Homicide rate by sex of the victim in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 17.2%
World rank
120th
of 138 countries
All-time high
0.8817 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2016
All-time low
0.5812 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2014
Years of data
17
2005–2021
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in United Kingdom, 2005–2021
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 United Kingdom stood at 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population.
That represents a change of up 17.2% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in United Kingdom peaked at 0.8817 homicides per 100,000 population in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.5812 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2014.
That places United Kingdom 120th out of 138 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0.8789 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2006 | 0.8761 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.8696 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 0.7551 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.2% |
| 2009 | 0.7644 homicides per 100,000 population | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.8396 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.8% |
| 2011 | 0.7007 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.5% |
| 2012 | 0.6942 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 0.6181 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 0.5812 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 0.647 homicides per 100,000 population | +11.3% |
| 2016 | 0.8817 homicides per 100,000 population | +36.3% |
| 2017 | 0.8168 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 0.7251 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.2% |
| 2019 | 0.8389 homicides per 100,000 population | +15.7% |
| 2020 | 0.6845 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.4% |
| 2021 | 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population | +17.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 homicides per 100,000 population, 56% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population, 50% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.8288 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.7551 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.8789 homicides per 100,000 population | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.7343 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.5812 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.8817 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7435 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.6845 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.8024 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 117 Ireland 0.894 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 118 Slovenia 0.8461 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 119 Hungary 0.8391 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 121 Norway 0.7911 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 122 Austria 0.7788 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 123 Italy 0.757 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in United Kingdom was 0.8024 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8817 homicides per 100,000 population in 2016.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5812 homicides per 100,000 population in 2014.
- How does United Kingdom rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- United Kingdom ranks 120th out of 138 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.