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List of countries by intentional homicide rate

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The countries with the most homicides per unit population are generally countries with small populations (very narrow rectangles in chart, 2021).[1]

The list of countries by homicide rate is derived from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data, and is expressed in number of deaths per 100,000 population per year. For example, a homicide rate of 30 out of 100,000 is presented in the table as "30", and corresponds to 0.03% of the population dying by homicide.[2][3][4] The reliability of underlying national murder rate data may vary.[5][6] Only UNODC-vetted data is used in the main table to maintain consistency.[2] In some cases, it may not be as up to date as other sources.

Homicide rates may be under-reported for political reasons.[7][8][page needed]

A study undertaken by the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development estimated that there were approximately 490,000 intentional homicides globally in 2004, for a rate of 7.6 per 100,000.[9] UNODC calculated a global estimated rate of 6.9 per 100,000 in 2010;[10] 6.2 per 100,000 in 2012;[11][12] 6.1 per 100,000 in 2017; and a rate of 5.61 per 100,000 for 2022. [5][13]

Definition

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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. Source (labeled on map): United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.[14]

Intentional homicide is defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its Global Study on Homicide report[15] 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.[16] 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.[5]

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.[5] 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.[17] The two sources usually match in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, but there are large discrepancies for the three African countries reporting both sources.[18] For the 70 countries in which neither source was made available, figures were derived from WHO statistical models.[17]

Deaths resulting from an armed conflict between states are never included in the count.[19] 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.[19]

UNODC's global study

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United Nations geoscheme with region names in the UNODC data source used in table here

All data in this section comes from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) website.[2][13]

By region

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UNODC 2023 murder counts and rates (per 100,000). Gender is for the victim.[13]
Region Overall
Rate 		Rate.
Female 		Rate.
Male 		Counts
Africa 10.57 3.97 17.19 156,503
Americas 14.37 3.40 25.52 149,654
Asia 2.04 1.40 2.66 97.495
Europe 2.10 1.13 3.14 15,643
Oceania 2.94 1.92 3.97 1,342
World 5.19 2.11 8.25 420,638

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

By country, region, or dependent territory

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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.[20][3] 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.

