What is homicide rate in Iceland?

Homicide rate in Iceland was 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Iceland?

The highest recorded value was 3.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 1953.

What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Iceland?

The lowest recorded value was 0 deaths per 100,000 people in 1951.

How does Iceland rank for homicide rate?

Iceland ranks 63rd out of 111 countries with data for 2022.

Is homicide rate rising or falling in Iceland?

Over the last ten years it is up 246.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Iceland 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.

Homicide rate in Iceland

Name: Homicide rate in Iceland
Creator: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Iceland: Homicide rate was 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

1.08 deaths per 100,000 people

Change on year

up 290.9%

World rank

63rd

of 111 countries

All-time high

3.31 deaths per 100,000 people

in 1953

All-time low

0 deaths per 100,000 people

in 1951

Years of data

1951–2022

Homicide rate in Iceland, 1951–2022

Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.

Analysis

Iceland recorded 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 290.9% on the previous year and up 246.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, homicide rate in Iceland peaked at 3.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 1953 and was at its lowest, 0 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1951.

Iceland ranks 63rd of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Homicide rate in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Homicide rate in Iceland, 1951 to 2022.
Year	deaths per 100,000 people	Change
1951	0 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1952	0.6752 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1953	3.31 deaths per 100,000 people	+390.1%
1954	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1955	0.6341 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1956	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1957	1.21 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1958	0.5935 deaths per 100,000 people	-51.1%
1959	0.5814 deaths per 100,000 people	-2.0%
1960	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1961	0.5577 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1962	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1963	0.5385 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1964	0.5291 deaths per 100,000 people	-1.7%
1965	0.5198 deaths per 100,000 people	-1.8%
1966	0.511 deaths per 100,000 people	-1.7%
1967	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1968	1.49 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1969	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1970	0 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1971	0.9695 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1972	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1973	2.36 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1974	2.32 deaths per 100,000 people	-1.3%
1975	0.4589 deaths per 100,000 people	-80.2%
1976	1.82 deaths per 100,000 people	+295.8%
1977	0.9013 deaths per 100,000 people	-50.4%
1978	1.34 deaths per 100,000 people	+48.9%
1979	1.77 deaths per 100,000 people	+32.1%
1980	0.8768 deaths per 100,000 people	-50.5%
1981	1.3 deaths per 100,000 people	+48.2%
1982	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1983	0.8435 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1984	0.4175 deaths per 100,000 people	-50.5%
1985	1.24 deaths per 100,000 people	+197.6%
1986	1.23 deaths per 100,000 people	-0.7%
1987	0.8133 deaths per 100,000 people	-34.1%
1988	2 deaths per 100,000 people	+146.0%
1989	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1990	0.3925 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1991	1.94 deaths per 100,000 people	+393.8%
1992	1.15 deaths per 100,000 people	-40.7%
1993	0.3791 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.0%
1994	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1995	0 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1996	0.3719 deaths per 100,000 people	—
1997	1.11 deaths per 100,000 people	+197.8%
1998	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
1999	0.7215 deaths per 100,000 people	—
2000	2.13 deaths per 100,000 people	+195.8%
2001	0.7016 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.1%
2002	1.74 deaths per 100,000 people	+147.8%
2003	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
2004	1.37 deaths per 100,000 people	—
2005	1.01 deaths per 100,000 people	-25.8%
2006	0.3286 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.6%
2007	0.6423 deaths per 100,000 people	+95.5%
2008	0.3131 deaths per 100,000 people	-51.2%
2009	0.3132 deaths per 100,000 people	+0.0%
2010	0.6289 deaths per 100,000 people	+100.8%
2011	0.9404 deaths per 100,000 people	+49.5%
2012	0.3118 deaths per 100,000 people	-66.8%
2013	0.9266 deaths per 100,000 people	+197.2%
2014	0.3054 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.0%
2015	0.9069 deaths per 100,000 people	+196.9%
2016	0.2981 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.1%
2017	0.8893 deaths per 100,000 people	+198.3%
2018	0.2892 deaths per 100,000 people	-67.5%
2019	0 deaths per 100,000 people	-100.0%
2020	0.5615 deaths per 100,000 people	—
2021	0.2765 deaths per 100,000 people	-50.8%
2022	1.08 deaths per 100,000 people	+290.9%

Iceland compared with similar countries

Iceland's 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7971 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Iceland's 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8117 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	0.7785 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	3.31 deaths per 100,000 people	9
1960s	0.4149 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	1.49 deaths per 100,000 people	10
1970s	1.19 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	2.36 deaths per 100,000 people	10
1980s	0.8728 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	2 deaths per 100,000 people	10
1990s	0.6059 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	1.94 deaths per 100,000 people	10
2000s	0.8553 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	2.13 deaths per 100,000 people	10
2010s	0.5497 deaths per 100,000 people	0 deaths per 100,000 people	0.9404 deaths per 100,000 people	10
2020s	0.6397 deaths per 100,000 people	0.2765 deaths per 100,000 people	1.08 deaths per 100,000 people	3

Countries ranked near Iceland

60 Finland 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people compare
61 North Macedonia 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people compare
62 Sweden 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people compare
64 Luxembourg 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people compare
65 Jamaica 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people compare
66 Syria 0.9971 deaths per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 111 places →

More social development data for Iceland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,459 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0216 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is homicide rate in Iceland?: Homicide rate in Iceland was 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Iceland?: The highest recorded value was 3.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 1953.
What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Iceland?: The lowest recorded value was 0 deaths per 100,000 people in 1951.
How does Iceland rank for homicide rate?: Iceland ranks 63rd out of 111 countries with data for 2022.
Is homicide rate rising or falling in Iceland?: Over the last ten years it is up 246.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iceland 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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Homicide rate in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/homicide-rate-who-age-standardized/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator: Homicide rate
Unit: deaths per 100,000 people
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 111 places, 4,803 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 09 October 2026

Annual number of homicides per 100,000 people.