List of countries by intentional homicide rate

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][5] 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.[6][7][page needed]

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.[8] UNODC calculated a rate of 6.9 in 2010.[9] 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").[10][11] In the 2019 edition, the global rate was estimated at 6.1 per 100,000 for 2017. [4]

Definition

The class of violent deaths documented in this article is intentional killing of others outside of war. Deaths occurring during situations of civil unrest are a grey area.
Map of countries by their intentional homicide rate (per 100,000 people). The year of the data varies from 2006 to 2018.
  > 20
  15 to 20
  10 to 14.9
  5 to 9.9
  1.5 to 4.9
  1 to 1.4
  < 1
  Data unavailable

Intentional homicide is defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its Global Study on Homicide report[12] thus:

Within the broad range of violent deaths, the core element of intentional homicide is the complete liability of the direct perpetrator, which thus excludes killings directly related to war or conflicts, self-inflicted death (suicide), killings due to legal interventions or justifiable killings (such as self-defence), and those deaths caused when the perpetrator was reckless or negligent but did not intend to take a human life (non-intentional homicide).

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.[13] 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.[4]

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.[4] 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.[14] The two sources usually match in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, but there are large discrepancies for the three African countries reporting both sources.[15] For the 70 countries in which neither source was made available, figures were derived from WHO statistical models.[14]

Deaths resulting from an armed conflict between states are never included in the count.[16] 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.[16]

UNODC's global study

All data in this section comes from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) website.[1][2][3][4]

By region

United Nations geoscheme with region names in the UNODC data source used in table here
UNODC 2021 murder rates per 100,000[17]
Region Rate Homicides
Americas 15 154,000
Africa 12.7 176,000
World 5.8 458,000
Oceania 2.9 1,000
Asia 2.3 109,000
Europe 2.2 17,000

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.[18][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.

