Homicide rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Homicide rate was 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
0.139 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 7.5%
World rank
107th
of 111 countries
All-time high
1.12 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2007
All-time low
0.139 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020
Homicide rate in Malaysia, 2000–2020
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is down 7.5% on the previous year and down 78.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Malaysia peaked at 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2020.
Malaysia ranks 107th of 111 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.6036 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 0.9996 deaths per 100,000 people | +65.6% |
| 2002 | 0.8468 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.3% |
| 2003 | 0.8543 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 0.913 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 0.8057 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 1.06 deaths per 100,000 people | +32.2% |
| 2007 | 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 0.8379 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.2% |
| 2009 | 0.7585 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 0.6506 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.2% |
| 2011 | 0.5815 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.6% |
| 2012 | 0.7353 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.5% |
| 2013 | 0.4402 deaths per 100,000 people | -40.1% |
| 2014 | 0.4298 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 0.3469 deaths per 100,000 people | -19.3% |
| 2016 | 0.3161 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2218 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.8% |
| 2018 | 0.2093 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 0.1502 deaths per 100,000 people | -28.2% |
| 2020 | 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.11 deaths per 100,000 people, 4% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7532 deaths per 100,000 people, 18% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.8804 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.6036 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4082 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.1502 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.7353 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 104 Oman 0.1767 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 105 Japan 0.1754 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 106 Qatar 0.1651 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 108 Ireland 0.135 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 109 Singapore 0.0982 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 110 Egypt 0.0956 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More social development data for Malaysia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 150,164 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0042 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 Malaysia?
- Homicide rate in Malaysia was 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.139 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020.
- How does Malaysia rank for homicide rate?
- Malaysia ranks 107th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.