What are top 20 countries with highest murder eates

Accessing homicide rates and the factors behind them is always a tricky business. Although poverty is often said to be to blame, even in developed countries, like the US and England, crime can be rampant. Some of the reasons for violent crime, including homicide, according to the World Bank, include economic stagnation and income inequality.

When it comes to lowering crime rates, this is also a difficult task. Some possible suggestions for this include monitoring government corruption to ensure stability and maintaining an effective justice system, complete with efficient investigations and fair trials. It requires dedication on an international and local level. Here is an overview of the world's countries with the highest murder rates, as well as the lowest.

Countries With The Highest Murder Rates

1. El Salvador (61.8 per 100,000)

El Salvador has the highest homicide rate in the world at 61.8 murders per 100,000 individuals. Estimates indicate that approximately 60% of these incidents are related to gang activity. Additionally, El Salvador still experiences instability, much of which is a remnant of a destructive civil war that lasted from 1979 until 1992.

2. Jamaica (57 per 100,000)

Jamaica has the world's second-highest murder rate. Unfortunately, this is a position that Jamaica has held consistently for several years. The latest measurement of 57 homicides per 100,000 was a decrease from 2005 when it was slightly higher at 58 homicides per 100,000. Most of Jamaica's homicides are a result of organized crime activity, and the island remains a popular tourist attraction.

3. Venezuela (56.3 per 100,000)

Venezuela has the third-highest murder rate in the world. The country loses 56.3 people per 100,000 each year to homicide. Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, is known as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. It is considered the third most murderous city in the world. With increasing political turmoil, this number has been increasing.

4. Honduras (41.7 per 100,000)

Honduras had 41.7 homicides per 100,000 people in 2017. San Pedro Sula, in the northwest of the country, is at the center of much of this small Central American country's violence.

5. Lesotho (41.2 per 100,000)

Lesotho is a small country found in southern Africa. Its murder rate is 41.2 homicides per 100,000 people, the fifth-highest in the world. Most crime in Lesotho occurs in the country's urban areas. The capital city of Maseru is particularly dangerous to locals and tourists alike.

Countries With The Lowest Murder Rates

Believe it or not, some countries boast an annual homicide rate of 0. They are Andorra, the Holy See (Vatican City), Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, as well as, some dependent territories. One thing that all of these countries have in common is a very low population. If a homicide were to happen within these countries, it would result in a notably high murder rate, because all of these countries have a population that is considerably under 100,000.

Countries that do have a significant population of 5 million or more but an extremely low murder rate include:

  • Singapore (Population: 5,638,700 - Murder Rate: 0.2 per 100,000)
  • Japan (Population: 126,150,000 (11th Largest Country) - Murder Rate: 0.2 per 100,000)
  • Switzerland (Population: 8,570,146 - Murder Rate: 0.5 per 100,000)
  • United Arab Emirates (Population: 9,599,353 - Murder Rate: 0.5 per 100,000)
  • South Korea (Population: 51,709,098 (28th Largest Country) - Murder Rate: 0.6 per 100,000)
  • Czech Republic (Population: 10,649,800 - Murder Rate: 0.6 per 100,000)
  • China (Population: 1.4 Billion (Largest Country) - Murder Rate: 0.6 per 100,000)
  • Austra (Population: 8,857,960 - Murder Rate: 0.66 per 100,000)
  • Italy (Population: 60,359,546 (23rd Largest Country) - Murder Rate: 0.67 per 100,000)
  • Spain (Population: 46,733,038 (30th Largest Country) - Murder Rate: 0.70 per 100,000)

Factors Affecting High Murder Rates

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has conducted a study to identify the prominent factors that seem to result in high murder rates. Countries with the widest gaps between rich and poor are four times more likely to experience violent crimes than other countries. These inequitable societies are found most often in developing countries, where high poverty lacking infrastructure is commonplace. Poverty and crime go hand in hand; crime drives away businesses and investors, reducing available human capital and creating an insecure environment, which, in turn, leads to more poverty. Organized crime, like gangs and drug trafficking, also contribute to high murder rates. It is particularly true in countries like Jamaica, Honduras, and El Salvador. Organized crime is also more likely to be participated in by young males who, consequently, are also more likely to be a victim of murder. Drug and alcohol use is also related to high murder and poverty rates. Intoxication increases the risk of being involved (either as the guilty party or the victim) in a murder.

