Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China
China: Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 was 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
161st
of 178 countries
All-time high
2.24 homicides per 100,000 population
in 1995
All-time low
0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2020
Years of data
22
1995–2020
Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China, 1995–2020
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China is 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 49.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China peaked at 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2020.
China ranks 161st of 178 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1996 | 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 2.1 homicides per 100,000 population | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 2.04 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 1.88 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 1.59 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.5% |
| 2006 | 1.36 homicides per 100,000 population | -14.0% |
| 2007 | 1.22 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.8% |
| 2008 | 1.11 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.7% |
| 2009 | 1.09 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.9922 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.2% |
| 2011 | 0.8833 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.0% |
| 2012 | 0.8241 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 0.7716 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 0.7265 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 0.659 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.3% |
| 2016 | 0.6149 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 0.5657 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 0.5303 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 0.5184 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.06 homicides per 100,000 population, 12% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- China's 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.2 homicides per 100,000 population, 42% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.14 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population | 3 |
| 2000s | 1.52 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.09 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.04 homicides per 100,000 population | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.7086 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.5184 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.9922 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 158 Slovenia 0.5665 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 159 Malta 0.5629 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 160 Macao 0.5603 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 162 Brunei 0.4864 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 163 South Korea 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 164 Hong Kong 0.3762 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for China
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 230 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 153,962 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (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 153,962 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China?
- Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in China was 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population in 1995.
- What is the lowest homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020.
- How does China rank for homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020?
- China ranks 161st out of 178 countries with data for 2020.
- Is homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.