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Last update: April, 10 2021

Homicides

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Definition

Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s International Homicide Statistics database.

More than 400,000 people die from homicide each year

Statistics

According to the World Health Organization, more than 475,000 people die by homicide in the world in 2012, making homicide, therefore the 4th most important cause of mortality in people aged between 15 and 44 years.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in 95% of the homicide in 2012, a man was the author of the crime. Men represent also 80% of the victims.

When the homicides are in the context of domestic violence, which accounts for 15% of the total, 70% of the victims are women. Unlike women who are at greater risk of being killed by acquaintances, men are mostly killed by strangers. One in seven murders committed in the world is that of a very young man.

The World Health Organization also indicates that the homicide rate fell by 16% worldwide between 2000 and 2012 and that in average one in two homicides is carried out by firearm.

Global distribution of homicides (per 100,000 people)

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Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s International Homicide Statistics database.

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The highest homicide rate in the world in 2018 was in El Salvador, with 52 homicides per 100,000 people. Most of these murders are due to gang crimes.

Homicide data for each country (per 100,000 people)

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Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s International Homicide Statistics database.

Ranking by country

Rank Country Homicides (per 100,000 people) Year
1 El Salvador 52.0 2018
2 Jamaica 43.9 2018
3 Lesotho 43.6 2015
4 Honduras 38.9 2018
5 Belize 37.8 2017
6 Venezuela 36.7 2018
7 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 36.5 2016
8 Saint Kitts and Nevis 36.1 2012
9 South Africa 35.9 2017
10 Nigeria 34.5 2016
11 Bahamas 32.0 2017
12 Trinidad and Tobago 30.6 2015
13 Mexico 29.1 2018
14 Brazil 27.4 2018
15 Dominica 26.6 2017
16 Colombia 25.3 2018
17 Guatemala 22.5 2018
18 Saint Lucia 21.4 2018
19 Puerto Rico 21.1 2018
20 Central African Republic 20.1 2016
21 Tuvalu 18.6 2012
22 Namibia 17.7 2012
23 Botswana 15.2 2010
24 Guyana 14.2 2018
25 South Sudan 13.9 2012
26 Seychelles 12.5 2016
27 Uruguay 12.1 2018
28 eSwatini 11.6 2017
29 Costa Rica 11.3 2018
30 Palau 11.2 2018
31 Antigua and Barbuda 11.1 2012
32 Grenada 10.8 2017
33 Uganda 10.5 2018
34 Iraq 10.1 2013
35 Dominican Republic 10.0 2018
36 Barbados 9.8 2018
37 Papua New Guinea 9.8 2010
38 Panama 9.4 2018
39 Ethiopia 8.8 2012
40 Russia 8.2 2018
41 Peru 7.9 2017
42 Kiribati 7.5 2012
43 Zimbabwe 7.5 2012
44 Nicaragua 7.2 2016
45 Paraguay 7.1 2018
46 Cabo Verde 6.8 2018
47 Yemen 6.8 2013
48 Haiti 6.7 2018
49 Afghanistan 6.7 2018
50 Tanzania 6.5 2016
51 Philippines 6.5 2018
52 Bolivia 6.2 2016
