Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium
Belgium: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 2 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
2 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 24.4%
World rank
88th
of 138 countries
All-time high
3.7 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2002
All-time low
1.61 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2019
Years of data
21
2000–2021
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium, 2000–2021
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
In 2021, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium stood at 2 homicides per 100,000 population.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 24.4% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium peaked at 3.7 homicides per 100,000 population in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2019.
Belgium ranks 88th of 138 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.57 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2001 | 3.56 homicides per 100,000 population | +38.8% |
| 2002 | 3.7 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 2.67 homicides per 100,000 population | -27.7% |
| 2004 | 2.78 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 2.51 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.5% |
| 2006 | 2.58 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 2.38 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.9% |
| 2008 | 2.51 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 2.13 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.2% |
| 2010 | 2.23 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 2.34 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 1.94 homicides per 100,000 population | -17.2% |
| 2014 | 2.34 homicides per 100,000 population | +20.8% |
| 2015 | 2.27 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 1.92 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.6% |
| 2017 | 1.89 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 2.08 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population | -22.7% |
| 2021 | 2 homicides per 100,000 population | +24.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 2 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.4× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 2 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.74 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.13 homicides per 100,000 population | 3.7 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.09 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.34 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 2 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 85 Serbia 2.05 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 86 Iceland 2.02 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 87 France 2.01 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 89 Algeria 1.83 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 90 New Zealand 1.81 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 91 Uzbekistan 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Belgium
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0156 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 by sex of the victim in Belgium?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Belgium was 2 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021, 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 by sex of the victim recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7 homicides per 100,000 population in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population in 2019.
- How does Belgium rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- Belgium ranks 88th out of 138 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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 by sex of the victim. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 populationof male victims.