Child homicide rate in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Child homicide rate was 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
7.31 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
5th
of 113 countries
All-time high
16.68 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1994
All-time low
1.4 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1961
Years of data
56
1961–2022
Child homicide rate in Puerto Rico, 1961–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2022, child homicide rate in Puerto Rico stood at 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 40.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child homicide rate in Puerto Rico peaked at 16.68 deaths per 100,000 people in 1994 and was at its lowest, 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1961.
That places Puerto Rico 5th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child homicide rate in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1962 | 1.73 deaths per 100,000 people | +23.8% |
| 1963 | 1.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1964 | 2.65 deaths per 100,000 people | +45.9% |
| 1965 | 2.41 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.9% |
| 1966 | 2.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.6% |
| 1969 | 3.4 deaths per 100,000 people | +59.7% |
| 1970 | 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people | -35.9% |
| 1971 | 3.54 deaths per 100,000 people | +62.4% |
| 1972 | 3.28 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.2% |
| 1973 | 3.26 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people | +50.2% |
| 1975 | 5.03 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 3.93 deaths per 100,000 people | -21.8% |
| 1977 | 5.25 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.5% |
| 1979 | 4.03 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.2% |
| 1980 | 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people | +21.6% |
| 1981 | 5.99 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.2% |
| 1982 | 4.97 deaths per 100,000 people | -17.0% |
| 1983 | 3.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -28.2% |
| 1984 | 4.2 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.6% |
| 1985 | 4.89 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.5% |
| 1986 | 6.52 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1987 | 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people | -50.7% |
| 1988 | 4.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +35.8% |
| 1989 | 4.64 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 6.69 deaths per 100,000 people | +44.2% |
| 1991 | 12.18 deaths per 100,000 people | +82.1% |
| 1992 | 10.49 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.9% |
| 1993 | 15.61 deaths per 100,000 people | +48.8% |
| 1994 | 16.68 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 13.96 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.3% |
| 1996 | 14.21 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 12.93 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.0% |
| 1998 | 12.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 9.59 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.3% |
| 2000 | 9.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 10.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.4% |
| 2002 | 7.81 deaths per 100,000 people | -24.3% |
| 2003 | 8.44 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 9.25 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 7.45 deaths per 100,000 people | -19.5% |
| 2006 | 7.09 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.1% |
| 2008 | 8.69 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 10.74 deaths per 100,000 people | +23.6% |
| 2010 | 9.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.9% |
| 2011 | 12.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +29.9% |
| 2012 | 12.17 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 9.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.7% |
| 2014 | 6.51 deaths per 100,000 people | -28.1% |
| 2015 | 5.64 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 6.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.0% |
| 2017 | 6.6 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 7.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.3% |
| 2022 | 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.5% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.3231 deaths per 100,000 people, 22.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people, 2.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.22 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 7 |
| 1970s | 3.93 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
| 1980s | 4.72 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.69 deaths per 100,000 people | 16.68 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.74 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.09 deaths per 100,000 people | 10.74 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.64 deaths per 100,000 people | 12.43 deaths per 100,000 people | 8 |
| 2020s | 7.56 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.81 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 2 El Salvador 14.63 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 3 Brazil 9.24 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 4 Colombia 8.97 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 6 Trinidad and Tobago 7.29 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 7 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.15 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 8 Mexico 5.96 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Puerto Rico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2024)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2015)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2015)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2024)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2024)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Political rights rating fh, per square kilometre 0.0001 units per square kilometre (2015)
- Political Rights Score 37 (2015)
- Freedom Score 90 (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child homicide rate in Puerto Rico?
- Child homicide rate in Puerto Rico was 7.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child homicide rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 16.68 deaths per 100,000 people in 1994.
- What is the lowest child homicide rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 1961.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for child homicide rate?
- Puerto Rico ranks 5th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is child homicide rate rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2026) – 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
Reported deaths from homicide per 100,000 people aged under 20, based on the underlying cause listed on death certificates.