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: homicides were below 1 per 100,000. That’s a 50-fold difference. Homicide is therefore a problem that is very country-specific. In many countries in the world, homicide rates are very low. But for some, homicides can be a common occurrence. Click to open interactive version
How have homicide rates changed over time? In this section
How have homicide rates changed over the long run until today? Have homicides increased or decreased in recent decades? How have homicide rates changed over the long run until today? Understanding how homicide rates have changed prior to the modern era requires the help of historians and archivists.