Homicide rate (World Health) in Malta
Malta: Homicide rate was 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
0.86 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
169th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2012
All-time low
0.71 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2006
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in Malta, 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 Malta stood at 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Malta peaked at 2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.71 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2006.
Malta ranks 169th 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.
Homicide rate in Malta, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.19 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 1.48 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.4% |
| 2002 | 1.41 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 0.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -41.1% |
| 2004 | 1.25 deaths per 100,000 people | +50.6% |
| 2005 | 0.85 deaths per 100,000 people | -32.0% |
| 2006 | 0.71 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.5% |
| 2007 | 0.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.5% |
| 2008 | 1.17 deaths per 100,000 people | +34.5% |
| 2009 | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 0.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -24.1% |
| 2011 | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 2 deaths per 100,000 people | +127.3% |
| 2013 | 1.52 deaths per 100,000 people | -24.0% |
| 2014 | 1.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.7% |
| 2015 | 0.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.5% |
| 2016 | 0.81 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 0.84 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 0.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.3% |
| 2019 | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.3% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, 81% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Malta's 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people, 37% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.71 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.48 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.81 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.87 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.86 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More social development data for Malta
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,306 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 11 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0143 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 Malta?
- Homicide rate in Malta was 0.86 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.71 deaths per 100,000 people in 2006.
- How does Malta rank for homicide rate?
- Malta ranks 169th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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.