Homicide rate in Colombia
Colombia: Homicide rate was 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
28.2 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 15.6%
World rank
5th
of 111 countries
All-time high
88.53 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1992
All-time low
14.45 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1969
Years of data
60
1953–2021
Homicide rate in Colombia, 1953–2021
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2021, homicide rate in Colombia stood at 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
The figure is up 15.6% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Colombia peaked at 88.53 deaths per 100,000 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 14.45 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1969.
That places Colombia 5th out of 111 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Colombia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 29.03 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1954 | 23.34 deaths per 100,000 people | -19.6% |
| 1955 | 32.84 deaths per 100,000 people | +40.7% |
| 1956 | 41.23 deaths per 100,000 people | +25.6% |
| 1957 | 41.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 48.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.3% |
| 1959 | 36.91 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.3% |
| 1960 | 31.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.6% |
| 1961 | 33.07 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1962 | 32.85 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 29.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.2% |
| 1964 | 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.5% |
| 1965 | 25.5 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.1% |
| 1967 | 21.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 16.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.1% |
| 1969 | 14.45 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.9% |
| 1972 | 17.63 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.1% |
| 1974 | 18.76 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 17.98 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1976 | 19.19 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1977 | 21.55 deaths per 100,000 people | +12.3% |
| 1984 | 33.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +54.5% |
| 1985 | 42.14 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.6% |
| 1986 | 48.72 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.6% |
| 1987 | 50 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 59.24 deaths per 100,000 people | +18.5% |
| 1989 | 66.57 deaths per 100,000 people | +12.4% |
| 1990 | 72.6 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1991 | 87.13 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1992 | 88.53 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 85.56 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 78.52 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.2% |
| 1995 | 64.37 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.0% |
| 1996 | 67.02 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 60.17 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.2% |
| 1998 | 64.42 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 66.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 72.56 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.5% |
| 2001 | 74.71 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 77.7 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 56.87 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.8% |
| 2004 | 53.1 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 44.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.8% |
| 2006 | 41.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 38.25 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 38.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 43.98 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.0% |
| 2010 | 40.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 36.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.4% |
| 2012 | 34.18 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 31.71 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 27.45 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.4% |
| 2015 | 26.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 24.92 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 24.73 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 25.65 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 25.93 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 24.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.6% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.11 deaths per 100,000 people, 9.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.02 deaths per 100,000 people, 2.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 36.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 23.34 deaths per 100,000 people | 48.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 7 |
| 1960s | 25.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 14.45 deaths per 100,000 people | 33.07 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.02 deaths per 100,000 people | 17.63 deaths per 100,000 people | 21.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 1980s | 50 deaths per 100,000 people | 33.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 66.57 deaths per 100,000 people | 6 |
| 1990s | 73.46 deaths per 100,000 people | 60.17 deaths per 100,000 people | 88.53 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.13 deaths per 100,000 people | 38.24 deaths per 100,000 people | 77.7 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.79 deaths per 100,000 people | 24.73 deaths per 100,000 people | 40.77 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.3 deaths per 100,000 people | 24.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 2 El Salvador 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 3 Belize 32.75 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 4 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 32.27 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 6 Trinidad and Tobago 28.01 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 7 Ecuador 24.57 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 8 Mexico 24.24 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Colombia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,464 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 79,669 (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 0.0015 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 79,669 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 Colombia?
- Homicide rate in Colombia was 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.53 deaths per 100,000 people in 1992.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.45 deaths per 100,000 people in 1969.
- How does Colombia rank for homicide rate?
- Colombia ranks 5th out of 111 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (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
Annual number of homicides per 100,000 people.