Homicide rate in Guatemala
Guatemala: Homicide rate was 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in Guatemala, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2021, homicide rate in Guatemala stood at 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Guatemala peaked at 47.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 25.06 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2017.
That places Guatemala 14th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.89 deaths per 100,000 people | 26.66 deaths per 100,000 people | 47.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.78 deaths per 100,000 people | 25.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 42.49 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 26.01 deaths per 100,000 people | 26.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 11 South Africa 32.81 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 12 Brazil 32.5 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 13 Mexico 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 15 Haiti 20.9 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 16 Panama 20.17 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 17 Saint Lucia 20.09 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Guatemala
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 1,586 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 34,994 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.637 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.839 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.834 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.637 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.421 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.523 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Guatemala?
- Homicide rate in Guatemala was 26.2 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 47.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.06 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017.
- How does Guatemala rank for homicide rate?
- Guatemala ranks 14th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.