Homicides in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Homicides was 757 homicides in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
757 homicides
Change on year
up 18.8%
World rank
43rd
of 179 countries
All-time high
1,107 homicides
in 2002
All-time low
584 homicides
in 2014
Years of data
30
1990–2021
Homicides in United Kingdom, 1990–2021
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 2021, homicides in United Kingdom stood at 757 homicides.
That represents a change of up 18.8% on the previous year and up 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in United Kingdom peaked at 1,107 homicides in 2002 and was at its lowest, 584 homicides, in 2014.
That places United Kingdom 43rd out of 179 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Homicides in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | homicides | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 729.98 homicides | — |
| 1991 | 800 homicides | +9.6% |
| 1992 | 799 homicides | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 781 homicides | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 825 homicides | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 809 homicides | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 747 homicides | -7.7% |
| 1997 | 733 homicides | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 811 homicides | +10.6% |
| 1999 | 824 homicides | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 911 homicides | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 964 homicides | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 1,107 homicides | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 835 homicides | -24.6% |
| 2006 | 862 homicides | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 874 homicides | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 760 homicides | -13.0% |
| 2009 | 703 homicides | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 756 homicides | +7.5% |
| 2011 | 640 homicides | -15.3% |
| 2012 | 627 homicides | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 602 homicides | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 584 homicides | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 620 homicides | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 773 homicides | +24.7% |
| 2017 | 780 homicides | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 728 homicides | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 772 homicides | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 637 homicides | -17.5% |
| 2021 | 757 homicides | +18.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 757 homicides is above the median for high income countries, which is 52.5 homicides, 14.4× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 757 homicides is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5 homicides, 10.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 785.9 homicides | 729.98 homicides | 825 homicides | 10 |
| 2000s | 877 homicides | 703 homicides | 1,107 homicides | 8 |
| 2010s | 688.2 homicides | 584 homicides | 780 homicides | 10 |
| 2020s | 697 homicides | 637 homicides | 757 homicides | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Homicides in United Kingdom was 757 homicides in 2021, 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1,107 homicides in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 584 homicides in 2014.
- How does United Kingdom rank for homicides?
- United Kingdom ranks 43rd out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of intentional homicides.