Homicides in Belgium
Belgium: Homicides was 76 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
76 deaths
Change on year
down 8.4%
World rank
55th
of 113 countries
All-time high
253 deaths
in 1999
All-time low
52 deaths
in 1962
Years of data
68
1954–2021
Homicides in Belgium, 1954–2021
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2021, homicides in Belgium stood at 76 deaths.
The figure is down 8.4% on the previous year and down 47.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Belgium peaked at 253 deaths in 1999 and was at its lowest, 52 deaths, in 1962.
Belgium ranks 55th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 68 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 58.83 deaths | 54 deaths | 63 deaths | 6 |
| 1960s | 65.8 deaths | 52 deaths | 81 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 105.9 deaths | 88 deaths | 158 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 162.6 deaths | 135 deaths | 210 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 184.6 deaths | 142 deaths | 253 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 161.3 deaths | 128 deaths | 198 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 117.8 deaths | 95 deaths | 146 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.5 deaths | 76 deaths | 83 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More social development data for Belgium
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 113 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.889 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.969 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.896 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.889 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.633 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.794 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Belgium?
- Homicides in Belgium was 76 deaths in 2021, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 253 deaths in 1999.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 52 deaths in 1962.
- How does Belgium rank for homicides?
- Belgium ranks 55th out of 113 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (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 — 68 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.