Homicide rate in El Salvador
El Salvador: Homicide rate was 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
39.75 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 22.0%
World rank
2nd
of 111 countries
All-time high
86.34 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2015
All-time low
27.4 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1991
Years of data
28
1990–2018
Homicide rate in El Salvador, 1990–2018
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicide rate in El Salvador is 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of down 22.0% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in El Salvador peaked at 86.34 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015 and was at its lowest, 27.4 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1991.
El Salvador ranks 2nd of 111 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Homicide rate in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 27.61 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1991 | 27.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 35.99 deaths per 100,000 people | +31.3% |
| 1993 | 45.68 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.9% |
| 1995 | 45.02 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 44.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 38.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.2% |
| 1998 | 44.95 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.6% |
| 1999 | 39.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.5% |
| 2000 | 37.3 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 37 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 32.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.3% |
| 2003 | 34.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 43.39 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.5% |
| 2005 | 54.16 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.8% |
| 2006 | 56.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 50.51 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 45.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.4% |
| 2009 | 61.11 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.5% |
| 2010 | 54.67 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 58.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 37.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -35.5% |
| 2013 | 34.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 53.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +53.8% |
| 2015 | 86.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +62.5% |
| 2016 | 67.01 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.4% |
| 2017 | 50.97 deaths per 100,000 people | -23.9% |
| 2018 | 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.0% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.11 deaths per 100,000 people, 12.8× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.02 deaths per 100,000 people, 3.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.75 deaths per 100,000 people | 27.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 45.68 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 45.32 deaths per 100,000 people | 32.82 deaths per 100,000 people | 61.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 34.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 86.34 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More social development data for El Salvador
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 182 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 68,182 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0107 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 68,182 (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 El Salvador?
- Homicide rate in El Salvador was 39.75 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 86.34 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 1991.
- How does El Salvador rank for homicide rate?
- El Salvador ranks 2nd out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.