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Homicide rate (UN, World) in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Homicide rate (UN, World) was 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
11.35 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 42.9%
World rank
32nd
of 179 countries
All-time high
18.96 homicides per 100,000 population
in 1992
All-time low
6.82 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2017
Years of data
31
1990–2021

Homicide rate in Nicaragua, 1990–2021

051015201990200520211990: 16.1 homicides per 100,000 population1991: 17.2 homicides per 100,000 population1992: 19 homicides per 100,000 population1993: 17.1 homicides per 100,000 population1994: 15.9 homicides per 100,000 population1995: 15.2 homicides per 100,000 population1996: 14 homicides per 100,000 population1997: 14.1 homicides per 100,000 population1998: 13.1 homicides per 100,000 population1999: 11.3 homicides per 100,000 population2000: 9.5 homicides per 100,000 population2001: 10.6 homicides per 100,000 population2002: 10.8 homicides per 100,000 population2003: 12.2 homicides per 100,000 population2004: 12.3 homicides per 100,000 population2005: 13.6 homicides per 100,000 population2006: 13.3 homicides per 100,000 population2007: 13 homicides per 100,000 population2008: 13.2 homicides per 100,000 population2009: 14.2 homicides per 100,000 population2010: 13.7 homicides per 100,000 population2011: 12.7 homicides per 100,000 population2012: 11.4 homicides per 100,000 population2013: 9.9 homicides per 100,000 population2014: 8.7 homicides per 100,000 population2015: 8.5 homicides per 100,000 population2016: 7.3 homicides per 100,000 population2017: 6.8 homicides per 100,000 population2018: 10.7 homicides per 100,000 population2019: 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population2021: 11.3 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

The most recent figure for homicide rate in Nicaragua is 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 42.9% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, homicide rate in Nicaragua peaked at 18.96 homicides per 100,000 population in 1992 and was at its lowest, 6.82 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2017.

Nicaragua ranks 32nd of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Homicide rate (UN, World) in Nicaragua, year by year

Year homicides per 100,000 population Change
1990 16.14 homicides per 100,000 population —
1991 17.18 homicides per 100,000 population +6.4%
1992 18.96 homicides per 100,000 population +10.3%
1993 17.11 homicides per 100,000 population -9.8%
1994 15.94 homicides per 100,000 population -6.9%
1995 15.23 homicides per 100,000 population -4.4%
1996 14 homicides per 100,000 population -8.1%
1997 14.12 homicides per 100,000 population +0.9%
1998 13.08 homicides per 100,000 population -7.3%
1999 11.32 homicides per 100,000 population -13.5%
2000 9.48 homicides per 100,000 population -16.3%
2001 10.55 homicides per 100,000 population +11.4%
2002 10.76 homicides per 100,000 population +1.9%
2003 12.19 homicides per 100,000 population +13.3%
2004 12.25 homicides per 100,000 population +0.5%
2005 13.65 homicides per 100,000 population +11.4%
2006 13.32 homicides per 100,000 population -2.4%
2007 12.99 homicides per 100,000 population -2.5%
2008 13.2 homicides per 100,000 population +1.6%
2009 14.18 homicides per 100,000 population +7.4%
2010 13.68 homicides per 100,000 population -3.5%
2011 12.68 homicides per 100,000 population -7.3%
2012 11.4 homicides per 100,000 population -10.1%
2013 9.93 homicides per 100,000 population -13.0%
2014 8.65 homicides per 100,000 population -12.8%
2015 8.52 homicides per 100,000 population -1.5%
2016 7.27 homicides per 100,000 population -14.7%
2017 6.82 homicides per 100,000 population -6.1%
2018 10.66 homicides per 100,000 population +56.2%
2019 7.94 homicides per 100,000 population -25.5%
2021 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population +42.9%

Nicaragua compared with similar countries

  • Nicaragua's 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.07 homicides per 100,000 population, 2.8× the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Nicaragua's 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.92 homicides per 100,000 population, 67% of the median. (41 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 15.31 homicides per 100,000 population 11.32 homicides per 100,000 population 18.96 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2000s 12.26 homicides per 100,000 population 9.48 homicides per 100,000 population 14.18 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2010s 9.76 homicides per 100,000 population 6.82 homicides per 100,000 population 13.68 homicides per 100,000 population 10
2020s 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population 1

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 29 Eswatini 12.51 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  2. 30 Panama 11.71 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  3. 31 Botswana 11.37 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  4. 33 Uruguay 11.25 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  5. 34 Namibia 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population compare
  6. 35 Dominican Republic 10.92 homicides per 100,000 population compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More social development data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is homicide rate in Nicaragua?
Homicide rate in Nicaragua was 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021, 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 Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 18.96 homicides per 100,000 population in 1992.
What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 6.82 homicides per 100,000 population in 2017.
How does Nicaragua rank for homicide rate?
Nicaragua ranks 32nd out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
Is homicide rate rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua. 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 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/homicide-rate-unodc/nicaragua/

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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.