Homicides in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Homicides was 489 homicides in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
489 homicides
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
60th
of 179 countries
All-time high
1,179 homicides
in 2011
All-time low
473 homicides
in 2023
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Homicides in Puerto Rico, 1990–2024
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 2024, homicides in Puerto Rico stood at 489 homicides.
The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Puerto Rico peaked at 1,179 homicides in 2011 and was at its lowest, 473 homicides, in 2023.
Puerto Rico ranks 60th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Homicides in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 600 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 817 homicides | +36.2% |
| 1992 | 864 homicides | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 954 homicides | +10.4% |
| 1994 | 995 homicides | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 864 homicides | -13.2% |
| 1996 | 868 homicides | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 724 homicides | -16.6% |
| 1998 | 652 homicides | -9.9% |
| 1999 | 593 homicides | -9.0% |
| 2000 | 734 homicides | +23.8% |
| 2001 | 802 homicides | +9.3% |
| 2002 | 820 homicides | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 818 homicides | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 843 homicides | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 825 homicides | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 783 homicides | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 774 homicides | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 874 homicides | +12.9% |
| 2009 | 956 homicides | +9.4% |
| 2010 | 1,030 homicides | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 1,179 homicides | +14.5% |
| 2012 | 1,015 homicides | -13.9% |
| 2013 | 924 homicides | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 704 homicides | -23.8% |
| 2015 | 614 homicides | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 704 homicides | +14.7% |
| 2017 | 728 homicides | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 664 homicides | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 633 homicides | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 556 homicides | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 632 homicides | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 572 homicides | -9.5% |
| 2023 | 473 homicides | -17.3% |
| 2024 | 489 homicides | +3.4% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 489 homicides is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 9.3× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 489 homicides is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 489 homicides, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 793.1 homicides | 593 homicides | 995 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 822.9 homicides | 734 homicides | 956 homicides | 10 |
| 2010s | 819.5 homicides | 614 homicides | 1,179 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 544.4 homicides | 473 homicides | 632 homicides | 5 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 57 Kazakhstan 511 homicides compare
- 58 Cuba 500 homicides compare
- 59 El Salvador 496 homicides compare
- 61 Uzbekistan 479 homicides compare
- 62 Rwanda 472 homicides compare
- 63 Paraguay 464 homicides compare
More social development data for Puerto Rico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2024)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2015)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2015)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2024)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2024)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Political rights rating fh, per square kilometre 0.0001 units per square kilometre (2015)
- Political Rights Score 37 (2015)
- Freedom Score 90 (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Puerto Rico?
- Homicides in Puerto Rico was 489 homicides in 2024, 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 1,179 homicides in 2011.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 473 homicides in 2023.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for homicides?
- Puerto Rico ranks 60th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.