World's intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) was 5.2 in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 14.75% from 6.1 in 2013 (1.58% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 5.2 | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 5.7 | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 6.1 | 2013 |
| Highest | 6.94 | 2001 |
| Lowest | 5.2 | 2023 |
| Average since 2014 | 5.63 | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 6.85 | 2000 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, World's intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) fell 0.1 on 2022 (from 5.3 to 5.2).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was −0.07 and a typical year strayed about 0.13 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.2 in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.3 in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.1 a year. A straight line explains 88% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
A straight-line projection, tested first
Extending that straight line gives about 4.9 for 2026. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2021 to 2023 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.05, against 0.1 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.
See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.
What this measures
An intentional homicide is defined as an unlawful death inflicted upon a person with the intent to cause death or serious injury.
Limitations: Statistics reported to the United Nations in the context of its various surveys on crime levels and criminal justice trends are incidents of victimization that have been reported to the authorities in any given country. That means that this data is subject to the problems of accuracy of all official crime data. The survey results provide an overview of trends and interrelationships between various parts of the criminal justice system to promote informed decision-making in administration, nationally and internationally. The degree to which different societies apportion the level of culpability to acts resulting in death is also subject to variation.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a aggregate values are computed by unodc. for additional information, please see the unodc website: https://dataunodc.un.org/sites/dataunodc.un.org/files/metadata_intentional_homicide.pdf.
All 24 values
| Year | Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.2 |
| 2022 | 5.3 |
| 2021 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 5.3 |
| 2019 | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 5.7 |
| 2017 | 5.9 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2015 | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 6.1 |
| 2013 |
Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) in nearby economies
More public sector data for World
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 33.33 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.48% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 33.54 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 2.86 trillion (2025)
- Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 2.1 (2023)
- Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 8.3 (2023)
- Armed forces personnel, total — 27.41 million (2020)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.79% (2020)
- Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 24% (2024)
- Expense (% of GDP)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is World's intentional homicides (per 100,000 people)?
- 5.2 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2000?
- It is down 24.13% from 6.85 in 2000 (1.19% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 6.94 in 2001 and the lowest 5.2 in 2023.
- Is the latest change in intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) unusual for World?
- In 2023, World's intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) fell 0.1 on 2022 (from 5.3 to 5.2). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was −0.07 and a typical year strayed about 0.13 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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