53 Ukraine 6.2 2017
54 Mongolia 6.2 2018
55 Burundi 6.1 2016
56 Ecuador 5.8 2018
57 Suriname 5.4 2017
58 Zambia 5.4 2015
59 Argentina 5.3 2018
60 Greenland 5.3 2016
61 Sudan 5.1 2008
62 Kazakhstan 5.1 2017
63 Cuba 5.0 2016
64 United States 5.0 2018
65 Kenya 4.9 2018
66 Angola 4.8 2012
67 Lithuania 4.6 2018
68 Niger 4.4 2012
69 Chile 4.4 2018
70 Latvia 4.4 2018
71 Turkmenistan 4.2 2006
72 Moldova 4.1 2018
73 Timor-Leste 4.1 2015
74 Marshall Islands 4.0 1994
75 Pakistan 3.9 2018
76 Solomon Islands 3.8 2008
77 Mozambique 3.5 2011
78 Liberia 3.3 2012
79 São Tomé and Principe 3.3 2011
80 New Caledonia 3.2 2009
81 Samoa 3.1 2013
82 India 3.1 2018
83 Tunisia 3.1 2012
84 Mauritius 2.9 2018
85 Liechtenstein 2.6 2018
86 Turkey 2.6 2018
87 Thailand 2.6 2017
88 Rwanda 2.6 2015
89 Egypt 2.6 2012
90 Iran 2.5 2014
91 Lebanon 2.5 2018
92 Hungary 2.5 2017
93 Sri Lanka 2.4 2018
94 Kosovo 2.4 2018
95 Belarus 2.4 2018
96 Bangladesh 2.4 2018
97 Fiji 2.3 2014
98 Nepal 2.3 2016
99 Albania 2.3 2018
100 Myanmar 2.3 2016
101 Montenegro 2.2 2018
102 Georgia 2.2 2018
103 Azerbaijan 2.2 2018
104 Kyrgyzstan 2.2 2018
105 Malaysia 2.1 2013
106 Estonia 2.1 2018
107 Ghana 2.1 2017
108 Cambodia 1.8 2011
109 Kuwait 1.8 2012
110 Malawi 1.8 2012
111 Canada 1.8 2018
112 Sierra Leone 1.7 2015
113 Armenia 1.7 2018
114 Belgium 1.7 2017
115 Tajikistan 1.6 2011
116 Finland 1.6 2018
117 Malta 1.6 2018
118 Vietnam 1.5 2011
119 Israel 1.5 2017
120 Morocco 1.4 2018
121 Cameroon 1.4 2017
122 Algeria 1.4 2015
123 Jordan 1.4 2017
124 Bulgaria 1.3 2018
125 Romania 1.3 2018
126 Saudi Arabia 1.3 2017
127 Cyprus 1.3 2018
128 Burkina Faso 1.3 2017
129 Serbia 1.2 2018
130 United Kingdom 1.2 2018
131 Macedonia 1.2 2018
132 France 1.2 2018
133 Bhutan 1.2 2018
134 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.2 2018
135 Guinea-Bissau 1.1 2017
136 Slovakia 1.1 2018
137 Uzbekistan 1.1 2017
138 Benin 1.1 2017
139 Sweden 1.1 2018
140 Denmark 1.0 2018
141 Tonga 1.0 2012
142 Austria 1.0 2018
143 Germany 0.9 2018
144 Greece 0.9 2018
145 Australia 0.9 2018
146 Iceland 0.9 2018
147 Syria 0.9 2018
148 Ireland 0.9 2018
149 Portugal 0.8 2018
150 New Zealand 0.7 2017
151 Poland 0.7 2018
152 Maldives 0.7 2013
153 Spain 0.6 2018
154 Czech Republic 0.6 2017
155 South Korea 0.6 2018
156 Switzerland 0.6 2018
157 Netherlands 0.6 2018
158 Croatia 0.6 2018
159 Italy 0.6 2018
160 China 0.5 2018
161 Bahrain 0.5 2014
162 Brunei Darussalam 0.5 2013
163 Palestine 0.5 2018
164 Slovenia 0.5 2018
165 Norway 0.5 2018
166 United Arab Emirates 0.5 2017
167 Indonesia 0.4 2017
168 Qatar 0.4 2014
169 Luxembourg 0.3 2017
170 Oman 0.3 2018
171 Senegal 0.3 2015
172 Japan 0.3 2018
173 Singapore 0.2 2018
174 Andorra 0 2015
175 Monaco 0 2015
176 San Marino 0 2011
177 Chad
178 Comoros
179 Côte d’Ivoire
180 Democratic Republic of the Congo
181 Djibouti
182 Equatorial Guinea
183 Eritrea
184 Federated States of Micronesia
185 Gabon
186 Guinea
187 Laos
188 Libya
189 Madagascar
190 Mali
191 Mauritania
192 Nauru
193 North Korea
194 Republic of the Congo
195 Somalia
196 Somaliland
197 Taiwan
198 The Gambia
199 Togo
200 Vanuatu
201 Vatican
202 Western Sahara