Homicide rate (World Health) in United States
United States: Homicide rate was 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
5.67 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
84th
of 194 countries
All-time high
7.37 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2001
All-time low
5.05 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2014
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicide rate in United States, 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 United States is 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in United States peaked at 7.37 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2014.
That places United States 84th 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 United States, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.12 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 7.37 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.4% |
| 2002 | 6.32 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.2% |
| 2003 | 6.31 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 6.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 6.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 6.42 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 6.28 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 6.02 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 5.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 5.34 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 5.44 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 5.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 5.66 deaths per 100,000 people | +12.1% |
| 2016 | 6.13 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.3% |
| 2017 | 6.18 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 5.69 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 5.68 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 5.7 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people, 5.3× the median. (63 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.29 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.37 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.69 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.67 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.7 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 81 Djibouti 5.78 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 82 Benin 5.76 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 83 Sao Tome and Principe 5.75 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 85 Ukraine 5.57 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 86 Sudan 5.44 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 87 Mongolia 5.33 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for United States
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 457,647 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,667 (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 3,667 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0013 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 States?
- Homicide rate in United States was 5.67 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 7.37 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014.
- How does United States rank for homicide rate?
- United States ranks 84th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.