Homicide rate (World Health) in Finland
Finland: Homicide rate was 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in Finland, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Finland recorded 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 45.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Finland peaked at 2.92 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
That places Finland 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Finland, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.82 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 2.92 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 2.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.9% |
| 2003 | 2.22 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.6% |
| 2004 | 2.57 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.8% |
| 2005 | 2.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.8% |
| 2006 | 2.24 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 2.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 2.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.0% |
| 2010 | 2.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 1.96 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 1.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.4% |
| 2013 | 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.49 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 1.42 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 1.31 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 1.25 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 1.16 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 1.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.5% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.0× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Finland's 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.13 deaths per 100,000 people, 94% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.45 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.92 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.16 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 158 Greece 1.07 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 158 Iceland 1.07 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 158 North Macedonia 1.07 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 161 Sweden 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 163 Israel 1.03 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 164 Cook Islands 1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 164 France 1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 164 Slovakia 1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Finland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 102,544 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5 (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 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0182 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 Finland?
- Homicide rate in Finland was 1.06 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 Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.92 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does Finland rank for homicide rate?
- Finland ranks 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland 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.