Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
19.78 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 36.5%
World rank
28th
of 138 countries
All-time high
25.48 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2009
All-time low
12.01 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2017
Years of data
12
2008–2021
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua, 2008–2021
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 Nicaragua stood at 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population.
The figure is up 36.5% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua peaked at 25.48 homicides per 100,000 population in 2009 and was at its lowest, 12.01 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2017.
Nicaragua ranks 28th of 138 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 24.77 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2009 | 25.48 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 25.1 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 23.9 homicides per 100,000 population | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 21.01 homicides per 100,000 population | -12.1% |
| 2013 | 18 homicides per 100,000 population | -14.3% |
| 2015 | 15.16 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.8% |
| 2016 | 13.22 homicides per 100,000 population | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 12.01 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.1% |
| 2018 | 19.64 homicides per 100,000 population | +63.5% |
| 2019 | 14.49 homicides per 100,000 population | -26.2% |
| 2021 | 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population | +36.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.92 homicides per 100,000 population, 4.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 27.39 homicides per 100,000 population, 72% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.12 homicides per 100,000 population | 24.77 homicides per 100,000 population | 25.48 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 |
| 2010s | 18.06 homicides per 100,000 population | 12.01 homicides per 100,000 population | 25.1 homicides per 100,000 population | 9 |
| 2020s | 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population | 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population | 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 25 Panama 21.71 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 26 Antigua and Barbuda 20.27 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 27 Uruguay 19.78 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 29 Dominican Republic 19.58 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 30 Cayman Islands 16.71 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 31 Guadeloupe 16.04 homicides per 100,000 population
More social development data for Nicaragua
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 311 (2023)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (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 0.005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2023)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Nicaragua was 19.78 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 Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 25.48 homicides per 100,000 population in 2009.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.01 homicides per 100,000 population in 2017.
- How does Nicaragua rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- Nicaragua ranks 28th out of 138 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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.