Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC in El Salvador
El Salvador: Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC was 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC in El Salvador, 1994–2022
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population for homicide rate, who vs. unodc in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 29 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 54.5% on the previous year and down 81.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate, who vs. unodc in El Salvador peaked at 138.44 homicides per 100,000 population in 1995 and was at its lowest, 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2022.
El Salvador ranks 43rd of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 134.28 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1995 | 138.44 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 117 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.5% |
| 1997 | 112.46 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 94.95 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.6% |
| 1999 | 65.02 homicides per 100,000 population | -31.5% |
| 2000 | 59.75 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 60.15 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 47.36 homicides per 100,000 population | -21.3% |
| 2003 | 55.95 homicides per 100,000 population | +18.1% |
| 2004 | 64.9 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.0% |
| 2005 | 64.64 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 65.42 homicides per 100,000 population | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 58.19 homicides per 100,000 population | -11.1% |
| 2008 | 52.73 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.4% |
| 2009 | 72.45 homicides per 100,000 population | +37.4% |
| 2010 | 65.7 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.3% |
| 2011 | 71.77 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 42.43 homicides per 100,000 population | -40.9% |
| 2013 | 40.94 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 63.62 homicides per 100,000 population | +55.4% |
| 2015 | 107.64 homicides per 100,000 population | +69.2% |
| 2016 | 85.09 homicides per 100,000 population | -21.0% |
| 2017 | 63.76 homicides per 100,000 population | -25.1% |
| 2018 | 53.8 homicides per 100,000 population | -15.6% |
| 2019 | 38.54 homicides per 100,000 population | -28.4% |
| 2020 | 21.51 homicides per 100,000 population | -44.2% |
| 2021 | 17.34 homicides per 100,000 population | -19.4% |
| 2022 | 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population | -54.5% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.06 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.92 homicides per 100,000 population, 47% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 110.36 homicides per 100,000 population | 65.02 homicides per 100,000 population | 138.44 homicides per 100,000 population | 6 |
| 2000s | 60.15 homicides per 100,000 population | 47.36 homicides per 100,000 population | 72.45 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.33 homicides per 100,000 population | 38.54 homicides per 100,000 population | 107.64 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.58 homicides per 100,000 population | 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population | 21.51 homicides per 100,000 population | 3 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 40 Peru 8.6 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 41 British Virgin Islands 8.17 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 42 Seychelles 7.97 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 44 Russia 7.82 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 45 Barbados 7.44 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 46 Kiribati 7.12 homicides per 100,000 population compare
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, who vs. unodc in El Salvador?
- Homicide rate, who vs. unodc in El Salvador was 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate, who vs. unodc recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 138.44 homicides per 100,000 population in 1995.
- What is the lowest homicide rate, who vs. unodc recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022.
- How does El Salvador rank for homicide rate, who vs. unodc?
- El Salvador ranks 43rd out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicide rate, who vs. unodc rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.