Countries that are experiencing political turmoil and violent conflict are also more likely to experience high murder rates, as is the case with El Salvador, which is still recovering from its civil war.

Preventive Measures To Be Taken

To reduce these climbing murder rates, governments must focus on preventive measures. Given its connection to poverty and social issues, preventive crime policies need to focus on more than just punishments. Without including economic and social development strategies in local policy, violent crimes are likely to continue. Additionally, these policies must target the most at-risk populations. As this article has discussed, murder rates are highest among young males and in urban areas. Successful initiatives would focus on urban-living youth and involve other community members to break the vicious cycle of poverty and violence.

Many scholars also point to the availability of firearms as a significant contributing factor to homicide rates, saying that restricting gun access would help reduce murders. The majority of murders throughout the Americas are committed with guns. However, this point is heavily disputed. Gun restriction proponents point to the case in Brazil, where gun access was restricted, and the murder rate dropped. Proponents for gun ownership point to the situation in Venezuela, where gun access was denied, guns were taken away, and the murder rate increased.

In countries recovering from internal conflict and political instability, it is essential to reduce violence in general. It involves restoring law and order and stabilizing the country. The conflict must be fully addressed by the government and resolved to avoid any lingering effects.

Below is a list of murder rates by country. The figures are the latest ones available from the UNODC for each specific country.

