Micronesia
2.790 11 2009 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.023 46 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
2.232 29 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
5.816 12 2009 Sub-Saharan Africa
26.107 33,287 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.898 1 2019 Micronesia
0 0 2008 Western Europe
5.944 202 2022 Eastern Asia
2.551 16 2022 Southern Europe
0 0 2018 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.705 645 2023 Northern Africa
3.573 849 2011 Sub-Saharan Africa
3.872 2,098 2022 South-eastern Asia
12.450 315 2021 Sub-Saharan Africa
2.102 617 2020 Southern Asia
0.808 142 2022 Western Europe
3.113 8 2009 Melanesia
1.111 57 2021 Australia and New Zealand
11.006 754 2021 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.389 788 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
21.741 44,200 2019 Sub-Saharan Africa
0.860 18 2022 Southern Europe
1.413 27 2022 Northern Europe
0.552 30 2022 Northern Europe
0.262 12 2022 Western Asia
4.214 9,937 2022 Southern Asia
11.195 2 2018 Micronesia
1.410 74 2022 Western Asia
11.319 499 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
9.402 713 2010 Melanesia
6.961 472 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
8.462 2,853 2021 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.316 4,764 2019 South-eastern Asia
0.677 270 2022 Eastern Europe
0.797 82 2021 Southern Europe
14.232 464 2023 Latin America and the Caribbean
0.074 2 2022 Western Asia
0.531 275 2022 Eastern Asia
2.270 78 2023 Eastern Europe
1.699 15 2009 Sub-Saharan Africa
1.256 247 2022 Eastern Europe
6.799 9,866 2021 Eastern Europe
3.590 472 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
0 0 2009 Sub-Saharan Africa
23.081 11 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
36.696 66 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
28.727 10 2016 Latin America and the Caribbean
16.518 1 2009 Northern America
40.405 42 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
6.199 13 2018 Polynesia
0 0 2011 Southern Europe
3.225 6 2011 Sub-Saharan Africa
0.795 285 2019 Western Asia
0.967 53 2021 Northern Europe
1.025 74 2022 Southern Europe
9.335 10 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
2.137 176 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
0.117 7 2022 South-eastern Asia
0.744 42 2022 Eastern Europe
0.613 13 2022 Southern Europe
3.682 19 2008 Melanesia
45.534 27,272 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
14.054 1,504 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa
0.610 290 2022 Southern Europe
3.427 742 2019 Southern Asia
7.281 45 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.100 116 2022 Northern Europe
0.481 42 2022 Western Europe
2.073 463 2010 Western Asia
0.912 87 2020 Central Asia
3.705 2,286 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa
4.813 3,307 2011 South-eastern Asia
0.953 1 2019 Polynesia
39.516 605 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
4.621 562 2020 Northern Africa
2.670 2,279 2022 Western Asia
1.093 63 2015 Central Asia
76.582 35 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
0 0 2019 Polynesia
8.768 4,143 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa
3.843 1,673 2021 Eastern Europe
0.752 71 2022 Western Asia
1.148 684 2021 Northern Europe
6.383 21,594 2022 Northern America
49.631 52 2012 Latin America and the Caribbean
11.190 383 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.405 479 2021 Central Asia
0.321 1 2020 Melanesia
12.607 3,568 2022 Latin America and the Caribbean
1.537 1,358 2011 South-eastern Asia
6.311 1,703 2013 Western Asia
5.250 853 2015 Sub-Saharan Africa
6.654 1,086 2022

Other multi-country studies

A 2020 study by InSight Crime found that Jamaica had the highest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Venezuela had the second highest rate.[12]

Sources

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Intentional Homicide . dataunodc.un.org . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Table by country. Latest available year varies by country. Some have 2023 data. Can select for few or many countries, regions, years. You can shrink the width of the table to see all the options, and all the years you selected. To do so drag the zoom bar button at the bottom of the page. There is a dataset link to download all the data. Table last fully updated from dataset retrieved 24 June 2024. Individual countries updated since then.
  2. Web site: Victims of Intentional Homicide: 2018 . UNODC. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Map and table of rates and counts. Pick a country (or countries) in the sidebar "Country" dropdown menu. Then pick a year (1990-2018). Click that country on the map to see a timeline graph of homicide rates. Below the map see a timeline table of the rates and counts for that country or countries. There is a "Bulk data download" link at top right (hover to see name). May need to click twice to download.
  3. Web site: Homicide rate dataUNODC . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Timeline graph of "Victims of intentional homicide 1990-2018". Can select a country and a region. Table below graph shows data 1990-2018. Download link icon below table offers multiple formats just for selected country and region. Click "bulk data download" link icon twice at top of page to get Excel file that covers years 1990-2018 for all countries.
  4. Web site: Homicide statistics, research paper 99/56 . Richards . Patsy . 27 May 1999 . House of Commons of the United Kingdom library, Social and general statistics section . London, UK. See page 7 for section called "Definition of the offence of homicide". See page 29 for table of nations and homicide rates for the years 1994–97. It also has further info on how homicide is defined across countries.
  5. Book: Fry, Don. . Believing the news . 978-0-935742-11-4 . 1985 . Poynter Institute for Media Studies . registration .
  6. Book: Vizzard, William J. . Shots in the dark . 978-0-8476-9560-7. 2000 . Rowman & Littlefield .
  7. Book: Global Burden of Armed Violence Report . Geneva Declaration Secretariat . September 2008 . Geneva, Switzerland . report . 978-2-8288-0101-4 . 67ff . data from 2004-2007. . The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.
  8. http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf 2011 Global Study on Homicide: Trends, Contexts, Data
  9. http://www.unodc.org/documents/gsh/data/GSH2013_Homicide_count_and_rate.xlsx Intentional homicide count and rate per 100,000 population, by country/territory (2000–2012)
  10. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/gsh/Booklet2.pdf Global Study on Homicide 2019. Booklet 2
  11. Web site: Global Study on Homicide 2023 . 8 January 2024. unodc.org.
  12. Web site: InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up. 29 January 2021.

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