Homicide rate (World Health) in Sweden
Sweden: Homicide rate was 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
1.06 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 22.1%
World rank
161st
of 194 countries
All-time high
1.36 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2020
All-time low
0.77 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2012
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in Sweden, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.1% on the previous year and up 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Sweden peaked at 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.77 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2012.
That places Sweden 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Homicide rate in Sweden, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.14 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 1.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +21.1% |
| 2003 | 1.03 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.0% |
| 2004 | 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.4% |
| 2005 | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 0.97 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 1.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +38.1% |
| 2008 | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -34.3% |
| 2009 | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +19.3% |
| 2010 | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.87 deaths per 100,000 people | -19.4% |
| 2012 | 0.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.5% |
| 2013 | 0.99 deaths per 100,000 people | +28.6% |
| 2014 | 1.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.8% |
| 2016 | 1.03 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.9% |
| 2017 | 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people | +23.3% |
| 2018 | 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.3% |
| 2021 | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.1% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden'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)
- Sweden'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 | 1.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.88 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.34 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.77 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.21 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 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 Finland 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 Sweden
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (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 128 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 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 Sweden?
- Homicide rate in Sweden 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.77 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012.
- How does Sweden rank for homicide rate?
- Sweden ranks 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sweden 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.