  • Note: When the regions or subregions are sorted the countries are also alphabetically sorted within those regions or subregions. Then shift-click rate or count column heads to secondarily sort countries by rates or counts within the regions or subregions previously sorted.
  • Note: Table last fully updated from data retrieved 24 November 2024 from UNODC. Individual countries updated since then.[2]
  • Note: Only UNODC-vetted data is used in the table.
  • Asterisk (*) in Location column indicates a Crime in LOCATION article.
Intentional homicide counts, and rates per 100,000 inhabitants.[2][3][4]
Location Rate Count Year Region Subregion
 Afghanistan * 4.022 1,613 2021 Asia Southern Asia
 Albania * 1.387 39 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Algeria 1.161 536 2023 Africa Northern Africa
 American Samoa 0 0 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Andorra 2.574 2 2020 Europe Southern Europe
 Angola 4.102 1,196 2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Anguilla 28.328 4 2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Antigua and Barbuda * 10.665 10 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Argentina * 4.309 1,961 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Armenia * 2.186 61 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Aruba 1.931 2 2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Australia * 0.854 226 2023 Oceania Australia and New Zealand
 Austria * 0.876 80 2023 Europe Western Europe
 Azerbaijan * 2.365 245 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Bahamas 31.221 128 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bahrain * 0.204 3 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Bangladesh * 2.340 3,830 2018 Asia Southern Asia
 Barbados 15.268 43 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Belarus 2.326 225 2019 Europe Eastern Europe
 Belgium * 1.077 125 2021 Europe Western Europe
 Belize * 27.882 113 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bermuda 6.183 4 2023 Americas Northern America
 Bhutan * 2.460 19 2020 Asia Southern Asia
 Bolivia * 4.369 535 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.224 39 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Botswana 10.547 273 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Brazil * 20.606 44,367 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 British Virgin Islands 8.223 2 2006 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Brunei 0.486 2 2013 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Bulgaria * 1.088 74 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Burundi 5.824 635 2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Cape Verde * 6.179 36 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Cambodia * 1.839 268 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Cameroon 4.537 1,202 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Canada * 2.273 874 2022 Americas Northern America
 Cayman Islands 4.457 3 2020 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Chile * 6.744 1,322 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 China * 0.502 7,157 2020 Asia Eastern Asia
 Colombia * 25.269 13,108 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Cook Islands 3.490 1 2012 Oceania Polynesia
 Costa Rica * 17.745 906 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Croatia 0.769 31 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Cuba * 4.418 500 2019 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Curaçao 17.092 26 2007 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Cyprus * 0.817 11 2023 Asia Western Asia
 Czech Republic * 0.768 83 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Denmark * 0.986 58 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Dominica 26.121 19 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Dominican Republic * 12.370 1,389 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 East Timor 4.064 49 2015 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Ecuador * 45.723 8,221 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Egypt * 1.336 1,360 2017 Africa Northern Africa
 El Salvador * 7.828 496 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Eritrea 14.573 474 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Estonia * 1.536 21 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Eswatini 12.665 151 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Ethiopia * 8.632 8,153 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Fiji 2.173 20 2020 Oceania Melanesia
 Finland * 0.982 55 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 France * 1.335 887 2023 Europe Western Europe
 French Guiana 13.300 39 2020 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 French Polynesia 0.354 1 2009 Oceania Polynesia
 Georgia 2.042 77 2019 Asia Western Asia
 Germany * 0.823 686 2022 Europe Western Europe
 Ghana * 1.813 607 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Gibraltar * 3.199 1 2010 Europe Southern Europe
 Greece * 0.840 86 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Greenland * 5.365 3 2016 Americas Northern America
 Grenada 6.378 8 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guadeloupe * 5.781 23 2016 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guam 4.151 7 2019 Oceania Micronesia
 Guatemala * 19.990 3,520 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Guinea-Bissau 1.117 21 2017 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Guyana * 16.198 131 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Haiti * 41.152 4,789 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Holy See * 0 0 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Honduras * 31.442 3,347 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Hong Kong * 0.401 30 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Hungary * 0.774 75 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Iceland 1.073 4 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 India * 2.832 40,130 2022 Asia Southern Asia
 Indonesia * 0.307 847 2022 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Iran * 2.421 1,936 2014 Asia Southern Asia
 Iraq 9.410 3,339 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Iraq (Central Iraq) 15.397 5,459 2021 Asia Western Asia
 Iraq (Kurdistan Region) 2.246 111 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Ireland 0.654 34 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Isle of Man 0 0 2016 Europe Northern Europe
 Israel * 1.626 147 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Italy * 0.545 322 2022 Europe Southern Europe
 Jamaica * 49.299 1,400 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Japan * 0.233 289 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Jordan * 0.988 113 2023 Asia Western Asia
 Kazakhstan * 2.634 511 2022 Asia Central Asia
 Kenya * 4.892 2,643 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Kiribati 7.167 8 2012 Oceania Micronesia
 Kosovo * 1.986 33 2021 Europe Southern Europe
 Kuwait * 0.252 11 2020 Asia Western Asia
 Latvia * 2.497 47 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Lebanon 2.260 128 2020 Asia Western Asia
 Lesotho * 37.694 752 2008 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Liberia * 3.117 135 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Liechtenstein 5.123 2 2021 Europe Western Europe
 Lithuania 2.628 75 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Luxembourg 1.544 10 2022 Europe Western Europe
 Macau * 0.568 4 2023 Asia Eastern Asia
 Malawi * 1.791 279 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Malaysia * 0.724 243 2021 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Maldives * 0.595 3 2019 Asia Southern Asia
 Malta 0.563 3 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Marshall Islands 4.013 2 1994 Oceania Micronesia
 Martinique 2.790 11 2009 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Mauritania * 1.023 46 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mauritius * 2.232 29 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mayotte 5.816 12 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Mexico * 24.859 32,252 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Micronesia 0.898 1 2019 Oceania Micronesia
 Monaco 0 0 2008 Europe Western Europe
 Mongolia 5.915 203 2023 Asia Eastern Asia
 Montenegro * 0.789 5 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Montserrat 0 0 2018 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Morocco 1.705 643 2023 Africa Northern Africa
 Mozambique 3.573 849 2011 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Myanmar * 3.872 2,098 2022 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Namibia * 12.450 315 2021 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Nepal * 2.102 617 2020 Asia Southern Asia
 Netherlands 0.691 125 2023 Europe Western Europe
 New Caledonia 3.113 8 2009 Oceania Melanesia
 New Zealand * 1.111 57 2021 Oceania Australia and New Zealand
 Nicaragua 11.006 754 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Niger 4.389 788 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Nigeria * 21.741 44,200 2019 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 North Macedonia 1.529 28 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Northern Ireland 1.413 27 2022 Europe Northern Europe
 Norway * 0.725 40 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Oman * 0.139 7 2023 Asia Western Asia
 Pakistan * 4.335 10.729 2023 Asia Southern Asia
 Palau 11.195 2 2018 Oceania Micronesia
 Palestine * 1.410 74 2022 Asia Western Asia
 Panama * 11.319 499 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Papua New Guinea * 9.402 713 2010 Oceania Melanesia
 Paraguay * 6.961 472 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Peru * 8.462 2,853 2021 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Philippines * 4.316 4,764 2019 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Poland * 0.802 311 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Portugal * 0.797 82 2021 Europe Southern Europe
 Puerto Rico * 14.312 464 2023 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Qatar * 0.074 2 2022 Asia Western Asia
 South Korea * 0.531 275 2022 Asia Eastern Asia
 Moldova * 2.543 78 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Réunion 1.699 15 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Romania * 1.109 212 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Russia * 6.799 9,866 2021 Europe Eastern Europe
 Rwanda 3.590 472 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saint Helena 0 0 2009 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saint Kitts and Nevis * 23.081 11 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Lucia * 36.696 66 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Martin 28.727 10 2016 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 16.518 1 2009 Americas Northern America
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 40.405 42 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Samoa 6.199 13 2018 Oceania Polynesia
 San Marino 0 0 2011 Europe Southern Europe
 São Tomé and Príncipe 3.225 6 2011 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Saudi Arabia * 0.795 285 2019 Asia Western Asia
 Scotland 0.967 53 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 Serbia * 1.314 89 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Seychelles 9.335 10 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Sierra Leone 2.137 176 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Singapore * 0.069 4 2023 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Slovakia * 1.124 62 2023 Europe Eastern Europe
 Slovenia * 0.566 12 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Solomon Islands 3.682 19 2008 Oceania Melanesia
 South Africa * 45.534 27,272 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 South Sudan 14.054 1,504 2012 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Spain * 0.691 331 2023 Europe Southern Europe
 Sri Lanka * 3.427 742 2019 Asia Southern Asia
 Suriname * 7.281 45 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Sweden * 1.147 121 2023 Europe Northern Europe
 Switzerland * 0.597 53 2023 Europe Western Europe
 Syria 2.073 463 2010 Asia Western Asia
 Tajikistan 0.912 87 2020 Asia Central Asia
 Tanzania 3.705 2,286 2020 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Thailand * 4.813 3,307 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Tonga * 0.953 1 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Trinidad and Tobago * 39.516 605 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Tunisia 4.621 562 2020 Africa Northern Africa
 Turkey * 3.228 2,817 2023 Asia Western Asia
 Turkmenistan 1.093 63 2015 Asia Central Asia
 Turks and Caicos Islands 76.582 35 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Tuvalu * 0 0 2019 Oceania Polynesia
 Uganda 8.768 4,143 2022 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Ukraine * 3.843 1,673 2021 Europe Eastern Europe
 United Arab Emirates * 0.752 71 2022 Asia Western Asia
 United Kingdom *. England and Wales 1.148 684 2021 Europe Northern Europe
 United States * 5.763 19,796 2023 Americas Northern America
 U.S. Virgin Islands 49.631 52 2012 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Uruguay 11.190 383 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Uzbekistan 1.405 479 2021 Asia Central Asia
 Vanuatu 0.321 1 2020 Oceania Melanesia
 Venezuela * 12.607 3,568 2022 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
 Vietnam * 1.537 1,358 2011 Asia South-eastern Asia
 Yemen * 6.311 1,703 2013 Asia Western Asia
 Zambia * 5.250 853 2015 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
 Zimbabwe * 0.514 84 2023 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa

