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Homicide rate in South Korea

South Korea: Homicide rate was 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
164th
of 179 countries
All-time high
1.1 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2009
All-time low
0.4719 homicides per 100,000 population
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Homicide rate in South Korea, 1990–2023

00.250.50.7511990200620231990: 0.472 homicides per 100,000 population1991: 0.487 homicides per 100,000 population1992: 0.537 homicides per 100,000 population1993: 0.683 homicides per 100,000 population1994: 0.495 homicides per 100,000 population1995: 0.503 homicides per 100,000 population1996: 0.54 homicides per 100,000 population1997: 0.604 homicides per 100,000 population1998: 0.817 homicides per 100,000 population1999: 0.827 homicides per 100,000 population2000: 0.791 homicides per 100,000 population2001: 0.865 homicides per 100,000 population2002: 0.784 homicides per 100,000 population2003: 0.814 homicides per 100,000 population2004: 0.88 homicides per 100,000 population2005: 0.859 homicides per 100,000 population2006: 0.866 homicides per 100,000 population2007: 0.893 homicides per 100,000 population2008: 0.888 homicides per 100,000 population2009: 1.1 homicides per 100,000 population2010: 0.994 homicides per 100,000 population2011: 0.82 homicides per 100,000 population2012: 0.877 homicides per 100,000 population2013: 0.703 homicides per 100,000 population2014: 0.746 homicides per 100,000 population2015: 0.736 homicides per 100,000 population2016: 0.694 homicides per 100,000 population2017: 0.585 homicides per 100,000 population2018: 0.598 homicides per 100,000 population2019: 0.574 homicides per 100,000 population2020: 0.594 homicides per 100,000 population2021: 0.473 homicides per 100,000 population2022: 0.496 homicides per 100,000 population2023: 0.477 homicides per 100,000 population

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

South Korea recorded 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population for homicide rate in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 32.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, homicide rate in South Korea peaked at 1.1 homicides per 100,000 population in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.4719 homicides per 100,000 population, in 1990.

South Korea ranks 164th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Homicide rate in South Korea, year by year

Year homicides per 100,000 population Change
1990 0.4719 homicides per 100,000 population —
1991 0.4873 homicides per 100,000 population +3.3%
1992 0.537 homicides per 100,000 population +10.2%
1993 0.6827 homicides per 100,000 population +27.1%
1994 0.4953 homicides per 100,000 population -27.4%
1995 0.5029 homicides per 100,000 population +1.5%
1996 0.5399 homicides per 100,000 population +7.3%
1997 0.6038 homicides per 100,000 population +11.8%
1998 0.817 homicides per 100,000 population +35.3%
1999 0.8273 homicides per 100,000 population +1.3%
2000 0.7911 homicides per 100,000 population -4.4%
2001 0.8655 homicides per 100,000 population +9.4%
2002 0.7838 homicides per 100,000 population -9.4%
2003 0.8137 homicides per 100,000 population +3.8%
2004 0.8804 homicides per 100,000 population +8.2%
2005 0.859 homicides per 100,000 population -2.4%
2006 0.8659 homicides per 100,000 population +0.8%
2007 0.8933 homicides per 100,000 population +3.2%
2008 0.8885 homicides per 100,000 population -0.5%
2009 1.1 homicides per 100,000 population +23.4%
2010 0.9937 homicides per 100,000 population -9.4%
2011 0.8203 homicides per 100,000 population -17.5%
2012 0.877 homicides per 100,000 population +6.9%
2013 0.703 homicides per 100,000 population -19.8%
2014 0.746 homicides per 100,000 population +6.1%
2015 0.7355 homicides per 100,000 population -1.4%
2016 0.694 homicides per 100,000 population -5.6%
2017 0.5846 homicides per 100,000 population -15.8%
2018 0.5984 homicides per 100,000 population +2.4%
2019 0.5737 homicides per 100,000 population -4.1%
2020 0.5939 homicides per 100,000 population +3.5%
2021 0.4725 homicides per 100,000 population -20.4%
2022 0.4963 homicides per 100,000 population +5.0%
2023 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population -3.8%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.12 homicides per 100,000 population, 43% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.46 homicides per 100,000 population, 33% of the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.5965 homicides per 100,000 population 0.4719 homicides per 100,000 population 0.8273 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2000s 0.8738 homicides per 100,000 population 0.7838 homicides per 100,000 population 1.1 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2010s 0.7326 homicides per 100,000 population 0.5737 homicides per 100,000 population 0.9937 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2020s 0.51 homicides per 100,000 population 0.4725 homicides per 100,000 population 0.5939 homicides per 100,000 population 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 161 Macao 0.5603 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  2. 162 China 0.5019 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  3. 163 Brunei 0.4864 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  4. 165 Hong Kong 0.3762 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  5. 166 Indonesia 0.3038 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  6. 167 Kuwait 0.25 homicides per 100,000 population compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More social development data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is homicide rate in South Korea?
Homicide rate in South Korea was 0.4773 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023, 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 1.1 homicides per 100,000 population in 2009.
What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4719 homicides per 100,000 population in 1990.
How does South Korea rank for homicide rate?
South Korea ranks 164th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
Is homicide rate rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Korea 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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Homicide rate in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/homicide-rate-unodc/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Homicide rate
Unit
homicides per 100,000 population
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,154 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.