Homicide rate in Jamaica
Jamaica: Homicide rate was 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2014)
1.04 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 14.7%
World rank
65th
of 111 countries
All-time high
61.13 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2005
All-time low
0.0826 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1990
Years of data
30
1960–2014
Homicide rate in Jamaica, 1960–2014
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2014.
The figure is up 14.7% on the previous year and up 184.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Jamaica peaked at 61.13 deaths per 100,000 people in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.0826 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1990.
Jamaica ranks 65th 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 Jamaica, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.39 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 1.39 deaths per 100,000 people | -41.8% |
| 1965 | 0.5693 deaths per 100,000 people | -59.1% |
| 1967 | 1.83 deaths per 100,000 people | +221.4% |
| 1977 | 0.7209 deaths per 100,000 people | -60.6% |
| 1980 | 0.786 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.0% |
| 1981 | 0.6828 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.1% |
| 1982 | 0.2238 deaths per 100,000 people | -67.2% |
| 1983 | 2.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +955.8% |
| 1984 | 1.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -39.3% |
| 1985 | 1.38 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 0.212 deaths per 100,000 people | -84.7% |
| 1987 | 2.99 deaths per 100,000 people | +1309.7% |
| 1988 | 0.2093 deaths per 100,000 people | -93.0% |
| 1989 | 0.208 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 0.0826 deaths per 100,000 people | -60.3% |
| 1991 | 0.369 deaths per 100,000 people | +346.4% |
| 2000 | 0.9041 deaths per 100,000 people | +145.0% |
| 2001 | 1.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 0.4456 deaths per 100,000 people | -55.9% |
| 2003 | 0.5536 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.2% |
| 2004 | 0.367 deaths per 100,000 people | -33.7% |
| 2005 | 61.13 deaths per 100,000 people | +16558.4% |
| 2006 | 0.6898 deaths per 100,000 people | -98.9% |
| 2009 | 55.98 deaths per 100,000 people | +8014.8% |
| 2010 | 1.53 deaths per 100,000 people | -97.3% |
| 2011 | 33.69 deaths per 100,000 people | +2101.8% |
| 2012 | 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -96.2% |
| 2013 | 0.9095 deaths per 100,000 people | -28.2% |
| 2014 | 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.7% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.11 deaths per 100,000 people, 34% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.02 deaths per 100,000 people, 9% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicide rate in Jamaica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +16558.4% | 0.367 deaths per 100,000 people | 61.13 deaths per 100,000 people |
| 2009 | +8014.8% | 0.6898 deaths per 100,000 people | 55.98 deaths per 100,000 people |
| 2011 | +2101.8% | 1.53 deaths per 100,000 people | 33.69 deaths per 100,000 people |
| 1987 | +1309.7% | 0.212 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.99 deaths per 100,000 people |
| 1983 | +955.8% | 0.2238 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.36 deaths per 100,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.5693 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.39 deaths per 100,000 people | 4 |
| 1970s | 0.7209 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.7209 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.7209 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.208 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.99 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2258 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.0826 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.369 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.13 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.367 deaths per 100,000 people | 61.13 deaths per 100,000 people | 8 |
| 2010s | 7.69 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.9095 deaths per 100,000 people | 33.69 deaths per 100,000 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 62 Sweden 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 63 Iceland 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 64 Luxembourg 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 66 Syria 0.9971 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 67 Turkey 0.9692 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 68 Portugal 0.9664 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Jamaica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31 (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (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 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,642 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Jamaica?
- Homicide rate in Jamaica was 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 61.13 deaths per 100,000 people in 2005.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0826 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990.
- How does Jamaica rank for homicide rate?
- Jamaica ranks 65th out of 111 countries with data for 2014.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 184.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides per 100,000 people.