Homicide rate in Belize
Belize: Homicide rate was 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
28.06 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 11.3%
World rank
15th
of 179 countries
All-time high
43.36 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2012
All-time low
17.03 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2000
Years of data
23
2000–2022
Homicide rate in Belize, 2000–2022
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
In 2022, homicide rate in Belize stood at 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population.
That represents a change of down 11.3% on the previous year and down 35.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Belize peaked at 43.36 homicides per 100,000 population in 2012 and was at its lowest, 17.03 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2000.
Belize ranks 15th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Belize, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.03 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2001 | 25.77 homicides per 100,000 population | +51.3% |
| 2002 | 33.98 homicides per 100,000 population | +31.9% |
| 2003 | 25.4 homicides per 100,000 population | -25.3% |
| 2004 | 29.08 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.5% |
| 2005 | 28.96 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 31.96 homicides per 100,000 population | +10.4% |
| 2007 | 32.76 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 33.84 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 31.03 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.3% |
| 2010 | 40.28 homicides per 100,000 population | +29.8% |
| 2011 | 37.89 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 43.36 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.4% |
| 2013 | 28.98 homicides per 100,000 population | -33.2% |
| 2014 | 35.25 homicides per 100,000 population | +21.6% |
| 2015 | 33.4 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 37.84 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.3% |
| 2017 | 38.05 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 37.61 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.73 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 26.1 homicides per 100,000 population | -24.9% |
| 2021 | 31.62 homicides per 100,000 population | +21.1% |
| 2022 | 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.3% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.06 homicides per 100,000 population, 6.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Belize's 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.92 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.98 homicides per 100,000 population | 17.03 homicides per 100,000 population | 33.98 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.74 homicides per 100,000 population | 28.98 homicides per 100,000 population | 43.36 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.59 homicides per 100,000 population | 26.1 homicides per 100,000 population | 31.62 homicides per 100,000 population | 3 |
Countries ranked near Belize
- 12 Bahamas 32.2 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 13 Honduras 31.44 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 14 Anguilla 29.14 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 16 Dominica 27.06 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 17 Saint Martin (French part) 26.9 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 18 Colombia 24.91 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Belize
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 347 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 108 (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 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 108 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0008 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 Belize?
- Homicide rate in Belize was 28.06 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 43.36 homicides per 100,000 population in 2012.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.03 homicides per 100,000 population in 2000.
- How does Belize rank for homicide rate?
- Belize ranks 15th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor 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
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.