Child homicide rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Child homicide rate was 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
3.14 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 15.1%
World rank
17th
of 113 countries
All-time high
4.51 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2011
All-time low
0.3578 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1963
Years of data
62
1961–2022
Child homicide rate in Costa Rica, 1961–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people for child homicide rate in 2022.
That represents a change of up 15.1% on the previous year and up 32.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child homicide rate in Costa Rica peaked at 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.3578 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1963.
Costa Rica ranks 17th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child homicide rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.5155 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1962 | 0.4955 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1963 | 0.3578 deaths per 100,000 people | -27.8% |
| 1964 | 0.4602 deaths per 100,000 people | +28.6% |
| 1965 | 0.8902 deaths per 100,000 people | +93.4% |
| 1966 | 0.7556 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.1% |
| 1967 | 0.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.6% |
| 1968 | 0.41 deaths per 100,000 people | -34.9% |
| 1969 | 1 deaths per 100,000 people | +144.7% |
| 1970 | 1.18 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.6% |
| 1971 | 1.26 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.4% |
| 1972 | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 0.738 deaths per 100,000 people | -39.3% |
| 1975 | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +84.9% |
| 1976 | 2.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +57.8% |
| 1977 | 0.8847 deaths per 100,000 people | -58.9% |
| 1978 | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.3% |
| 1979 | 0.7742 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.1% |
| 1980 | 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +294.3% |
| 1981 | 1.42 deaths per 100,000 people | -53.5% |
| 1982 | 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.9% |
| 1983 | 1.46 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.5% |
| 1984 | 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.0% |
| 1985 | 1.49 deaths per 100,000 people | +43.5% |
| 1986 | 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people | +29.1% |
| 1987 | 1.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 0.8859 deaths per 100,000 people | -52.9% |
| 1989 | 1.88 deaths per 100,000 people | +112.5% |
| 1990 | 1.42 deaths per 100,000 people | -24.5% |
| 1991 | 0.9055 deaths per 100,000 people | -36.2% |
| 1992 | 1.16 deaths per 100,000 people | +28.4% |
| 1993 | 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.8% |
| 1994 | 0.9906 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.4% |
| 1995 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.7% |
| 1996 | 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.0% |
| 1997 | 1.52 deaths per 100,000 people | +13.0% |
| 1998 | 1.51 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 1.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.0% |
| 2000 | 2.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.4% |
| 2001 | 1.61 deaths per 100,000 people | -21.5% |
| 2002 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.1% |
| 2003 | 2.66 deaths per 100,000 people | +115.6% |
| 2004 | 2.3 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.5% |
| 2005 | 2.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.64 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.2% |
| 2007 | 2.03 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.0% |
| 2008 | 2.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +29.0% |
| 2009 | 3.79 deaths per 100,000 people | +44.8% |
| 2010 | 4.08 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 2.37 deaths per 100,000 people | -47.5% |
| 2013 | 2.78 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.6% |
| 2014 | 3.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.0% |
| 2015 | 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 4.48 deaths per 100,000 people | +27.9% |
| 2017 | 3.15 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.7% |
| 2018 | 3.66 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.2% |
| 2019 | 2.79 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.8% |
| 2020 | 3.46 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.2% |
| 2021 | 2.73 deaths per 100,000 people | -21.1% |
| 2022 | 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.3072 deaths per 100,000 people, 10.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child homicide rate in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +294.3% | 0.7742 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6131 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.3578 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.738 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.15 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.62 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.8859 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.32 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.9055 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.87 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.79 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.47 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.37 deaths per 100,000 people | 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.73 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.46 deaths per 100,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 14 United States 4.7 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 15 Dominican Republic 3.94 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 16 Panama 3.69 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 18 Seychelles 3.07 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 19 Saint Lucia 2.13 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 20 South Africa 2.09 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Costa Rica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 36,395 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0071 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child homicide rate in Costa Rica?
- Child homicide rate in Costa Rica was 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child homicide rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011.
- What is the lowest child homicide rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3578 deaths per 100,000 people in 1963.
- How does Costa Rica rank for child homicide rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is child homicide rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Child homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual number of homicides where the victim is under 20 years old, per 100,000 people in the same age-group.