Homicide rate in New Zealand
New Zealand: Homicide rate was 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
1.35 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 58.1%
World rank
53rd
of 111 countries
All-time high
2.33 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1992
All-time low
0.5039 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1956
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Homicide rate in New Zealand, 1950–2018
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people for homicide rate in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 58.1% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in New Zealand peaked at 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.5039 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1956.
New Zealand ranks 53rd of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 69 years of available data.
Homicide rate in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.04 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 1.18 deaths per 100,000 people | +13.4% |
| 1952 | 1 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.2% |
| 1953 | 0.8297 deaths per 100,000 people | -17.2% |
| 1954 | 0.8593 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1955 | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | +25.1% |
| 1956 | 0.5039 deaths per 100,000 people | -53.1% |
| 1957 | 0.6719 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1958 | 1.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +56.3% |
| 1959 | 1.07 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 1.01 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.7% |
| 1961 | 1.03 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 0.7636 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.9% |
| 1963 | 0.5898 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.8% |
| 1964 | 1.27 deaths per 100,000 people | +115.3% |
| 1965 | 1.1 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.8% |
| 1966 | 0.7454 deaths per 100,000 people | -32.0% |
| 1967 | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | +81.9% |
| 1968 | 0.7256 deaths per 100,000 people | -46.5% |
| 1969 | 1.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +53.7% |
| 1970 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.3% |
| 1971 | 0.8728 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.7% |
| 1972 | 1.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.1% |
| 1973 | 0.8393 deaths per 100,000 people | -17.2% |
| 1974 | 1.45 deaths per 100,000 people | +72.2% |
| 1975 | 1.07 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.0% |
| 1976 | 1.08 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 1.77 deaths per 100,000 people | +63.5% |
| 1978 | 1.85 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 1.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.4% |
| 1980 | 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.5% |
| 1981 | 1.33 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 1.29 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 1.58 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.7% |
| 1984 | 1.17 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.2% |
| 1985 | 2.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +72.6% |
| 1986 | 2.23 deaths per 100,000 people | +10.7% |
| 1987 | 1.97 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.7% |
| 1988 | 1.75 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.1% |
| 1989 | 2.16 deaths per 100,000 people | +23.6% |
| 1990 | 2.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 1.89 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.5% |
| 1992 | 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people | +23.0% |
| 1993 | 1.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -38.5% |
| 1994 | 1.94 deaths per 100,000 people | +35.5% |
| 1995 | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -36.6% |
| 1996 | 1.83 deaths per 100,000 people | +48.8% |
| 1997 | 1.81 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.9% |
| 1999 | 1.33 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 1.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 1.37 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 1.78 deaths per 100,000 people | +30.1% |
| 2003 | 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -21.4% |
| 2004 | 1.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.2% |
| 2005 | 1.77 deaths per 100,000 people | +47.3% |
| 2006 | 1.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.2% |
| 2008 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.9% |
| 2009 | 1.97 deaths per 100,000 people | +58.6% |
| 2010 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -37.2% |
| 2011 | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 1.29 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 1.24 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 1.01 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.7% |
| 2015 | 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.9% |
| 2016 | 1.26 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 0.8517 deaths per 100,000 people | -32.3% |
| 2018 | 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people | +58.1% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7971 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7532 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.8× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.9285 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.5039 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.97 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.5898 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.36 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.8393 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.85 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.68 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.17 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.76 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.97 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 0.8517 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.35 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (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 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand?
- Homicide rate in New Zealand was 1.35 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people in 1992.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5039 deaths per 100,000 people in 1956.
- How does New Zealand rank for homicide rate?
- New Zealand ranks 53rd out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.