Intentional Homicide Rate by Country

83 countries ranked · Data year: 2023

Latest available data

This page uses the latest available World Bank observation (2023). Country-level datasets often lag the current calendar year because they depend on official reporting and validation.

World Bank 2023
World Average
8.39 per 100,000 people
Highest
Singapore
0.07 per 100,000 people
Lowest
Saint Kitts and Nevis
64.16 per 100,000 people
Countries with Data
83
Data year: 2023
What is Intentional Homicide Rate?

Intentional homicide rate measures the number of unlawful deaths purposefully inflicted by one person on another per 100,000 inhabitants. This indicator focuses on the intent to cause death or serious injury, serving as a primary metric for assessing the security environment and level of interpersonal violence within a specific country or region.

Methodology

Data is typically gathered from criminal justice records or public health sources. It is calculated by dividing the total number of intentional homicides by the total population and multiplying by 100,000. This standardization allows for meaningful comparisons across countries with vastly different population sizes.

Top Countries

#1 Singapore 0.07 per 100,000 people
#2 Oman 0.14 per 100,000 people
#3 Japan 0.23 per 100,000 people
#4 Hong Kong 0.38 per 100,000 people
#5 South Korea 0.48 per 100,000 people

Regional Averages

#1 Americas
20.74 per 100,000 people
29 countries
#2 Africa
6.9 per 100,000 people
4 countries
#3 Asia
1.89 per 100,000 people
15 countries
#4 Oceania
1.46 per 100,000 people
2 countries
#5 Europe
1.09 per 100,000 people
33 countries

The average Intentional Homicide Rate for 2023 based on 83 countries was 8.39 per 100,000 people. The highest value was in Singapore: 0.07 per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Saint Kitts and Nevis: 64.16 per 100,000 people.

Which country has the highest Intentional Homicide Rate?

As of 2023, Singapore has the highest Intentional Homicide Rate at 0.07 per 100,000 people. The top 5 countries by Intentional Homicide Rate are Singapore, Oman, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea. Data covers 83 countries. Source: World Bank.

Top 10 Countries by Intentional Homicide Rate

# Country Intentional Homicide Rate (per 100,000 people)
1 Singapore 0.07
2 Oman 0.14
3 Japan 0.23
4 Hong Kong 0.38
5 South Korea 0.48
6 Macau 0.56
7 Malta 0.56
8 Slovenia 0.57
9 Italy 0.57
10 Switzerland 0.6

