Homicides in Colombia
Colombia: Homicides was 14,457 deaths in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Homicides in Colombia, 1953–2021
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2021, homicides in Colombia stood at 14,457 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.5% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Colombia peaked at 31,762 deaths in 2002 and was at its lowest, 2,887 deaths, in 1969.
That places Colombia 4th out of 113 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4,884 deaths | 3,121 deaths | 6,966 deaths | 7 |
| 1960s | 4,379 deaths | 2,887 deaths | 5,393 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 4,542 deaths | 3,821 deaths | 5,423 deaths | 5 |
| 1980s | 15,301 deaths | 9,360 deaths | 21,607 deaths | 6 |
| 1990s | 26,218 deaths | 22,699 deaths | 30,004 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 22,673 deaths | 16,730 deaths | 31,762 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,078 deaths | 12,006 deaths | 18,439 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,435 deaths | 12,413 deaths | 14,457 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More social development data for Colombia
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 1,464 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 79,669 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.679 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.81 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.89 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.679 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.467 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.555 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Colombia?
- Homicides in Colombia was 14,457 deaths in 2021, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 31,762 deaths in 2002.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,887 deaths in 1969.
- How does Colombia rank for homicides?
- Colombia ranks 4th out of 113 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Colombia 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 — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.