  • Note: When the regions or subregions are sorted the countries are also alphabetically sorted within those regions or subregions. Then shift-click rates or counts to secondarily sort countries by rates or counts within the regions or subregions previously sorted.
  • Note: Table last fully updated from data retrieved August 10, 2023 from UNODC. Individual countries updated since then.[1]
  • Note: Only UNODC-vetted data is used in the table.
  • Asterisk (*) in Location column indicates a Crime in LOCATION article.
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants. From UNODC.[1][2][3]
Location Rate Count Year Region Subregion
 Afghanistan * 4.0 1,613 2021 Asia Southern Asia
 Albania * 1.7 47 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Algeria 1.8 795 2022 Africa Northern Africa
 American Samoa 0 0 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Andorra 2.6 2 2020 Europe Southern Europe
 Angola 4.1 1,196 2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Anguilla 28.3 4 2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Antigua and Barbuda 10.7 10 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Argentina * 4.3 1,961 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Armenia * 2.2 61 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Aruba 1.9 2 2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Australia * 0.8 218 2022 Oceania Australia and New Zealand
 Austria * 0.9 79 2022 Europe Western Europe
 Azerbaijan * 1.9 197 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Bahamas 31.2 128 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bahrain * 0.1 1 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Bangladesh * 2.3 3,830 2018 Asia Southern Asia
 Barbados 15.3 43 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Belarus 2.3 225 2019 Europe Eastern Europe
 Belgium * 1.1 125 2021 Europe Western Europe
 Belize * 27.9 113 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bermuda 10.9 7 2021 Americas Northern America
 Bhutan * 2.5 19 2020 Asia Southern Asia
 Bolivia * 4.0 485 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.1 35 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Botswana 10.5 273 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Brazil * 21.3 45,562 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 British Virgin Islands 8.2 2 2006 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Brunei 0.5 2 2013 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Bulgaria * 1.1 76 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Burundi 5.8 635 2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Cape Verde * 6.2 36 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Cambodia * 1.8 268 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Cameroon 4.5 1,202 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Canada * 2.3 874 2022 Americas Northern America
 Cayman Islands 4.5 3 2020 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Chile * 6.7 1322 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 China * 0.5 7,157 2020 Asia Eastern Asia
 Colombia * 25.4 13,166 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Cook Islands 3.5 1 2012 Oceania Polynesia
 Costa Rica * 12.8 664 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Croatia 0.8 31 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Cuba * 4.4 500 2019 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Curaçao 17.1 26 2007 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Cyprus 0.6 8 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Czech Republic * 0.8 87 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Denmark * 1.0 58 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Dominica 13.8 10 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Dominican Republic * 12.4 1,389 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Ecuador * 27.0 4,859 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 East Timor 4.1 49 2015 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Egypt * 1.3 1,360 2017 Africa Northern Africa
 El Salvador * 7.8 496 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Eritrea 14.6 474 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Estonia * 2.0 26 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 Eswatini 12.7 151 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Ethiopia * 8.6 8,153 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Fiji 2.2 20 2020 Oceania Melanesia
 Finland * 1.2 67 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 France * 1.1 734 2021 Europe Western Europe
 French Guiana 13.3 39 2020 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 French Polynesia 0.4 1 2009 Oceania Polynesia
 Georgia 2.0 77 2019 Asia Western Asia
 Germany * 0.8 695 2021 Europe Western Europe
 Ghana * 1.8 603 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Gibraltar * 3.2 1 2010 Europe Southern Europe
 Greece * 1.1 117 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Greenland * 5.4 3 2016 Americas Northern America
 Grenada 4.0 5 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guadeloupe * 5.8 23 2016 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guam 4.2 7 2019 Oceania Micronesia
 Guatemala * 20.0 3,520 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guinea-Bissau 1.1 21 2017 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Guyana * 16.3 131 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Haiti * 18.0 2,088 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Holy See 0 0 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Honduras * 35.1 3,661 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Hong Kong * 0.4 30 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Hungary * 0.9 94 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Iceland 0.5 2 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 India * 2.9 41,330 2021 Asia Southern Asia
 Indonesia * 0.6 1,419 2004 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Iran * 2.4 1,936 2014 Asia Southern Asia
 Iraq 9.4 3,339 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Iraq. Central Iraq 15.4 5,459 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Iraq (Kurdistan Region) 2.2 111 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Ireland 0.9 44 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Isle of Man 0 0 2016 Europe Northern Europe
 Israel * 1.9 173 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Italy * 0.5 322 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Jamaica * 53.3 1,508 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Japan * 0.2 285 2021 Asia Eastern Asia
 Jordan * 1.1 126 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Kazakhstan * 3.2 606 2020 Asia Central Asia
 Kenya * 4.9 2,643 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Kiribati 7.2 8 2012 Oceania Micronesia
 Kosovo * 2.0 33 2021 Europe Southern Europe
 Kuwait * 0.3 11 2020 Asia Western Asia
 Latvia * 3.6 67 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Lebanon 2.3 128 2020 Asia Western Asia
 Lesotho * 37.7 752 2008 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Liberia * 3.1 135 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Liechtenstein 5.1 2 2021 Europe Western Europe
 Lithuania 2.4 67 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Luxembourg 1.5 10 2022 Europe Western Europe
 Macau * 0.4 2 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Malawi 1.8 279 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Malaysia * 0.7 243 2021 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Maldives * 0.6 3 2019 Asia Southern Asia
 Malta 0.4 2 2021 Europe Southern Europe
 Marshall Islands 4.0 2 1994 Oceania Micronesia
 Martinique 2.8 11 2009 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Mauritania * 1.0 46 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mauritius * 2.2 29 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mayotte 5.8 12 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mexico * 26.1 33,287 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Micronesia 0.9 1 2019 Oceania Micronesia
 Monaco 0 0 2008 Europe Western Europe
 Mongolia 6.2 206 2021 Asia Eastern Asia
 Montenegro * 2.6 16 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Montserrat 0 0 2018 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Morocco 1.6 618 2022 Africa Northern Africa
 Mozambique 3.6 849 2011 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Myanmar * 3.9 2,098 2022 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Namibia * 12.4 315 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Nepal * 2.3 659 2019 Asia Southern Asia
 Netherlands 0.8 142 2022 Europe Western Europe
 New Caledonia 3.1 8 2009 Oceania Melanesia
 New Zealand * 2.6 129 2019 Oceania Australia and New Zealand
 Nicaragua 11.0 754 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Niger 4.4 788 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Nigeria * 21.7 44,200 2019 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 North Macedonia 0.9 18 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Northern Ireland * 1.4 27 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Norway * 0.6 30 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Oman * 0.3 12 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Pakistan * 4.2 9,937 2022 Asia Southern Asia
 Palau 11.2 2 2018 Oceania Micronesia
 Palestine * 1.4 74 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Panama * 11.3 499 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Papua New Guinea * 9.4 713 2010 Oceania Melanesia
 Paraguay * 7.0 472 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Peru * 5.7 1,903 2020 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Philippines * 4.3 4,764 2019 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Poland * 0.7 270 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Portugal * 0.8 82 2021 Europe Southern Europe
 Puerto Rico * 17.6 572 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Qatar * 0.3 9 2021 Asia Western Asia
 South Korea * 0.5 275 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Moldova * 3.0 93 2020 Europe Eastern Europe
 Réunion 1.7 15 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Romania * 1.3 247 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Russia * 6.8 9,866 2021 Europe Eastern Europe
 Rwanda 3.6 472 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saint Helena 0 0 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saint Kitts and Nevis * 29.4 14 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Lucia * 36.7 66 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Martin 28.7 10 2016 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 16.5 1 2009 Americas Northern America
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 40.4 42 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Samoa 6.2 13 2018 Oceania Polynesia
 San Marino 0 0 2011 Europe Southern Europe
 São Tomé and Príncipe 3.2 6 2011 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saudi Arabia * 0.8 285 2019 Asia Western Asia
 Scotland * 1.0 53 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 Senegal 0.3 39 2015 Africa Western Africa
 Serbia * 1.0 74 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Seychelles 4.7 5 2021 Africa Eastern Africa
 Sierra Leone 2.1 176 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Singapore * 0.1 7 2022 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Slovakia * 0.7 42 2022 Europe Eastern Europe
 Slovenia * 0.6 13 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Solomon Islands 3.7 19 2008 Oceania Melanesia
 South Africa * 41.9 24,865 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 South Sudan 14.1 1,504 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Spain * 0.7 325 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Sri Lanka * 3.4 742 2019 Asia Southern Asia
 Suriname * 7.3 45 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Sweden * 1.1 116 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Switzerland * 0.5 43 2022 Europe Western Europe
 Syria 2.1 463 2010 Asia Western Asia
 Tajikistan 0.9 87 2020 Asia Central Asia
 Tanzania 3.7 2,286 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Thailand * 4.8 3,307 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Tonga * 1.0 1 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Trinidad and Tobago * 40.0 605 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Tunisia 4.6 562 2020 Africa Northern Africa
 Turkey * 2.7 2,279 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Turkmenistan 1.1 63 2015 Asia Central Asia
 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.7 2 2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Tuvalu * 0 0 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Uganda 8.5 3,912 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Ukraine * 3.8 1,673 2021 Europe Eastern Europe
 United Arab Emirates * 0.5 44 2021 Asia Western Asia
 United Kingdom *
(England and Wales)
1.2 696 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 United Kingdom *
(Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
1.0 673 2020 Europe Northern Europe
 United States * 6.4 21,593 2022 Americas Northern America
 U.S. Virgin Islands 49.6 52 2012 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Uruguay 11.2 383 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Uzbekistan 1.4 479 2021 Asia Central Asia
 Vanuatu 0.3 1 2020 Oceania Melanesia
 Venezuela * 19.3 5,444 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Vietnam * 1.5 1,358 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Yemen * 6.3 1,703 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Zambia 5.2 853 2015 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Zimbabwe * 6.7 1086 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa

