Homicides in Greenland
Greenland: Homicides was 3 homicides in 2016. ▼ Falling
Homicides in Greenland, 1992–2016
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 2016, homicides in Greenland stood at 3 homicides.
That represents a change of down 25.0% on the previous year and down 62.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Greenland peaked at 17 homicides in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1 homicides, in 2011.
Greenland ranks 161st of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Homicides in Greenland, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 13 homicides | — |
| 1993 | 12 homicides | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 6 homicides | -50.0% |
| 1995 | 11 homicides | +83.3% |
| 1996 | 3 homicides | -72.7% |
| 1997 | 11 homicides | +266.7% |
| 1998 | 6 homicides | -45.5% |
| 1999 | 11 homicides | +83.3% |
| 2000 | 13 homicides | +18.2% |
| 2001 | 17 homicides | +30.8% |
| 2002 | 12 homicides | -29.4% |
| 2003 | 5 homicides | -58.3% |
| 2004 | 11 homicides | +120.0% |
| 2005 | 10 homicides | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 8 homicides | -20.0% |
| 2007 | 8 homicides | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 homicides | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10 homicides | +25.0% |
| 2010 | 11 homicides | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 1 homicides | -90.9% |
| 2012 | 8 homicides | +700.0% |
| 2013 | 7 homicides | -12.5% |
| 2014 | 4 homicides | -42.9% |
| 2015 | 4 homicides | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3 homicides | -25.0% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 3 homicides is below the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 6% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 3 homicides is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5 homicides, 4% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicides in Greenland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +700.0% | 1 homicides | 8 homicides |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.12 homicides | 3 homicides | 13 homicides | 8 |
| 2000s | 10.2 homicides | 5 homicides | 17 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.43 homicides | 1 homicides | 11 homicides | 7 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More social development data for Greenland
- Number of armed conflicts 0 conflicts (2025)
- Number of state-based conflicts 0 conflicts (2025)
- Countries where armed conflicts took place 0 (2025)
- Homicide rate 5.35 homicides per 100,000 population (2016)
- Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC 5.35 homicides per 100,000 population (2016)
- Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 5.35 homicides per 100,000 population (2016)
- Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees 22.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Greenland?
- Homicides in Greenland was 3 homicides in 2016, 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 Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 17 homicides in 2001.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 homicides in 2011.
- How does Greenland rank for homicides?
- Greenland ranks 161st out of 179 countries with data for 2016.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greenland 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 — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of intentional homicides.