Homicide Rate by Country
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people. Japan is safest at 0.2, while parts of Latin America and Africa face severe violence.
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Key Insights
- •East Asia and Western Europe are the safest regions
- •Latin America accounts for 33% of global homicides with 8% of population
- •US homicide rate is 5-10x higher than peer developed nations
Country Rankings
Top 10 Countries
Bottom 10 Countries
Data Analysis
Value Distribution
How countries are distributed across the value range
Regional Comparison
Average values by world region (Global avg: 4.2/100k)
Correlation Analysis
Correlation Analysis
Homicide Rate vs GDP per Capita
About This Statistic
The homicide rate measures intentional killings per 100,000 population. It's a key indicator of public safety and the effectiveness of criminal justice systems.
Rates vary dramatically by region, with Latin America and parts of Africa having rates 20-50 times higher than Western Europe and East Asia. Factors include inequality, organized crime, drug trafficking, weak institutions, and availability of weapons.
The United States has an unusually high rate compared to other developed nations, largely attributed to gun violence. Most homicide victims and perpetrators are young men.
Methodology
Data from national criminal justice or public health systems, standardized for comparability.
Full Data
| Rank ↑ | Country ↕ | Value ↕ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 33.5/100k |
| 2 | Mexico | 28.4/100k |
| 3 | Brazil | 22.4/100k |
| 4 | Nigeria | 21.7/100k |
| 5 | Russian Federation | 7.3/100k |
| 6 | United States of America | 6.4/100k |
| 7 | Pakistan | 3.9/100k |
| 8 | India | 2.9/100k |
| 9 | Türkiye | 2.5/100k |
| 10 | Egypt | 2.3/100k |
| 11 | Canada | 2.0/100k |
| 12 | Belgium | 1.7/100k |
| 13 | Finland | 1.6/100k |
| 14 | France | 1.1/100k |
| 15 | Sweden | 1.1/100k |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 1.0/100k |
| 17 | Greece | 0.9/100k |
| 18 | Australia | 0.9/100k |
| 19 | Denmark | 0.8/100k |
| 20 | Germany | 0.8/100k |
| 21 | Portugal | 0.8/100k |
| 22 | New Zealand | 0.7/100k |
| 23 | Poland | 0.7/100k |
| 24 | Netherlands | 0.6/100k |
| 25 | Spain | 0.6/100k |
| 26 | People's Republic of China | 0.5/100k |
| 27 | Italy | 0.5/100k |
| 28 | South Korea | 0.5/100k |
| 29 | Norway | 0.5/100k |
| 30 | Switzerland | 0.5/100k |
| 31 | Austria | 0.5/100k |
| 32 | Indonesia | 0.4/100k |
| 33 | Iceland | 0.3/100k |
| 34 | Luxembourg | 0.3/100k |
| 35 | Japan | 0.2/100k |
| 36 | Singapore | 0.2/100k |
Topics
Related Statistics
Corruption Index
Transparency International's score (0-100) where higher means less corrupt. Denmark leads at 90, while many nations score below 30.
GDP per Capita
Gross Domestic Product per person in USD. Luxembourg leads at $135,605, while many developing nations remain below $5,000.
Happiness Index
World Happiness Report score (0-10). Finland tops the rankings at 7.80, known for its social support and work-life balance.
Press Freedom
Reporters Without Borders score (0-100). Norway leads at 92.0, while authoritarian regimes severely restrict press freedom.
Data Source
This data comes from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2021).
View Original Source