Homicides in Germany
Germany: Homicides was 770 homicides in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
770 homicides
Change on year
up 12.2%
World rank
42nd
of 179 countries
All-time high
2,032 homicides
in 1995
All-time low
623 homicides
in 2019
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Homicides in Germany, 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
The most recent figure for homicides in Germany is 770 homicides, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 12.2% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Germany peaked at 2,032 homicides in 1995 and was at its lowest, 623 homicides, in 2019.
That places Germany 42nd out of 179 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 in Germany, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 931 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 1,127 homicides | +21.1% |
| 1992 | 1,158 homicides | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 1,348 homicides | +16.4% |
| 1994 | 1,949 homicides | +44.6% |
| 1995 | 2,032 homicides | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 1,923 homicides | -5.4% |
| 1997 | 1,800 homicides | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 1,602 homicides | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 1,326 homicides | -17.2% |
| 2000 | 1,364 homicides | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 1,181 homicides | -13.4% |
| 2002 | 1,172 homicides | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 1,097 homicides | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 1,112 homicides | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 1,044 homicides | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 988 homicides | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 888 homicides | -10.1% |
| 2008 | 831 homicides | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 803 homicides | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 793 homicides | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 738 homicides | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 659 homicides | -10.7% |
| 2013 | 682 homicides | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 716 homicides | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 682 homicides | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 963 homicides | +41.2% |
| 2017 | 813 homicides | -15.6% |
| 2018 | 788 homicides | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 623 homicides | -20.9% |
| 2020 | 782 homicides | +25.5% |
| 2021 | 695 homicides | -11.1% |
| 2022 | 686 homicides | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 770 homicides | +12.2% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 770 homicides is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 14.7× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Germany's 770 homicides is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5 homicides, 10.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,520 homicides | 931 homicides | 2,032 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,048 homicides | 803 homicides | 1,364 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 745.7 homicides | 623 homicides | 963 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 733.25 homicides | 686 homicides | 782 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More social development data for Germany
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.66 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 327 (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 327 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0318 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 Germany?
- Homicides in Germany was 770 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 2,032 homicides in 1995.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 623 homicides in 2019.
- How does Germany rank for homicides?
- Germany ranks 42nd out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.