Other multi-country studies

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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.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ ● Homicide data from "Homicide rate UNODC / Homicide rate, 2021". OurWorldInData.org. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2023. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. UNODC data for most countries is for 2021.
    ● 2021 Population data from "The World Factbook (2021 Archive) Country Comparisons – Population". U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Intentional Homicide". dataunodc.un.org. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Table by country. Some have 2023 data. Can select countries, regions, years, gender, mechanisms, relationship, and more. Use fit-to-page button at bottom to see everything. Use dataset link to get all the data with higher accuracy. Table last fully updated from dataset retrieved 24 November 2024. Individual countries updated since then.
  3. ^ a b c "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.
  4. ^ a b "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.
  5. ^ a b c d 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Fry, Don. (1985). Believing the news. Poynter Institute for Media Studies. ISBN 978-0-935742-11-4.
  8. ^ Vizzard, William J. (2000). Shots in the dark. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8476-9560-7.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 12.
  12. ^ 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
  13. ^ a b c "Victims of intentional homicide - Regional Estimate". dataunodc.un.org. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Choose regions, years, counts, rates, gender.
  14. ^ "Homicide rate". Our World in Data. Interactive map at source. With yearly slide bar. Hover over country to see graph timeline of rate.
  15. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 10.
  16. ^ UNODC 2014, pp. 102–103.
  17. ^ a b UNODC 2014, p. 99.
  18. ^ UNODC 2014, p. 101.
  19. ^ a b UNODC 2014, p. 104.
  20. ^ UNODC 2014, pp. 7–8.
  21. ^ "InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up". 29 January 2021.

Sources

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Further reading

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