Homicides in Mexico
Mexico: Homicides was 32,252 homicides in 2023. ▲ Rising
Homicides in Mexico, 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 Mexico stood at 32,252 homicides.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Mexico peaked at 36,773 homicides in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8,867 homicides, in 2007.
Mexico ranks 3rd 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14,493 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 15,128 homicides | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 16,594 homicides | +9.7% |
| 1993 | 16,040 homicides | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 15,839 homicides | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 15,612 homicides | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 14,505 homicides | -7.1% |
| 1997 | 13,552 homicides | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 13,656 homicides | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 12,249 homicides | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 10,737 homicides | -12.3% |
| 2001 | 10,285 homicides | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 10,088 homicides | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 10,087 homicides | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 9,329 homicides | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 9,921 homicides | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 10,452 homicides | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 8,867 homicides | -15.2% |
| 2008 | 14,006 homicides | +58.0% |
| 2009 | 19,803 homicides | +41.4% |
| 2010 | 25,757 homicides | +30.1% |
| 2011 | 27,213 homicides | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 25,967 homicides | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 23,063 homicides | -11.2% |
| 2014 | 20,010 homicides | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 20,762 homicides | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 24,559 homicides | +18.3% |
| 2017 | 32,079 homicides | +30.6% |
| 2018 | 36,685 homicides | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 36,661 homicides | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 36,773 homicides | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 35,700 homicides | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 33,287 homicides | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 32,252 homicides | -3.1% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 32,252 homicides is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 241.5 homicides, 133.5× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 32,252 homicides is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 489 homicides, 66.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicides in Mexico 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +58.0% | 8,867 homicides | 14,006 homicides |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14,767 homicides | 12,249 homicides | 16,594 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,358 homicides | 8,867 homicides | 19,803 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,276 homicides | 20,010 homicides | 36,685 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,503 homicides | 32,252 homicides | 36,773 homicides | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 1 Brazil 40,698 homicides compare
- 2 India 40,130 homicides compare
- 4 South Africa 27,272 homicides compare
- 5 United States 19,796 homicides compare
- 6 Colombia 13,035 homicides compare
More social development data for Mexico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 152,002 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 Mexico?
- Homicides in Mexico was 32,252 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 36,773 homicides in 2020.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,867 homicides in 2007.
- How does Mexico rank for homicides?
- Mexico ranks 3rd out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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.