Homicide rate (World Health) in Mexico
Mexico: Homicide rate (World Health) was 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
28.47 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
13th
of 194 countries
All-time high
30.3 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2019
All-time low
8.2 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2007
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in Mexico, 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 Mexico stood at 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Mexico peaked at 30.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 8.2 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2007.
That places Mexico 13th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate (World Health) in Mexico, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.65 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 10.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.0% |
| 2002 | 10.53 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 10.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 9.52 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.0% |
| 2005 | 9.94 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 8.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -20.4% |
| 2008 | 13.4 deaths per 100,000 people | +63.4% |
| 2009 | 17.76 deaths per 100,000 people | +32.5% |
| 2010 | 23.07 deaths per 100,000 people | +29.9% |
| 2011 | 24.45 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 22.46 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.1% |
| 2013 | 19.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.7% |
| 2014 | 17.02 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 17.52 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 20.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.8% |
| 2017 | 27.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +30.0% |
| 2018 | 30.2 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.6% |
| 2019 | 30.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 29.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.4% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.79 deaths per 100,000 people, 5.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 14.24 deaths per 100,000 people, 2.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 17.76 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 17.02 deaths per 100,000 people | 30.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 28.47 deaths per 100,000 people | 29.78 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 10 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 34.62 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 11 South Africa 32.81 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 12 Brazil 32.5 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 14 Guatemala 26.2 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
More social development data for Mexico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 152,002 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 Mexico?
- Homicide rate in Mexico was 28.47 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007.
- How does Mexico rank for homicide rate?
- Mexico ranks 13th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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.