Homicide rate in Zambia
Zambia: Homicide rate was 5.92 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 5.92 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Zambia peaked at 8.98 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 5.92 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
That places Zambia 77th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.13 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.98 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.95 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 7.67 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.92 deaths per 100,000 people | 6.08 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 74 Peru 6.1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 75 Cameroon 6.03 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 76 Argentina 5.93 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 78 Ghana 5.87 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 79 Antigua and Barbuda 5.84 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 80 Kenya 5.82 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Zambia
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 83,225 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 346 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.497 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.778 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.746 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.497 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.348 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.375 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Zambia?
- Homicide rate in Zambia was 5.92 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.98 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.92 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for homicide rate?
- Zambia ranks 77th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.