Homicide rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Homicide rate was 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
2.56 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
123rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
3.21 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2000
All-time low
2.56 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2021
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in Malaysia, 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 Malaysia is 2.56 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 1.5% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Malaysia peaked at 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 123rd out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 3.14 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 3.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 3.08 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 3.01 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 3.04 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 3.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.93 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 2.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 2.74 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 2.7 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 2.74 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 2.77 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.76 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 2.75 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 2.73 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 2.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 2.67 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 2.65 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 2.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.79 deaths per 100,000 people, 54% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.82 deaths per 100,000 people, 67% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.04 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.82 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.72 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.77 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.6 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 120 Iran 2.86 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 121 Equatorial Guinea 2.64 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 122 Montenegro 2.61 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 124 Azerbaijan 2.44 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 125 Syria 2.43 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 126 Samoa 2.38 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Malaysia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 150,164 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (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 2,477 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0042 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 Malaysia?
- Homicide rate in Malaysia was 2.56 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.21 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.56 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for homicide rate?
- Malaysia ranks 123rd out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.