Homicides by firearm in Guatemala
Guatemala: Homicides by firearm was 799 homicides in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Homicides by firearm in Guatemala, 2007–2023
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.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 799 homicides for homicides by firearm in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.7% on the previous year and down 81.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides by firearm in Guatemala peaked at 5,438 homicides in 2016 and was at its lowest, 605 homicides, in 2021.
Guatemala ranks 13th of 82 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Homicides by firearm in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4,776 homicides | — |
| 2008 | 5,237 homicides | +9.7% |
| 2009 | 5,405 homicides | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 5,009 homicides | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 4,676 homicides | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 4,226 homicides | -9.6% |
| 2013 | 4,258 homicides | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 4,128 homicides | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 5,438 homicides | +31.7% |
| 2017 | 1,402 homicides | -74.2% |
| 2018 | 1,131 homicides | -19.3% |
| 2019 | 1,061 homicides | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 618 homicides | -41.8% |
| 2021 | 605 homicides | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 735 homicides | +21.5% |
| 2023 | 799 homicides | +8.7% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 799 homicides is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 30 homicides, 26.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 799 homicides is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 253 homicides, 3.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicides by firearm in Guatemala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | -74.2% | 5,438 homicides | 1,402 homicides |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,139 homicides | 4,776 homicides | 5,405 homicides | 3 |
| 2010s | 3,481 homicides | 1,061 homicides | 5,438 homicides | 9 |
| 2020s | 689.25 homicides | 605 homicides | 799 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More social development data for Guatemala
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,586 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (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 0.0019 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides by firearm in Guatemala?
- Homicides by firearm in Guatemala was 799 homicides in 2023, 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 homicides by firearm recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 5,438 homicides in 2016.
- What is the lowest homicides by firearm recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 605 homicides in 2021.
- How does Guatemala rank for homicides by firearm?
- Guatemala ranks 13th out of 82 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides by firearm rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala 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 Homicides by firearm. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of intentional homicides where the weapon was a firearm.