Homicides in Belgium
Belgium: Homicides was 125 homicides in 2021. ▲ Rising
Homicides in Belgium, 1990–2021
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 2021, homicides in Belgium stood at 125 homicides.
Over the whole period, homicides in Belgium peaked at 319 homicides in 2002 and was at its lowest, 102.23 homicides, in 1991.
That places Belgium 89th out of 179 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Homicides in Belgium, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 103.67 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 102.23 homicides | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 120.95 homicides | +18.3% |
| 1993 | 144.71 homicides | +19.6% |
| 1994 | 120 homicides | -17.1% |
| 1995 | 142 homicides | +18.3% |
| 1996 | 120 homicides | -15.5% |
| 1997 | 145 homicides | +20.8% |
| 2000 | 212 homicides | +46.2% |
| 2001 | 282 homicides | +33.0% |
| 2002 | 319 homicides | +13.1% |
| 2021 | 125 homicides | -60.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 125 homicides is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 2.4× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 125 homicides is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5 homicides, 1.7× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 124.82 homicides | 102.23 homicides | 145 homicides | 8 |
| 2000s | 271 homicides | 212 homicides | 319 homicides | 3 |
| 2020s | 125 homicides | 125 homicides | 125 homicides | 1 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More social development data for Belgium
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (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 113 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0156 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 in Belgium?
- Homicides in Belgium was 125 homicides in 2021, 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 recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 319 homicides in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 102.23 homicides in 1991.
- How does Belgium rank for homicides?
- Belgium ranks 89th out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
- Where does this Belgium 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of intentional homicides.