Homicide rate in Mexico
Mexico: Homicide rate was 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
24.86 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 4.0%
World rank
19th
of 179 countries
All-time high
29.45 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2018
All-time low
8.15 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2007
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Homicide rate in Mexico, 1990–2023
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
Mexico recorded 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population for homicide rate in 2023.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and up 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Mexico peaked at 29.45 homicides per 100,000 population in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.15 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2007.
Mexico ranks 19th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Mexico, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.5 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1991 | 17.92 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 19.29 homicides per 100,000 population | +7.6% |
| 1993 | 18.3 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 17.74 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 17.18 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 15.69 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 14.41 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 14.29 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 12.61 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 10.89 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.7% |
| 2001 | 10.27 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 9.93 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 9.8 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 8.94 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 9.38 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 9.75 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 8.15 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.4% |
| 2008 | 12.69 homicides per 100,000 population | +55.7% |
| 2009 | 17.68 homicides per 100,000 population | +39.3% |
| 2010 | 22.67 homicides per 100,000 population | +28.2% |
| 2011 | 23.61 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 22.23 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 19.49 homicides per 100,000 population | -12.3% |
| 2014 | 16.7 homicides per 100,000 population | -14.3% |
| 2015 | 17.15 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 20.09 homicides per 100,000 population | +17.1% |
| 2017 | 26 homicides per 100,000 population | +29.4% |
| 2018 | 29.45 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.3% |
| 2019 | 29.15 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 29 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 27.97 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 25.88 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population | -4.0% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.06 homicides per 100,000 population, 6.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.92 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.5× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicide rate in Mexico changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +55.7% | 8.15 homicides per 100,000 population | 12.69 homicides per 100,000 population |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.49 homicides per 100,000 population | 12.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 19.29 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.75 homicides per 100,000 population | 8.15 homicides per 100,000 population | 17.68 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 16.7 homicides per 100,000 population | 29.45 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.93 homicides per 100,000 population | 24.86 homicides per 100,000 population | 29 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 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
- 20 Guatemala 23.37 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 21 Brazil 19.28 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 22 Guyana 19.12 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Mexico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 152,002 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (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 41,307 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 Mexico?
- Homicide rate in Mexico was 24.86 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 29.45 homicides per 100,000 population in 2018.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.15 homicides per 100,000 population in 2007.
- How does Mexico rank for homicide rate?
- Mexico ranks 19th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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.