Homicide rate in Belgium
Belgium: Homicide rate was 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in Belgium, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicide rate in Belgium is 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Belgium peaked at 2.29 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
Belgium ranks 153rd of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.9 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.29 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.45 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.64 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.26 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 150 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.37 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 151 United Kingdom 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 152 Uzbekistan 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 154 Denmark 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 154 New Zealand 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 156 Romania 1.13 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Belgium
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 113 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.889 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.969 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.896 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.889 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.633 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.794 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Belgium?
- Homicide rate in Belgium was 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.29 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does Belgium rank for homicide rate?
- Belgium ranks 153rd out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths from interpersonal violence in both sexes, per 100,000 people.