Murder Rates By Country 2020

Rank Country (or dependent territory)Rate (Homicides per 100,000) 1 El Salvador61.82 Jamaica573 Venezuela56.334 US Virgin Islands49.265 Honduras41.76 Lesotho41.257 Belize37.98 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines36.469 South Africa35.910 Saint Kitts and Nevis34.2311 Bahamas30.912 Trinidad and Tobago30.8813 Brazil30.514 Saint Lucia29.615 Anguilla27.6616 Guatemala26.117 Dominica25.718 Colombia24.919 Mexico24.820 Montserrat19.8821 Central African Republic19.7622 Curaçao19.1923 Tuvalu18.6524 Puerto Rico18.525 Namibia17.1426 Saint Pierre and Miquelon15.9327 Botswana15.0428 Guyana14.829 South Sudan13.930 DR Congo13.5531 French Guiana13.1532 Seychelles12.7433 Costa Rica12.334 Côte d'Ivoire11.6335 Cape Verde11.4936 Dominican Republic11.337 Grenada11.138 Uganda1139 Mali10.940 Barbados10.541 Antigua and Barbuda10.3342 Central Iraq10.0843 Haiti10.0444 Mauritania9.9445 Nigeria9.8546 Iraq9.8547 Panama9.748 Eswatini9.549 Congo9.3250 Paraguay9.2951 Russia9.252 Gambia9.1353 Chad9.0454 Togo955 Guinea8.8256 Cayman Islands8.4557 Philippines8.458 British Virgin Islands8.3759 Bermuda8.260 Uruguay8.261 Eritrea8.0462 Gabon8.0463 Guadeloupe8.0164 Papua New Guinea7.8565 Comoros7.766 Peru7.767 Madagascar7.6968 Ethiopia7.5669 Kiribati7.570 Senegal7.3871 Nicaragua7.3772 Afghanistan7.173 Laos7.0174 Tanzania6.9575 Zimbabwe6.6776 Yemen6.6677 Djibouti6.4878 Bolivia6.379 Mongolia6.280 Ukraine6.281 Burundi6.0282 Mayotte5.9383 Turks and Caicos Islands5.9384 Ecuador5.885 Suriname5.586 American Samoa5.487 Greenland5.3188 Zambia5.389 United States5.390 Sudan5.1691 Argentina5.192 Kenya593 Kazakhstan594 Cuba4.9995 Angola4.8596 Micronesia4.6797 Lithuania4.598 Niger4.4499 North Korea4.4100 Somalia4.31101 Turkey4.31102 Chile4.3103 Turkmenistan4.22104 Kyrgyzstan4.2105 Pakistan4.2106 Latvia4.2107 Lebanon3.99108 Timor-Leste3.95109 Solomon Islands3.77110 Belarus3.58111 Cook Islands3.49112 Mozambique3.4113 São Tomé and Príncipe3.36114 Thailand3.24115 Liberia3.23116 New Caledonia3.23117 India3.22118 Moldova3.19119 Samoa3.15120 Palau3.11121 Tunisia3.05122 Gibraltar3.01123 Martinique2.78124 Rwanda2.52125 Egypt2.51126 Guam2.51127 Libya2.5128 Hungary2.5129 Iran2.47130 Armenia2.4131 Montenegro2.4132 Equatorial Guinea2.31133 Sri Lanka2.3134 Albania2.3135 Myanmar2.27136 Fiji2.26137 Bangladesh2.2138 Kurdistan Region (Iraq)2.2139 Syria2.2140 Estonia2.2141 Nepal2.16142 Vanuatu2.13143 Malaysia2.11144 Morocco2.1145 Ghana2.1146 Azerbaijan2147 Aruba1.93148 Cambodia1.84149 Mauritius1.82150 Réunion1.82151 Canada1.8152 Kuwait1.8153 Malawi1.73154 Sierra Leone1.71155 Belgium1.7156 Tajikistan1.61157 Bhutan1.6158 Kosovo1.6159 Vietnam1.52160 Bulgaria1.5161 Romania1.5162 Slovakia1.5163 North Macedonia1.5164 Cameroon1.4165 Jordan1.4166 Algeria1.36167 Israel1.36168 Burkina Faso1.3169 Saudi Arabia1.3170 Northern Ireland1.3171 France1.3172 Denmark1.2173 Finland1.2174 England and Wales1.2175 United Kingdom1.2176 Bosnia and Herzegovina1.2177 Benin1.1178 Guinea-Bissau1.1179 Uzbekistan1.1180 Sweden1.1181 Scotland1.1182 Croatia1.1183 Serbia1.1184 Germany1185 Georgia0.99186 Tonga0.95187 Malta0.94188 Iceland0.9189 Ireland0.9190 Slovenia0.9191 Taiwan0.82192 Poland0.8193 Netherlands0.8194 Australia0.8195 Maldives0.75196 Greece0.7197 Portugal0.7198 Spain0.7199 New Zealand0.7200 Palestine0.69201 Italy0.67202 Austria0.66203 China0.6204 South Korea0.6205 Cyprus0.6206 Czech Republic0.6207 Bahrain0.52208 Oman0.5209 United Arab Emirates0.5210 Norway0.5211 Switzerland0.5212 Brunei0.49213 Indonesia0.4214 Qatar0.38215 French Polynesia0.38216 Hong Kong0.3217 Macau0.3218 Luxembourg0.3219 Japan0.2220 Singapore0.2221 Saint Helena0222 Channel Islands0223 Isle of Man0224 Andorra0225 Vatican City0226 San Marino0227 Liechtenstein0228 Monaco0229 Nauru0230 Niue0

What 10 countries have the highest murder rates?

The ten countries with the highest murder rates are El Salvador, Jamaica, Lesotho, Honduras, Belize, Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Nigeria. Topping the list with an alarming homicide rate of 52.02 per 100,000 people is El Salvador.

Which country has murdered the most?

El Salvador is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Latin American country had a homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are located in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Where does US rank in murder rate?

Introduction. Among advanced developed countries, the United States has the highest homicide rate: 7.8 per 100,000 population in 2020. Most others, including Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom, have homicide rates that are a fraction of this level (Figure 1).

Which country has the highest crime rate in the world?

2023: Crime rate of 10 countries of the world.

  1. Venezuela has a crime index of 83.76, highest of any country in the world. ... .
  1. Papua New Guinea has a crime index of 80.79. ... .
  1. South Africa has the third-highest crime rate in the world. ... .
  1. Afghanistan has the fourth-highest crime rate..