Full ranking

# Country Value Trend
1 Singapore 0.07 per 100,000 people
2 Oman 0.14 per 100,000 people
3 Japan 0.23 per 100,000 people
4 Hong Kong 0.38 per 100,000 people
5 South Korea 0.48 per 100,000 people
6 Macau 0.56 per 100,000 people
7 Malta 0.56 per 100,000 people
8 Slovenia 0.57 per 100,000 people
9 Italy 0.57 per 100,000 people
10 Switzerland 0.6 per 100,000 people
11 Ireland 0.65 per 100,000 people
12 Croatia 0.67 per 100,000 people
13 Spain 0.69 per 100,000 people
14 Netherlands 0.69 per 100,000 people
15 Hungary 0.72 per 100,000 people
16 Norway 0.72 per 100,000 people
17 Malaysia 0.73 per 100,000 people
18 Czechia 0.77 per 100,000 people
19 Montenegro 0.79 per 100,000 people
20 Poland 0.8 per 100,000 people
21 Cyprus 0.82 per 100,000 people
22 Greece 0.84 per 100,000 people
23 Denmark 0.84 per 100,000 people
24 Australia 0.85 per 100,000 people
25 Austria 0.88 per 100,000 people
26 Germany 0.91 per 100,000 people
27 Finland 0.98 per 100,000 people
28 Jordan 0.99 per 100,000 people
29 Bulgaria 1.09 per 100,000 people
30 Romania 1.11 per 100,000 people
31 Slovakia 1.12 per 100,000 people
32 Sweden 1.15 per 100,000 people
33 Algeria 1.16 per 100,000 people
34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.22 per 100,000 people
35 Iceland 1.29 per 100,000 people
36 Serbia 1.31 per 100,000 people
37 France 1.34 per 100,000 people
38 Albania 1.39 per 100,000 people
39 North Macedonia 1.53 per 100,000 people
40 Estonia 1.54 per 100,000 people
41 Morocco 1.71 per 100,000 people
42 Canada 1.98 per 100,000 people
43 Fiji 2.06 per 100,000 people
44 Azerbaijan 2.16 per 100,000 people
45 Armenia 2.21 per 100,000 people
46 Latvia 2.5 per 100,000 people
47 Moldova 2.54 per 100,000 people
48 Myanmar 2.58 per 100,000 people
49 Lithuania 2.63 per 100,000 people
50 Turkey 3.23 per 100,000 people
51 Pakistan 4.33 per 100,000 people
52 Philippines 4.35 per 100,000 people
53 Bolivia 4.42 per 100,000 people
54 Argentina 4.49 per 100,000 people
55 United States 5.76 per 100,000 people
56 Mongolia 5.92 per 100,000 people
57 Bermuda 6.18 per 100,000 people
58 Chile 6.35 per 100,000 people
59 Suriname 6.52 per 100,000 people
60 Paraguay 6.78 per 100,000 people
61 Barbados 7.44 per 100,000 people
62 Uganda 8.97 per 100,000 people
63 Antigua and Barbuda 10.72 per 100,000 people
64 Dominican Republic 10.92 per 100,000 people
65 Uruguay 11.25 per 100,000 people
66 Panama 11.71 per 100,000 people
67 Grenada 13.67 per 100,000 people
68 Puerto Rico 14.59 per 100,000 people
69 Nigeria 15.75 per 100,000 people
70 Costa Rica 17.75 per 100,000 people
71 Guyana 19.12 per 100,000 people
72 Brazil 19.28 per 100,000 people
73 Guatemala 23.37 per 100,000 people
74 Mexico 24.86 per 100,000 people
75 Colombia 24.91 per 100,000 people
76 Dominica 27.06 per 100,000 people
77 Honduras 31.44 per 100,000 people
78 Saint Lucia 39.04 per 100,000 people
79 Haiti 41.15 per 100,000 people
80 Ecuador 45.72 per 100,000 people
81 Jamaica 49.44 per 100,000 people
82 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 51.32 per 100,000 people
83 Saint Kitts and Nevis 64.16 per 100,000 people

Frequently Asked Questions

As of 2023, Singapore has the highest Intentional Homicide Rate at 0.07 per 100,000 people. Data covers 83 countries. Source: World Bank.

The global average Intentional Homicide Rate is 8.39 per 100,000 people based on data from 83 countries (2023). Source: World Bank.

Saint Kitts and Nevis reports the lowest Intentional Homicide Rate at 64.16 per 100,000 people (2023).

Countries are ranked by their most recent reported value for Intentional Homicide Rate, sourced from World Bank. Reporting years can differ slightly between countries due to publication lag.

Intentional homicide rate measures the number of unlawful deaths inflicted on persons with the intent to cause death or serious injury per 100,000 people. It excludes deaths from armed conflict, legal interventions, or self-defense. This metric provides a standard way to compare interpersonal violence and public safety across different nations and regions regardless of population.

According to the latest available data covering 194 countries, Turks and Caicos Islands has the highest intentional homicide rate at approximately 76.34 per 100,000 people. High rates in specific regions are often attributed to factors such as organized crime, drug trafficking routes, and systemic socioeconomic instability that hinders effective law enforcement and judicial oversight.

According to the latest available data, Singapore records the lowest intentional homicide rate at approximately 0.07 per 100,000 people. This extremely low figure reflects a combination of strict legal frameworks, effective policing, and high levels of social stability. Other nations with low rates typically share characteristics such as strong rule of law and high human development scores.

The rate is calculated by dividing the total number of intentional homicides by the total population and then multiplying the result by 100,000. This mathematical formula creates a standardized ratio that accounts for population differences. Data usually comes from police records or health statistics, though methodology can vary slightly based on how different jurisdictions report crime statistics.

About this data
Source
World Bank VC.IHR.PSRC.P5
Definition
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people.
Coverage
Data for 83 countries (2023)
Limitations
Data may lag 1-2 years for some countries. Coverage varies by indicator.