Title: Homicides - Our World in Data
Headings: Homicides
Homicides
Summary
All our charts on Homicides
In some countries, homicide is one of the leading causes of death
More than 400,000 people die from homicide each year
Homicide is a leading cause of death in young adults
The global distribution of homicides
Less than 1% of global deaths are from homicide, but in some countries it’s close to 10%
There are large differences in homicide rates across the world
How have homicide rates changed over time?
How have homicide rates changed over the long run until today?
Have homicides increased or decreased in recent decades?
Who are the victims of homicide?
Homicide deaths by age
Homicide rates by age
Child homicides
How and where are homicides committed?
By weapon/method
Definitions & Measurement
Origin and limitations of the available data on homicides
Comparisons of recent estimates
Data quality for long historical estimates
Data Sources
Historical sources
Homicide Data in the Post-War Time
Recent homicide estimates
Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Global Burden of Disease (GBD)

Content: 5
In the chart shown here we see long-run homicide rates for the five European regions. Homicide rates – measured as the number of homicides per 100,000 individuals – up to 1990 are sourced from Eisner’s (2003) publication and the Historical Violence Database. These estimates have been combined, from 1990 onwards, with homicide rates from the Global Burden of Disease study. 6
In the 1300s, homicide rates in Western Europe ranged from 23 to 56 homicides per 100,000 individuals, comparable to the current rates in Latin America. Homicide rates then fell dramatically in all five regions from the 1300s to 1800s. The magnitude of this decline was similar across countries: homicide rates fell between 78 and 98%. Homicide rates in Europe today are much lower than in the past. England, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy reached their lowest levels in the 2000s; while the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia reached their minimums in the mid to late 1900s.