Iceland vs Sweden: Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC
Iceland
1.29 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2023
Sweden
1.15 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2023
Iceland rank
122nd
Sweden rank
125th
Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC over time
- Iceland
- Sweden
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 1.29 homicides per 100,000 population against 1.15 homicides per 100,000 population in Sweden, a difference of 0.14 homicides per 100,000 population.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1994 it was Sweden ahead.
Iceland ranks 122nd and Sweden ranks 125th of 179 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.305 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.07 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.7629 homicides per 100,000 population | Sweden |
| 2000s | 0.6857 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.03 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.3413 homicides per 100,000 population | Sweden |
| 2010s | 0.57 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.9821 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.4122 homicides per 100,000 population | Sweden |
| 2020s | 1.06 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.13 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.0733 homicides per 100,000 population | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher homicide rate, who vs. unodc, Iceland or Sweden?
- Iceland, at 1.29 homicides per 100,000 population against 1.15 homicides per 100,000 population in Sweden as of 2023.
- What is the difference in homicide rate, who vs. unodc between Iceland and Sweden?
- 0.14 homicides per 100,000 population, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Sweden?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2023.
- How do Iceland and Sweden rank globally for homicide rate, who vs. unodc?
- Iceland ranks 122nd and Sweden ranks 125th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.