Homicide rate (World Health) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Homicide rate (World Health) was 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Homicide rate in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% on the previous year and up 33.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Costa Rica peaked at 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 6.27 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2002.
Costa Rica ranks 29th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate (World Health) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.31 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 6.37 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 6.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 7.2 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.8% |
| 2004 | 6.62 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 7.79 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.7% |
| 2006 | 8.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 8.25 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 11.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +37.5% |
| 2009 | 11.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 11.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10.21 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.0% |
| 2012 | 8.62 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.6% |
| 2013 | 8.63 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 9.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.8% |
| 2015 | 11.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.2% |
| 2016 | 11.61 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 12.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 12.11 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 12.49 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 13.13 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.7% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, 12.8× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 14.24 deaths per 100,000 people, 96% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicide rate (World Health) in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +37.5% | 8.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 11.34 deaths per 100,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.97 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 11.47 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.84 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.62 deaths per 100,000 people | 12.49 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.38 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.13 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 26 Guyana 14.07 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 27 Seychelles 14.01 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 28 Cape Verde 13.86 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 30 Barbados 12.81 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 31 Philippines 12.77 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 32 Iraq 12.58 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Costa Rica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 36,395 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0071 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 in Costa Rica?
- Homicide rate in Costa Rica was 13.62 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 13.62 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.27 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002.
- How does Costa Rica rank for homicide rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 29th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.