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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.
While 2022's global murder rate was 6.1 (per 100k people), murder rates varied widely across the globe. Central America and the Caribbean were global hotspots, with countries such as Ecuador (27), Honduras (36.7), and Jamaica (53.3) posting murder rates up to 9 times higher than the global average.
30 paź 2024 · The population data used to calculate homicide rates is sourced from the World Population Prospect, Population Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The statistical definition contains three elements that characterize the killing of a person as “intentional homicide”:
Homicides — when people intentionally and illegally kill others for personal reasons — are the most serious crime. They are a common cause of death globally and a leading cause of death in some countries.
Countries like Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, and South Africa have high crime rates due to issues like corruption, economic changes, and social challenges. Low crime rates in countries like Switzerland and Japan are attributed to effective law enforcement and in some cases, restrictive gun laws.
Global Rates of Homicide. In a world of social complexities and varying cultures, understanding the concept of crime, specifically murder, becomes all the more relevant.
The estimates of homicide rates draw on data provided by countries from police and vital registration sources; data from UNODC’s global studies on homicide; and data from WHO’s Mortality Database.