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.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Intentional Homicide". dataunodc.un.org. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Table by country. Latest available data for most countries is for 2022. 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 data retrieved August 10, 2023. Individual countries updated since then.
  2. ^ a b c d "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c d e Global Study on Homicide 2019. Booklet 2. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). See page 11 for global rate. See page 9 about homicide rates as proxy for overall violence. See Box 1 on page 14 for criminal justice data sources versus public health sources. See figure 2 on page 14 for regional homicide rates in 2017. See figure 3 on page 16 for regional number of homicides. See page 85 about the six-booklet format of this study. Look for page numbers on the bottom of pages, and ignore the incorrect page numbers provided by your PDF reader.
  5. ^ Richards, Patsy (27 May 1999). "Homicide statistics, research paper 99/56" (PDF). London, UK: House of Commons of the United Kingdom library, Social and general statistics section. 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.
  6. ^ Fry, Don. (1985). Believing the news. ISBN 978-0-935742-11-4.
  7. ^ Vizzard, William J. (2000). Shots in the dark. ISBN 978-0-8476-9560-7.
  8. ^ Global Burden of Armed Violence Report (PDF) (report). Geneva, Switzerland: Geneva Declaration Secretariat. September 2008. pp. 67ff. ISBN 978-2-8288-0101-4. data from 2004-2007. The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.
  9. ^ 2011 Global Study on Homicide: Trends, Contexts, Data. "data from 2010 or latest available year". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Vienna, Austria.
  10. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 12.
  11. ^ Intentional homicide count and rate per 100,000 population, by country/territory (2000–2012). Data (in spreadsheet format) for UNODC report titled "Global Study on Homicide 2013". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Linked from Global Study on Homicide – Data: UNODC Homicide Statistics 2013
  12. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 10.
  13. ^ UNODC 2014, pp. 102–103.
  14. ^ a b UNODC 2014, p. 99.
  15. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 101.
  16. ^ a b UNODC 2014, p. 104.
  17. ^ "Global Study on Homicide 2023 |" (PDF). unodc.org. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  18. ^ UNODC 2014, pp. 7–8.
  19. ^ "InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up". January 29, 2021.

Sources

  • Global Study on Homicide 2013: Trends, Contexts, Data (PDF). Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. March 2014. ISBN 9789210542050. Look for page numbers on the bottom of pages, and ignore the incorrect page numbers provided by your PDF reader.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Homicide rates.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Age of
Drugs and
alcohol
Death
Guns
Punishment
Policing
Obscenity
Reproduction
Censorship
Human rights
Freedom of movement
Property and
environment
Business
Violence
International
ownership
Other
  • v
  • t
  • e
By country
By race
Concepts
Legal
People
Organizations