Homicides in Brazil
Brazil: Homicides was 40,698 homicides in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
40,698 homicides
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
1st
of 179 countries
All-time high
63,788 homicides
in 2017
All-time low
25,967 homicides
in 1992
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Homicides in Brazil, 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
Brazil recorded 40,698 homicides for homicides in 2023.
The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Brazil peaked at 63,788 homicides in 2017 and was at its lowest, 25,967 homicides, in 1992.
Brazil ranks 1st of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Homicides in Brazil, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29,301 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 28,148 homicides | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 25,967 homicides | -7.8% |
| 1993 | 28,013 homicides | +7.9% |
| 1994 | 29,851 homicides | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 34,000 homicides | +13.9% |
| 1996 | 38,894 homicides | +14.4% |
| 1997 | 40,507 homicides | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 41,950 homicides | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 42,914 homicides | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 45,375 homicides | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 47,955 homicides | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 49,710 homicides | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 51,064 homicides | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 48,394 homicides | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 47,593 homicides | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 49,165 homicides | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 47,731 homicides | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 50,135 homicides | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 51,461 homicides | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 52,289 homicides | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 52,233 homicides | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 56,388 homicides | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 56,845 homicides | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 59,733 homicides | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 58,184 homicides | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 61,208 homicides | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 63,788 homicides | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 55,980 homicides | -12.2% |
| 2019 | 44,073 homicides | -21.3% |
| 2020 | 45,515 homicides | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 42,968 homicides | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 42,232 homicides | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 40,698 homicides | -3.6% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 40,698 homicides is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 241.5 homicides, 168.5× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 40,698 homicides is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 489 homicides, 83.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33,955 homicides | 25,967 homicides | 42,914 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 48,858 homicides | 45,375 homicides | 51,461 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 56,072 homicides | 44,073 homicides | 63,788 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 42,853 homicides | 40,698 homicides | 45,515 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More social development data for Brazil
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 278,966 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,306 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 6,306 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0013 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 Brazil?
- Homicides in Brazil was 40,698 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 recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 63,788 homicides in 2017.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,967 homicides in 1992.
- How does Brazil rank for homicides?
- Brazil ranks 1st out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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.