Homicides in Denmark
Denmark: Homicides was 50 homicides in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
50 homicides
Change on year
down 13.8%
World rank
115th
of 179 countries
All-time high
88 homicides
in 1997
All-time low
37 homicides
in 2021
Years of data
27
1990–2023
Homicides in Denmark, 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 in Denmark stood at 50 homicides.
The figure is down 13.8% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Denmark peaked at 88 homicides in 1997 and was at its lowest, 37 homicides, in 2021.
That places Denmark 115th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Homicides in Denmark, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 68 homicides | +65.9% |
| 1992 | 62 homicides | -8.8% |
| 1993 | 71 homicides | +14.5% |
| 1994 | 75 homicides | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 59 homicides | -21.3% |
| 1996 | 68 homicides | +15.3% |
| 1997 | 88 homicides | +29.4% |
| 1998 | 49 homicides | -44.3% |
| 1999 | 52 homicides | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 58 homicides | +11.5% |
| 2001 | 52 homicides | -10.3% |
| 2002 | 48 homicides | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 42 homicides | -12.5% |
| 2011 | 46 homicides | +9.5% |
| 2012 | 47 homicides | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 48 homicides | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 74 homicides | +54.2% |
| 2015 | 62 homicides | -16.2% |
| 2016 | 56 homicides | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 71 homicides | +26.8% |
| 2018 | 58 homicides | -18.3% |
| 2019 | 50 homicides | -13.8% |
| 2020 | 48 homicides | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 37 homicides | -22.9% |
| 2022 | 58 homicides | +56.8% |
| 2023 | 50 homicides | -13.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 50 homicides is below the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 95% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 50 homicides is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5 homicides, 67% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.3 homicides | 41 homicides | 88 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.67 homicides | 48 homicides | 58 homicides | 3 |
| 2010s | 55.4 homicides | 42 homicides | 74 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.25 homicides | 37 homicides | 58 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 112 Switzerland 53 homicides compare
- 113 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 52 homicides compare
- 113 United States Virgin Islands 52 homicides compare
- 116 Albania 49 homicides compare
- 116 East Timor 49 homicides compare
- 118 Latvia 47 homicides compare
More social development data for Denmark
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 95,007 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 21 (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 21 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0158 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 Denmark?
- Homicides in Denmark was 50 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 88 homicides in 1997.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 37 homicides in 2021.
- How does Denmark rank for homicides?
- Denmark ranks 115th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of intentional homicides.