Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden
Sweden: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.66 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 6.0%
World rank
93rd
of 138 countries
All-time high
1.9 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2020
All-time low
0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2012
Years of data
25
1999–2023
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden, 1999–2023
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
The most recent figure for homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden is 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden peaked at 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2012.
Sweden ranks 93rd of 138 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2000 | 1.35 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.4% |
| 2001 | 1.31 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 1.46 homicides per 100,000 population | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 1.31 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 1.49 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.8% |
| 2005 | 1.17 homicides per 100,000 population | -21.4% |
| 2006 | 1.23 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population | +41.9% |
| 2008 | 1.18 homicides per 100,000 population | -32.0% |
| 2009 | 1.18 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.37 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.3% |
| 2011 | 1.19 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.5% |
| 2013 | 1.27 homicides per 100,000 population | +31.4% |
| 2014 | 1.28 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.69 homicides per 100,000 population | +32.3% |
| 2016 | 1.55 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | +10.0% |
| 2018 | 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.9% |
| 2019 | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.4% |
| 2020 | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.2% |
| 2021 | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 1.76 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.1× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.34 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.17 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.75 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 90 New Zealand 1.81 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 91 Uzbekistan 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.72 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 94 Turkmenistan 1.64 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 95 Tajikistan 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 96 Romania 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Sweden
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (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 128 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 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 Sweden?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in Sweden was 1.66 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population in 2012.
- How does Sweden rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- Sweden ranks 93rd out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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.