Homicide rate (World Health) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Homicide rate (World Health) was 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
1.28 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
151st
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.18 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2001
All-time low
1.28 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2021
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in United Kingdom, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in United Kingdom peaked at 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
United Kingdom ranks 151st 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 (World Health) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.09 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 2.01 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 1.96 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 2.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 1.91 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 1.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2007 | 1.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 1.7 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 1.62 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 1.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.46 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.9% |
| 2012 | 1.46 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.41 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 1.39 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 1.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.1% |
| 2017 | 1.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.33 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.2× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.13 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.91 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.62 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.43 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.62 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.29 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 148 Cyprus 1.42 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 149 Hungary 1.39 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 150 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.37 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 152 Uzbekistan 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 153 Belgium 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 154 Denmark 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 154 New Zealand 1.22 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Homicide rate in United Kingdom was 1.28 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom rank for homicide rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 151st out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.