Homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan
Japan: Homicides, by sex of the victim was 144 homicides in 2023. ▼ Falling
Homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan, 1990–2023
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
In 2023, homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan stood at 144 homicides.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.8% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan peaked at 356 homicides in 1998 and was at its lowest, 134 homicides, in 2021.
That places Japan 34th out of 138 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 304 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 298 homicides | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 302 homicides | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 318 homicides | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 307 homicides | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 340 homicides | +10.7% |
| 1996 | 292 homicides | -14.1% |
| 1997 | 312 homicides | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 356 homicides | +14.1% |
| 1999 | 338 homicides | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 330 homicides | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 315 homicides | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 315 homicides | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 318 homicides | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 333 homicides | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 319 homicides | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 324 homicides | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 282 homicides | -13.0% |
| 2008 | 339 homicides | +20.2% |
| 2009 | 253 homicides | -25.4% |
| 2010 | 237 homicides | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 234 homicides | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 240 homicides | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 191 homicides | -20.4% |
| 2014 | 206 homicides | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 218 homicides | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 197 homicides | -9.6% |
| 2017 | 173 homicides | -12.2% |
| 2018 | 179 homicides | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 181 homicides | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 187 homicides | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 134 homicides | -28.3% |
| 2022 | 167 homicides | +24.6% |
| 2023 | 144 homicides | -13.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 316.7 homicides | 292 homicides | 356 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 312.8 homicides | 253 homicides | 339 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 205.6 homicides | 173 homicides | 240 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 158 homicides | 134 homicides | 187 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 31 Uzbekistan 179 homicides compare
- 32 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 155 homicides compare
- 33 Kazakhstan 145 homicides compare
- 35 Chile 138 homicides compare
- 36 Dominican Republic 134 homicides compare
- 37 Poland 122 homicides compare
More social development data for Japan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,450 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (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 56 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 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 sex of the victim in Japan?
- Homicides, by sex of the victim in Japan was 144 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 sex of the victim recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 356 homicides in 1998.
- What is the lowest homicides, by sex of the victim recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 134 homicides in 2021.
- How does Japan rank for homicides, by sex of the victim?
- Japan ranks 34th out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides, by sex of the victim rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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 sex of the victim. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of intentional homicidesof female victims .