Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan
Japan: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 16.2%
World rank
130th
of 138 countries
All-time high
0.719 homicides per 100,000 population
in 1994
All-time low
0.1999 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan, 1990–2023
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 2023, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan stood at 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.2% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan peaked at 0.719 homicides per 100,000 population in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.1999 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2022.
Japan ranks 130th of 138 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.6108 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1991 | 0.5578 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.7% |
| 1992 | 0.6047 homicides per 100,000 population | +8.4% |
| 1993 | 0.645 homicides per 100,000 population | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 0.719 homicides per 100,000 population | +11.5% |
| 1995 | 0.6201 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.8% |
| 1996 | 0.5801 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.4% |
| 1997 | 0.6401 homicides per 100,000 population | +10.3% |
| 1998 | 0.6726 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 0.6379 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 0.557 homicides per 100,000 population | -12.7% |
| 2001 | 0.6106 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.6% |
| 2002 | 0.5539 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.3% |
| 2003 | 0.6045 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 0.5834 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 0.5164 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.5% |
| 2006 | 0.4701 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.0% |
| 2007 | 0.4653 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population | +7.9% |
| 2009 | 0.4032 homicides per 100,000 population | -19.7% |
| 2010 | 0.3636 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.8% |
| 2011 | 0.332 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 0.3022 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.0% |
| 2013 | 0.2867 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 0.3033 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 0.2331 homicides per 100,000 population | -23.1% |
| 2016 | 0.2655 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2142 homicides per 100,000 population | -19.3% |
| 2018 | 0.2499 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2229 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.8% |
| 2020 | 0.2123 homicides per 100,000 population | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 0.246 homicides per 100,000 population | +15.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1999 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.7% |
| 2023 | 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 homicides per 100,000 population, 16% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Japan's 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.34 homicides per 100,000 population, 17% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6288 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.5578 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.719 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5266 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.4032 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.6106 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2773 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.2142 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.3636 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2226 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.1999 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.246 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 127 South Korea 0.4916 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 128 Hong Kong 0.4471 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 129 Malta 0.3616 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 131 Oman 0.1595 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 132 Bahrain 0.1052 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 133 Singapore 0.0668 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Japan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,450 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (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 56 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 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 Japan?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Japan was 0.2323 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023, 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.719 homicides per 100,000 population in 1994.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1999 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022.
- How does Japan rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- Japan ranks 130th out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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.